London Walk 3rd July 2019

Marian, Jane and Tim led the walk around a tiny part of inner London. Even so, there was a lot to see. We started out by walking over the Golden Jubilee Footbridge to reach the Victoria Embankment Gardens. From there we headed for a quick stroll around Covent Garden before having a delightful coffee and cake in the Royal Opera House. On the way to Lincoln's Inn Field we found the Old Curiosity Shop, looking a bit dusty and selling shoes. Lincoln's Inn Field is home to the Sir John Soane's Museum, free entry to an incredible collection of Egyptian artefacts, paintings by Canaletto, Turner and William Hogarth as well as a vast, extraordinary collection of curiosities and surprises. A quick walk through Lincoln's Inn Field and we were in New Square, Lincoln's Inn, one time home to Thomas More, Oliver Cromwell, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. Around the corner is a Victorian cast iron public convenience, unfortunately locked. From there we headed for Temple Church with its extraordinary 13th and 14th Century stone effigies and architecture dating back to 1185 AD. We happened to be there at the same time as an organ recital by Alessandro Bianchi but we had no time to linger as we were en route to The Olde Cheshire Cheese for lunch. This wonderful pub was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666 and has served many famous figures including Dickens, G.K Chesterton, Tennyson, Conan Doyle, Mark Twain and many more, as well as members of the Midhurst Footpath Companions. The next destination was the Wren church of St. Brides. Originally St. Bridgets, a local confectioner copied the steeple design for his version of a wedding cake. So sucessful was his wedding cake design that by the 18th Century, the church had became known as St Brides. Deep in the crypt is a section of floor from a Roman temple that once stood on the site. This church has had good and other clients for marriages. The parents of the first ever European child to be born in America were married there, as were Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall. Next was St Paul's Cathedral, but not for viewing on the inside. We next went over the Millenium Bridge to reach the South Bank of the Thames. A gentle stroll viewing the sights brought us to the Le Pain Quotidien for a last snack before catching the train home.