city photography walk: doors and windows
April 2007
On the last Sunday in April the Creativity Group decided on an outing to take more photos for this year's topic of "Doors and Windows". We took the tube to Monument and were led by Caroline through a maze of streets - streets along which I had either never walked or usually only drive. It was a joy on a Sunday afternoon - almost no people. We remembered to look upwards to see the tops of the original buildings and not just the modern shop fronts.
We dived into the occasional church. In one we arrived as the afternoon congregation of Koreans was just leaving. This was a church which had once been burnt to the ground and has been rebuilt in the original style. It appears that several of the city churches rent out their buildings to groups who do not have their own. Some we couldn't get into but outside one we did find a small courtyard with a tiny garden - such a treat in the city. Here we found a minute doorway - only big enough for the very smallest of people. Beside it was a huge piece of timber from a Roman wharf - a reminder of London's very long history. We had started at Monument and passed Pudding Lane where the Great Fire of London started - another major historical reminder.
Then we walked along the north bank of the Thames with a view of the South Bank buildings - just as fascinating as the other side but with not so many people. We ignored some 'No Entry' signs and it paid off. The tide was high and the light on the river flickered and gleamed. Along the river here we had a lot of fun trying to get a photograph of all of us together - or rather a photograph of our reflections in some of the huge modern glass windows.
Having walked under the original Temple Bar, re-erected near St. Paul's Cathedral, we ended up in Paternoster Square. We thought we would sit down for a 'nice quiet cup of tea' but the bells of St. Paul's thought differently. We had to shout at each other to converse. But when I thought about it, I had never heard the bells of St. Paul's before so maybe we did arrive at the right time after all. Halfway down Cheapside, our group separated, one to visit the Guildhall, some to shop in a convenient supermarket and others to go home. Walking in the city is a real joy. Thank you, Caroline, for taking so much care with the route.
Patricia Walker-Hesson
last updated: 03 Aug 2009
