Symbols & Secrets – Page 14 – Walking the City of London

‘Dick Whittington: The Man, The Myth and The Cat’ at the Guildhall Library. Plus a few river views and a cute chick.

On 7th August 2025

In Animals, Commerce, Social History, Special Exhibitions

The latest exhibition in the Guildhall Library is well worth a visit. The first Guildhall Library was founded in 1425 with money left in the will of Richard Whittington so this year is its 600th anniversary. Over those six centuries the story of an astute late medieval merchant, politician and philanthropist evolved into a rags-to-riches tale of penniless orphan who came by wealth and fame with the help of his cat. This exhibition examines that transformation, featuring chapbooks, children’s books, works relating to pantomimes and of course cats …

Entry is free and you get, not only an excellent printed guide, but also a very informative booklet about the man and the myth written by Assistant Librarian Ann Martin …

The printed guides are complemented by panels which tell Whittington’s story in more detail along with helpful illustrations …

A cache of over 300 books, toys, puzzles, theatre programmes and lantern slides — themed around the man who was Lord Mayor of London four times — was bequeathed to the Guildhall by Ellery Yale Wood, the prolific children’s book collector. Wood had been collecting the items for decades, storing them in her home in Wisbech, Lincolnshire, which had a warehouse attached to house her staggering collection of children’s books. Most of the items in the exhibition come from this collection.

Here are some of the treasures on display.

‘An old ballad of Whittington and his cat’ printed between 1754 and 1780 in Aldermary Church-Yard …

Three histories of Whittington printed and sold c. 1790. The one on the right includes ‘… the adventures of his cat’ :

One of my favourites …

The cat case …

Such a diverse collection …

An ‘untearable’ children’s book from 1860 …

In Pantoland!

A shaped German book from the 1940s …

The story in three dimensions …

It’s a fabulous exhibition, my pictures illustrate only a tiny part of it. But hurry along if you want to visit, it closes in a few weeks on 21 August.

For more Whittington and cat click here for my 2021 blog A trip to Highgate in search of a famous cat.

If you have time after visiting the library, pop in downstairs to see the fantastic City models at the London Centre …

You can read more here in my May 2024 blog.

Here are a few other images I took recently.

The City skyline from London Bridge Pier …

New developments loom over the old Billingsgate Market fish weather vane and attendant dolphins …

HMS Belfast with the Tower of London in the background …

Meanwhile, back at the Barbican, Mrs Moorhen and her fluffy baby …

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Daft pigeons, Queen Victoria’s waiting room and other miscellany.

By The City Gent

On 31st July 2025

In Animals, Architecture, Art, Religion, Sculpture

As regular readers will know, every now and then I can’t find a theme that will support an entire blog and, in such cases, I just raid my image archive and see what I come up with. This is one of those days.

I walk across Gilbert Bridge almost every morning and in mid-June I noticed this pigeon squeezing itself into a corner by a pillar …

At first I thought it was unwell, but then a few days later I noticed it had a companion …

Then, over the next few weeks, they both started appearing with twigs in their beaks …

I cannot claim to be an authority on nest building (or pigeons, for that matter) but I didn’t think that location was viable and, sadly, one month later no progress had been made …

And, frankly, there was barely room for the two of them never mind a nest as well …

It was also obviously looking a tad unhygenic, but I don’t think that tends to bother pigeons.

Now they seem to have abandoned their efforts but obviously I will report back if they return. Pigeons get a very bad press, which I think is rather unfair. If you want to know more about them (and some of their gallant ancestors) click here for my blog ‘What do pigeons do all day?’

One day I found this little poem by Terry Ryan pinned up alongside a church door:

Every time I pass church
I stop and make a visit
So when I’m carried in feet first
God won’t say, “Who is it?”

