St Paul's Cathedral & St Bride's at night

Driving endlessly around the City of London tonight looking for a parking space before attending a book launch at St Paul's Cathedral, I got all caught up in the hideous one way system. Eventually it spat me out onto Ludgate Hill from Old Bailey. Where's the cathedral gone?, muttered Tara.

Er, there? I replied.



There's nothing quite like the view of Wren's glorious frontage as you mount the hill and it suddenly opens out in front of you.

The view back west, up Fleet Street is equally entrancing to me. The spire of the journalists' church, Wren's other masterpiece, St Bride's, towers over the office blocks, and reminds me of occasions there both happy & sad. Of my mother & I doing the flowers for Cassandra & N's joyful wedding, and of the memorial service of the father of three sisters to whom lil'sis & I are close.