Wren's London: St Mary-le-bow....

...Cor' blimey gov'ner , stone the crows (translation: `Did you see that? That's a bit of a surprise wasn't it), you could be watching an episode of Eastenders that was so convincing

Before you ask, no I have not been drinking I'm just playing cockney for the day. The main rule for someone being a cockney is that you have to be born within the sound of 'bow bells', those bells reside within St Mary le Bow.

St Mary-le bow, is considered the second most important church within the city of London and was therefore rebuilt after the great fire only behind a certain Cathedral of his.

The sound of the bells of St Mary's is credited with having persuaded Dick Whittington to turn back from Highgate and remain in London to become Lord Mayor.

Within the church courtyard there is a statue of Captain John Smith (not in the photo) the founder of the American state of Virginia.

The church is also referenced in the nursery rhyme 'Oranges and Lemons' in the line that says 'I do not know, says the great bell of Bow' but then a few of the churches I might show within this series are also mentioned in this rhyme. (tell me that you are not singing it in your head right now!)

Also before you ask (especially northern folks), no we are not all cockneys and I am certainly not one, a west Londoner born and bred and believe that you should only live in London if you have a W in your postcode, p.s. you l lot with HA, KT, RM etc at the start of your postcode don't count, you're not even Londoners.

(Now I'll just stand back and watch this kick off!!)

Thanks for all the lovely comments, stars and hearts for my secretive blip of yesterday. I could just do a month of St Paul's blips from different angles, but there will just be one more at the end of the series, I even know exactly where from.