Wherever we travel I head for churches and churchyards at the earliest opportunity and am usually rewarded with interesting sights. In Italian churches, it’s common to see votive limbs (or other body parts) particularly in the form of metal or wax replicas. They are placed there to express gratitude or to seek divine healing for specific ailments. I came across these in a church in Sorrento, I think they are rather beautiful …

Nearby were some extraordinarily detailed representations of the Nativity …

They were accompanied by scenes of people going about their normal business (plus some hovering angels) …

Not sure what this represents – probably a religious festival …

I think it’s so lovely in Italy when forthcoming funerals are announced on notice boards along with some details about the person …

Back in the UK, the Wedding Routemaster parked up behind St Lawrence Jewry …

The King’s Birthday flypast …

At St Giles Cripplegate, John Milton meets a double bass travelling case …

The Honourable Artillery Company on their way to provide a gun salute for President Macron’s State Visit …

A surprise in St Mary’s Church, Tenby, the man who invented the equals sign =

Nearby in St Nicholas’ Chapel is the tomb of Margaret Mercer, wife of Thomas ap Rees of Scotsborough. Margaret died in childbirth in 1610 at the age of 30, having already borne ten children. The seven children who survived her are shown beneath her effigy, while above her is a likeness of her husband in a kneeling pose. The memorial is beautifully restored and repainted to emulate its original richly decorated appearance …

I really like authentic, handwritten signage …

Here’s what it refers to …

On our way to Tenby I stopped by one of my very favourite War memorials. It’s on Platform 1 at Paddington Station …

The memorial consists of a bronze statue of a soldier, dressed in heavy winter clothing, reading a letter from home. One commentator imagined that the home-knitted scarf may have been a gift from his mother or sweetheart and I can’t help but agree. The sculptor was Charles Sargeant Jagger (1885–1934) and you can read more about the background to the sculpture here.

Since we were treating ourselves to a first class ticket we could use the Paddington lounge and it’s well worth a visit. Alongside the modern area is what was once Queen Victoria’s private waiting room …

Some of the original wall decoration remains …

There are also other items of rail memorabilia …

I believe the furnishings aspire to suggest ‘Gentlemen’s Club’!

The lounge is also on Platform 1 and is tucked away behind the memorial.

This summer, the Barbican has invited audiences to step into Feel the Sound, a new multi-sensory immersive exhibition that transforms how we think about sound. ‘Taking place across the Centre, visitors can explore how sound shapes emotions, memories, and even physical sensations. Feel the Sound challenges us to listen not just with our ears, but with our whole bodies – redefining what we hear, how we feel, and what we think we know about ourselves’.

For example, there is this display as you walk through the Centre at ground level …

As the sound background changes so does the image …

And what are these people looking at in The Well …

This is what’s happening …

And what I saw when I looked down …

And at Citypoint …

And finally, in Cardiff, just when I thought I’d seen it all …

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Grayson Perry and the Golden Lane Art Class.

By The City Gent

On 24th July 2025

In Art, Special Exhibitions

I visited two quite different art exhibitions over the last few weeks – here’s my report on both.

Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur consists of new works by Sir Grayson Perry (b. 1960) at the Wallace Collection in London. The exhibition, which is the largest contemporary show ever held at the museum, features over 40 new pieces, including ceramics, tapestries and works on paper, displayed alongside some of the Wallace Collection’s masterpieces. The exhibition runs from March 28 to October 26, 2025 …

It delves into themes of authenticity, the role of the artist, and the gendering of decoration. The exhibition includes works by ‘outsider artists’ Aloïse Corbaz and Madge Gill, inspired by Perry’s discovery that Gill exhibited at the Wallace Collection in 1942, and Perry’s own childhood experiences.

Aloïse Corbaz (1886-1964) …

Madge Gill (1882-1961) …

Gill at her home in Wast Ham 19th August 1947 …

A key element of the exhibition is the imaginary character Shirley Smith, a self-taught artist from the East End of London, who believed herself to be the ‘thwarted legitimate heiress’ to the Wallace Collection …

Perry uses Shirley Smith as a vehicle to explore the themes of identity, social class, and the perception of grandeur. The exhibition also features a playful commentary on the nature of making and collecting art, with a focus on the artist’s role and the audience’s perception of art.

You can listen to and watch Sir Grayson talking about the exhibition here (highly recommended). Also, here’s a review you might find interesting.

There are two works by Corbaz, whose paintings and murals were often developed by the artist in partnership with a young doctor at a Swiss psychiatric clinic. Corbaz was being treated for Schizophrenia …