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St Sepulchre is the largest parish church in the City of London. It is mentioned in the nursery rhythm “Oranges and Lemons” in the line “When will you pay me? Say the bells at Old Bailey”.

It’s built in the gothic style and is easily recognisable with its tower topped with four oversized pinnacles.

Inside the 150ft/ 45m long nave with its tall classical Tusan columns and large windows provides the church with a grand and spacious interior. 

History 

The church is named after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The "without Newgate" refers to the church being originally located outside of the City's walls.

St Sepulchre was first mentioned in 1137 and subsequently rebuilt in the mid 1400s. The present church was built after the Great Fire of London of 1666, but it was not designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and was later restored in the 1800s.

Dame Nellie Melba's Window

 Things to Look Out For 

St Sepulchre is often referred to as the Musicians' Church due to a number of musical associations.

Henry Wood, the founder of the Proms classical music festival, learnt to play the organ here and when he died in 1944 his ashes where brought here.

There is also a beautiful stained glass window depicting Dame Nellie Melba, the Australian soprano singer. In the bottom right hand corner of the window are peaches to remember that the Peach Melba ice cream desert is named after her. 

Execution Bell 

Opposite St Sepulchre is the Central Criminal Court, also known as the Old Bailey. Newgate Prison which originally stood on the site of the Old Bailey had a close association with the church. Inside the church there is a small hand bell known as the "Execution Bell". It was a bequest from Robert Dowe in 1605 and it was rung outside the door of the condemed person's cell in Newgate Prison the night before their execution.

This is just one of the church's more grusome connections. If you would like to discover more book on the Smithfield or Sinister Smithfield walks. Please note on both walk we will only be viewing the outside of St Sepulchre.

The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds.

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 The Great Hall

We enjoyed a visit to The Making of Harry Potter at the Warner Bros Studios, the week before the royal visit on Friday 26th April by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and J.R. Rowling, and here's a blog with just a few photos from our trip. The studios were acquired by Warner Bros. in 2000 and is where all eight Harry Potter films, based on the books by J. K. Rowling, were made. The studios are built on the site of a former aircraft factory.

The tour starts with a film show before the doors open and lead you into the Great Hall. This is just as magnificant as you would expect it to be both in sheer scale and decoration.

Dumbledore in the Great Hall

Through out the tour what stood out for me was the attention to the detail of the set, costumes and props. For example Dumbledore's lectern (reading desk) with its beautifully carved owl. 

 Gryffindor Common Room

 Dumbledore's Office

My favourite set was Dumbledore's office which I could imagine myself spending many happy hours looking through his library. Notice the "Sorting Hat" on the shelf just to the right of the ladder.

 Dumbledore's Office

It was utterly charming to see that the walls of his office are covered with portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses asleep.

 Hagrid’s Hut with Fang (dog)

 The Burrow (spot the "Cherri Owls" breakfast cereal) 

 4 Privet Drive

 Diagon Alley 

 Diagon Alley  

Hogwarts Model 

One does not need to be a Harry Potter fan to enjoy the tour as it's enchanting, entertaining and great fun. I would definately recommend it as a magical day out.

Practical Information

Address: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden, Hertfordshire, WD25 7LS

Nearest Station:  Watford Junction (Fast trains from Euston take about 20 minutes). The station is outside the Travelcard zone and special fares apply. A regular shuttle bus service operates daily from Watford Junction to the Studios. At time of writing it cost £2 return (April 2013). Please check website for up to date details before travelling.

Opening Times (2013):  Open daily except Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Please check website for up to date details.

Admission:  Adults : £29. Children:  £21.50. (Prices in April 2013). All tickets have to be purchased in advance.

Refreshments are available in the foyer and mid way on the tour at The Backlot which is only one of two places in the muggle (non magical) world to sell Butterbeer.

Website:  http://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/ 

The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds.

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 Our Lady Of Sorrows by Cake Follies

Sacred Tarts - a divine cake sale

When you attends an event at Barts Pathology Museum you can always expect a fun and entertaining time. On Easter Saturday 2013, Sacred Tarts saw the museum hosting a religious themed cake sale which provided an array of tempting goodies as an alternative to the traditional Easter egg. On offer were edible crucifixes, pope cakes and St Lucy's Eyeball Truffles just to name a few. In addition there were cocktails, live music and the opportunity to view the museum's collection. The cakes are a work of art in themselves and almost too nice to eat.

 Edible rosary beads made of chocolate cake and cupcakes

 Chocolate skull, chocolate Crown of Thorns and Stigmata Cookies by Made With Love By Me

 St Francis of Assisi surrounded by edible animals by Bee's Knees

  Edible Jewelled Crucifixes by Bee's Knees

Last Supper Chocolate by Animal Vegetable Mineral (AVM)

 St Lucy's Eyeball Truffles by Tattoo-Cakes

 Pope Cakes by Tattoo-Cakes

 Mitre Cakes by Jen's Cakery

(Gluten Free) Stained Glass Dove Cakes by Gluten Freak

 (Gluten Free) Stations of the Cross Cakes by Gluten Freak

Barts Pathology Museum is housed in a beautiful glass roofed Victorian building, located within St Bartholomew’s Hospital, housing over 5,000 medical specimens.

