Wren's London: St James Garlickhythe...

...can I just start by saying that during my series on Wren's London I have thrown in the of odd joke or even complete lie in the interest of humour, however what I am about to tell you is completely true.

The church was destroyed by the great fire of London after being rebuilt a payment of 40s each to Wren's 2 clerks is recorded in the church accounts 'for their care and kindness in hastening the building of the church, and to induce them to do the like for the more speedy finishing of the Steeple.' It was finished 33 years later, so it looks like builders were no more reliable in those days either.

In 1941 a German bomb feel through the roof of the church but didn't explode, the bomb was removed to Hackney Marshes to be detonated.

The statue that you see commemorate the Vintners' Company Barge Master and Swan Marker, every year, the company undertake the annual ritual of 'Swan Upping' (insert your own joke....but only a joke), it is basically a 5 day jolly on the Thames counting and marking swans of the Thames, (presumably whilst reading copies of the Daily Mail, apologies to mail readers).

The Company attends a service in St James Garlickhythe after the election of the Master in July of each year. The Court walks in procession to and from the church. The Master and Wardens wear furred gowns, Tudor caps and carry posies......(now you lot, stop laughing at the back of the class, this isn't funny).

Bloody snow arrived, went skidding off the road a couple of times, can't understand why people like this stuff but enjoy your weekends.