Sunday, February 26th 2012
But before all that… breakfast! Yes, I know I go on about breakfast quite a bit and regale you with what we eat and where, but I think breakfast is a pretty important part of the day and I always look forward to it, especially when we try a new place, as we did this morning. We were going to do the weekly shopping at Sainsbury and needed to fortify ourselves for the experience.
Billy’s
The new place in White Lion Street
The new place is Billy’s, in White Lion Street. Don’t let the relaxed “country” style fool you: this cafe-bar-restaurant is a slick operation. You are greeted at the door and shown to a table and then waited on. Customers are invited to linger by the free WiFi and by a menu ranging from snacks to full meals, available throughout the day. The decor is unusual, bordering on quaint, and Billy seems to have a penchant for writing all over the walls. Chacun à son goût.
We had an excellent porridge with roasted nuts and banana, followed by scrambled eggs on toast. Just what you want on a brisk morning with a trek round the supermarket in view. Would we go again? We would and probably will.
A pub with a medicinal history
In the afternoon, with the shopping safely out of the way, we went for a little ramble. The City is in a mess with road and building works and buses are diverted, so to get anywhere it’s easier to walk. So we walked, and we photographed anything that caught our eye. Like this pub. Just an old pub in Baldwin Street, you might say, but as is usual in London, there’s a little more to it than that. (I am told that Baldwin Street is not named after the British politician but after Count Baldwin, 1172-1205, of Flanders, prominent in the Fourth Crusade and later Emperor of Constantinople.) The name of the pub comes from the medicinal springs for which this area, then open country, used to be famous. It became a pleasure ground and the usual facilities were soon provided. Any medicine served today is of a more euphemistic nature.
It wears its history on its sleeve
Finding ourselves in Old Street, which is in the parish of St Luke’s (the church of that name, now decommissioned, is the home of the LSO), I took a look at this large building which was once known as St Luke’s Parochial School. Unusually, it wears its history on its sleeve or, at any rate, on its façade, in a set of plaques.
Told in plaques
The school for boys was founded in 1698, but not here. It was originally in the parish of St Giles in Cripplegate, where it came to be known as the Grey Coat school, after the uniform worn by the pupils. As a result of parish reorganization, the school changed its the to the St Luke’s Charity School. A girls’ school was added in 1761. The school prospered and in the 19th century moved to Golden Lane. Still growing, it moved again, to Old Street, where the foundation stone of a new, purpose built school was laid in 1870. A new wing, called the Telfer Wing was added in 1887. Finally, in 1972, the school moved away to another site and the present building seems to be undergoing alteration.
Foundation and extension plaques
Also celebrating the name of J.T. Pedder
Two more elaborate plaques, bearing the name of then current Treasurer, celebrate the foundation of the school “for 400 boys” and the addition of the Telfer Wing. J.T. Pedder Esq thus acquired a memorial for himself.
But which one?
While waiting for a bus (a somewhat frustrating exercise during weekends in the current circumstances) in London Wall, we noticed a rather fine building across the road at 81 Coleman Street. It obviously housed an organization of importance, but which one?
A clue, perhaps?
Over the front door hangs a rather fine lantern and this perhaps provides a clue: it is topped by the figure of a gentleman wearing armour.
The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers
The answer is that 81 Coleman Street is Armourers’ Hall, the premises of the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers, one of London’s proud and historic livery companies.
By Unus Safardiar
The bus still hadn’t come and my attention was now caught by a shiny metal object just behind the window of an office block. Naturally, I went to take a look. It was a sculpture of a horse’s head and its style make me think of the horses drawn and sculpted by Ancient Greeks, though I couldn’t say exactly why. I didn’t make a very good job of photographing it because of the reflections of the glass. It deserves better. As you can see, there is a card at the base of the stand and this ascribes the work, called simply The Head, to the Russian sculptor Unus Safardiar who is currently working in Britain. I had eyes only for the head but Tigger afterwards told me that the security guard inside was becoming visibly nervous in view of my actions! Still, paranoia goes with the job, I suppose.
Gherkin and cranes
The bus eventually came and carried us into the heart of the City in Bishopsgate. I spotted what looked like the Gherkin engaging in a tête à tête with some cranes. It was an illusion, of course, and the cranes weren’t even as close to the Gherkin as they may appear in the photo, but it amused me nonetheless.
One of London’s inordinately tall buildings
As far as tall buildings are concerned, the Heron Tower is one of the latest inordinately high buildings that clutter the London landscape, totems to the power of greed that cares nothing for environmental degradation in its lust for money. They block the light and turn the streets into dark, windy canyons but their owners care not as they sit counting their money.
The only gold you’re likely to find on London’s streets
We know that London’s streets are not really paved with gold, but if you are lucky, you might find some golden scissors, if only in the gents’ barber’s in Bishopsgate!
At 24 Lombard Street
In Lombard Street, I photographed this striking – and I think, somewhat sinister – sculpture above the door of number 24, and then found that Tigger was insistently pointing something out to me.
The beginnings of Lloyds insurance
What? What? It’s only Sainsbury’s… And then I saw the plaque. This is the site of Lloyds Coffee House, or rather its second iteration. The original coffee house was founded in Tower Street around 1688 and was frequented by merchants and ship owners. As a service, Lloyd provided information on shipping movements. Lloyd’s moved here in 1691 and continued to serve as a centre for shipping insurance news until 1774 when a group formed the Society of Lloyds at the Royal Exchange. Edward Lloyd is long gone but his name, and the business he initiated, live on.
A modern take on the coffee house
Talking of coffee houses reminded us that we had not taken refreshment ourselves for an unconscionably long time. So we sought out a Caffè Nero and enjoyed the modern version. It’s hard to remember that coffee houses like Starbuck’s, Costa and Caffè Nero are a relatively recent phenomenon in British culture, dating only from around the last couple of decades of the 20th century. They provide an agreeable alternative to the pub without the temptation of alcohol. Generations of students have spent their days in coffee shops with their laptops, using the free Wifi.
Relax or concentrate, and the WiFi is free
Refreshed though we might be, it was time to think about confronting diverted buses and road works to make our way home. London has plenty left to discover on other days.
The traditional answer to the coffee shop
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Of your symbolic sculptures at 24 Lombard Street, I think the middle one is a sphinx. Billy’s is certainly colorful with its blue window frames, colorful tassels and strings of chilis. I, too, was struck by how Greek the “horse” head looked. I think it is the roached (hogged) mane, the tightly curved neck and the way the mouth is done. But it does not have a horse’s ears (or any ears that I can see), and the skull is not curved right at the top of the head. I like the façade on the building occupied by The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers. Seems Palladian to me.
Billy’s is certainly colourful. We have been three times, now, once for breakfast and twice for drinks. I think for coffee and a chat I would still prefer somewhere like Costa or Caffè Nero which have a more relaxed atmosphere.
That horse head does look similar to Greek statues. Lovely afternoon tour. Thanks
Glad you liked it.