A day in the City

Met a friend in London today, and as the weather was good, we decided to explore parts the City around the Barbican area which is more unfamiliar to us.

We began by entering Postman's Park. This had been on my list for a while. What was unexpected was the church of The London City Presbyterian Church right there. From the outside it did not look like anything much, but inside it was really beautiful. There was a display about Christianity through the ages and some lovely stained glass windows, one dedicated to John Wesley who had his famous spiritual awakening in a building very nearby.

The London Presbyterian Church

John Wesley Window

Postman's Park

The plaques

After leaving the church we entered Postmark's Park properly. This little park, a haunt for office workers at lunchtime, has plaques dedicated to heroic people who died saving others. The stories are very moving. These were just ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

By now our tummy's were rumbling so we set off towards the church of St Bartholomew the Great where there was supposed to be a Cloister Cafe. We trundled around and had to ask for directions. We'd only walked past it! Inside we found the cafe and had a bowl of decision soup. Refreshed, we wandered around the church itself. This one is very old, built in the 1100's and many famous films were filmed here, including Four Weddings and a Funeral and Shakespeare in Love. There is a font in which the artist William Hogarth was baptised in 1697.

Entrance to St Bartholomew the Great

Font

Afterward we passed Smithfield Market and headed towards the Barbican Centre. Not having been this way before we were a little confused by all the concrete and glass buildings. We firstly found two exhibition halls and then the cinemas. This had a cafe - another stop was called for - this time for tea and cake! Then we found the main centre - boy it was big! A detour to the shop (of course) and out on to the terrace with its pools and fountains. From there we found our way to Guildhall, another building I loved. We looked around the art gallery (nice collection in categories such as Home, Work, War) and then down to the Roman Amphitheatre. Here our roving ended and it was back on the tube where my friend and finally parted, going our separate ways home.