At present the museum is only open to the public for special events.

Address:  3rd Floor, Robin Brook Centre, West Smithfield, EC1A 7BE

Nearest Tube:  St Paul's, Barbican, Farringdon, Nearest Train Station: Farringdon, City Thameslink (Zone 1)

Barts Pathology Museum's website: https://www.facebook.com/BartsPathologyMuseum and/or follow them on twitter @BartsPathology

For more details of Sacred Tarts check out their blog and their Facebook page

Here are the individual cake designers website

Cake Follies                           Made With Love By Me     

Bee's Knees                           Animal Vegetable Mineral     

Tattoo-Cakes                         Jen's Cakery

 Gluten Freak

The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds.

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Horse Guards is the official entrance to both Buckingham Palace and St James’s Palace. There are two mounted guards on Whitehall daily from 10:00 to 16:00.

Walking through the archway will bring you into Horse Guards Parade where Trooping of the Colour and other magnificent military displays are held. During the 2012 Olympic Games this was the venue for the beach volleyball tournament.

History

Horse Guards originally formed the official entrance to Whitehall Palace. The parade ground is on the former site of the tilt yard, were jousting tournaments where held in Tudor times (1500s). Later on a small guard house was built for Charles I’s personal body guards. The present Horse Guards building was designed by William Kent and John Vardy in the 1700s.

Things to look out for

On the north side of the parade ground is the red bricked Admiralty Extension. The radio masts on its roof are the successors to the earlier shutter telegraph system which were introduced during the Napoleonic War. It previously housed 1 of 10 signalling stations which drastically reduced the time it took to send naval messages between London and Portsmouth.

Located at Horse Guards is the small but fascinating Household Cavalry Museum. Inside there is a large glass screen where visitors can see the working stables. Open daily and there is an admission charge payable. Check their website for more details. www.householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk

The Changing of the Guards

The Changing of the Guards ceremony takes place at Horse Guards Parade daily throughout the year. On Mondays to Saturdays it is held at 11am and on Sundays at 10am.

The guards are from one of two senior regiments in the British Army that make up the Household Cavalry. The Lifeguards wear red tunics and white plumes in their helmets and the Blues and Royals who wear blue tunics and red plumes. As well as participating in the ceremonial duties they are also involved in active service with about 50% of the troops deployed overseas at any one time.

This is only one of the many places to see in and around Whitehall. To explore the area further book on the Whitehall and Hidden Westminster or From Cradle to Crown walks.

The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds.

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Agatha Christie Memorial - London

The London memorial to Agatha Christie by Ben Twiston-Davies is cleverly designed  in the shape of a book reflecting her status as one of the world’s best selling authors.

The bronze memorial was unveiled on 18^th November 2012 to coincided with The Mousetrap's 60th anniversary celebrations. 

It is located close to Leicester Square Tube Station at the junction of Cranbourn Street and Great Newport Street, in the heart of London’s theatreland. 

It is designed to resemble a large leather bound book with an oval opening in which there is a bust of Agatha.

At the bottom there is a row of smaller books with the names of several of her books written on the spine in different languages including braille, a reminder that her work has been translated in to over 100 different languages.

The detail on the opposite side, from left to right, depicts Hercule Poirot, the Orient Express, the pyramids, a mousetrap, a country house, typewriter and Miss Jane Marple. 

Agatha Christie Bust - Torquay

There is a bronze bust of Agatha in her home town of Torquay, Devon by the Dutch sculptor Carol Van Den Boom-Cairns. Agatha was born here on 15 September 1890 and it was unveiled by her daughter Rosalind Hicks in 1990 to commemorate her centenary.

Grand Hotel - Torquay 

Torquay holds an annual Agatha Christie Festival*** each September. I attended in 2011 and was lucky enough to to book an inexpensive room at the Grand Hotel. This is where Agatha and Archie Christie, her first husband, spent their honeymoon after their wedding on Christmas Eve 1914.

 Barnaby

One day I travelled on a 1940s vintage bus called Barnaby to the Agatha's former holiday home. It was great fun and provide an opportunity to see some of the beautiful Devonshire countryside.

Greenway

Agatha acquired Greenway in 1938 and it became her holiday home until her death in 1976. The property is located near Brixham, on the banks of the River Dart.

Although she never wrote any of her books there, the property is now a popular tourist attraction managed by the National Trust.

Practical Information

*** The  next Agatha Christie Festival is on Sunday 15th to Sunday 22nd September 2013. During the festival various events are held including film screenings, talks, garden parties, tea dances and theatre shows.

Information about the festival can be found at the English Riviera website here.

Greenways

Address: Greenway Road, near Brixham, TQ5 0ES

Details about opening times and admission costs can be found on the National Trust's website here.

Information about the vintage bus trips on Barnaby to Greenways can be found here.

Information about The Grand Hotel can be found here.

The author of this blog is a qualified City of London and City of Westminster Tour Guide who leads guided walks combining world famous landmarks with hidden treasures often missed by the crowds.

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