St Michael's Cornhill

Although squashed in by offices and shops from every side, The Church of St Michael's Cornhill bears closer examination. In its present guise one of Wren's churches, I never ceased to be amazed by the quality of carving in the stonework.


I'm away for a few weeks, daily photos will continue to appear courtesy of Blogger's automated feature - as long as it is working.

39 Cornhill

I was admiring the exterior of a city building, a fine example of Victorian grandeur, when a chap that worked there asked me if I wanted to see the oldest free standing balcony in London. You can guess my answer and see the result.

A bespoke Tailor

Time was when you would find a tailor in most localities; having a first suit made was a rite of passage, Not many places like this now. It's hard to image going into Marks & Spencer and ordering a custom made suit as you could from Burton's. This tailor is hidden away from view in the alleys, behind Cornhill (see yesterday) - Castles in Castle Street.And todays useless fact is that "Bespoke" just means to order - to bespeak - the suit.

Step Back in Time

If you read Victorian novels about London, you will have built an image of a city of narrow, huddled, alleyways. You may have thought that they've been swept away, apart from the odd one here or there, but behind Cornhill there remains a maze of tiny streets and alleys, pedestrianised now, that you would miss if you weren't looking for them. Worth a meander if you haven't done so before, I felt this antique treatment gave the right feel to the picture.



In this shot is the Jamaica Wine House, which stands on the site of London's first coffee house (not the Dutch kind!!) opened by Pasqua Rosee in 1652 - twenty years before he opened the first one in Paris.



See where on the London Daily Photo Map

The Supply of Information

Paul Julius Reuter, as much as any other single person, helped shape the world we live in today. Born this day 192 years ago (as I write this), his early life seems to have been built on shifting sands. It is an irony that his organisation went on to become a byword for reliability and speed. His early news gathering used carrier pigeons, moving rapidly to the telegraph: whatever it took to get the news first. If the mood takes you, you can read more about the man here (Wikipediaa), here or here.



This memorial to him stands behind the Royal Exchange. See where on the London Daily Photo Map.