Feed the birds

I retraced my steps of yesterday in the hunt for St Mary Abchurch.

In doing so I faced this mob coming out of Canon Street Station. As you can see they are restricted by the building works and hence even more determined to get to work. Most people, if they saw me at all were amazed that I wanted to walk the other way. I now have the bruises to show for it.

Was it worth it? No not really. I was hunting for the church because it was built in 1676 and it is the least altered of Sir Christopher Wren's churches. It may be splendid inside but at 8.30 it is not open and it is hemmed in by buildings, so I couldn't get a decent photo. I will go back during the day and see if I can take some photos inside.

The highlight of the day was lunch. I went with a friend to Fish Central on Central Street. Its a 10 minute walk from work, so you don't tend to see other employees, other than the ones that I have introduced the restaurant to.

It is a fish restaurant with white table clothes; very different to the one on Whitecross Street, next to work, where everything is greasy and you come back to the office smelling of the cooking oil.

An old lady came in and sat at the next table.

I like talking to people, you might have noticed, and as she was on her own I struck up a conversation.

She was 82 and had been born near St Paul's. She told us stories about being in London during the war and how her father wouldn't let them go to the air raid shelter as it was full of smelly people.

She liked history, as do I and she was having lunch before going to her history class across the road. I would have liked to have gone too.

The title is because her grand mother used to sit on the steps of St Paul's and sell seed for the birds, just as the lady did in Mary Poppins.

My mother died several years ago and I never talked to my her as I did to this lady - Maureen, I think her name was. She was so full of life. She knew the manager of the restaurant and he came and sat and talked to her too.

When we left I went to shake her hand to say goodbye but she said that I could kiss her. How nice.

She doesn't live local to the restaurant and I don't go there very often, so I may never see her again. But I would very much like to talk to her again. So different to all of the commuters, who seem to leave their personalities at home.