Day Seven, London, Monday, 8 March 2010

Today is the day for the Tate Britain.  I'm hoping to see The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke which I first saw at the Tate in 1974.  I sleep a little late, and skip breakfast and get myself over to Pimlico Station, where a sign at the door of the Tate greets all the visitors coming in - "Due to an industrial action (read strike) not all the galleries will be open today."  I went in anyway hoping that some of them would be open, and went to the cafe to have a scone and some orange juice.  Upon ascending into the galleries, and leaving my £3 in the suggested donation box, I soon find that nothing is available excepting an exhibition of Chris Ofili's work - which wasn't what I was looking for.  I leave.

Since I'm on a nostalgia trip, I go over to Selfridges, on Oxford Street - but nothing excites me there, so I go to St. Paul's.  The last time I was here, the cathedral was bound in by really small and bad buildings, but the whole of Paternoster Square has been opened up, and is quite pedestrian friendly and attractive.  I go in, but photography is not permitted.  A mass will be said under the main dome in 15 minutes, so I go there and just sit.  The verger (and here all the vergers seem to wear white tie under their cassocks, which are black) is busy moving furniture about, but soon comes out in a rather spectacular verger's robe leading two rather elderly priests, each in cassock and surplice and purple stole.  The mass is standard Common Worship, which I find has used a lot of Roman prayers - ones that I like.  The readings are obtuse, and there is no commentary, and the celebration is done with a paucity of manual gestures, and no elevations.  All are invited to commune - and I think almost 100 people did.  Hurrah for them!  

I go down to the undercroft to see the OBE Chapel and Nelson's tomb, and there is the veritable cafe - which I decide to avoid.  I shall go elsewhere for lunch.

The Temple Bar at Paternoster Square

I walk around seeing if I can find a place that I would like for lunch, and in the meantime take some photos of Christ Church Blackfriers, a ruined church just north of the cathedral, the Temple Bar gate, and other oddities.  I find a rather small Wren Church, a guild chapel really, very small, and very Protestant.  I finally have a nice lunch at Paul, and meet a couple from Italy.

  

Courts Doorway and St. Bride's Church

Now it's time to find Temple Church, so I walk down Fleet Street, and see some interesting buildings, among which was a art deco courts building.  I bump into St. Bride's Church, which is in the middle of the block and spend a few moments there.  I find the Temple Church by wandering around all the courts of the Temple area (which are very charming) but the church is closed.  I am close to the Embankment, so walk along there for a bit, and then go home.  I need to write my review of Gilead for the Trinity Book Club.