On a pleasantly sunny but unseasonably cold April evening,
some 18 members of the Company assembled in the Guildhall Yard in readiness for
a City Walk guided by the Clerk to the Chamberlains Court, Murray Craig. Murray
is a good friend of the Company and has hosted a number of such tours over the
years; indeed he is a Red Badge Holder (for the City of London). He is a most
entertaining and engaging tour guide and so we were all looking forward to learning
a bit more about the City we know and love.
Space does not allow for details of all the buildings we
visited but although we walked but a few yards in total (in comparative terms)
we took in a lot of different architectural styles, histories, triumphs and
tribulations of a large number of Livery Halls and other famous London
landmarks. These included - but not limited to - the Guildhall itself, St
Lawrence Jewry, the Girdlers’, Pewterers’, Goldsmiths’ and Brewers’ Livery
Halls, the Barbican and more modern buildings by Basil Spence and Terry Farrell
and the lonely tower of St Alban on Wood Street. All were described in such
detail and always with a humorous twist, such is Murray’s style. And who could
forget the Maid of the Mercers and the showering Mistress (say no more…..). A
fascinating tour through 2,000 years of London history.
After all this education (and a biting wind) it was time to
enjoy a small supper in the newly opened Cote Brasserie on Old Jewry. A very
pleasant evening and we learned a lot. Thank you to Murray for his time and interest
in the Company.
Pictures show our tour guide in full flow outside the
Guildhall and the tower of St Alban separating buildings by Norman Foster
(left) and Richard Rogers (right).
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