|
|
The memorial flagstones set into the floor are ex-gravestones from a cemetery beside the church which was removed to make way for a road up from Whitehall. The organ currently serving in St Martin is the third to be installed, and is a completely new installation from 1990, being much larger than the earlier two. Mozart and Handel did a few gigs here in their time, on the first of the organs to be installed in the church. The Royal Box next to the sanctuary was last used as a Royal Box in 1937 by Queen Mary, and is now an office, but also on the schedule for full restoration. It's an impressive building, not only for its little bits of pieces of history but what it does in the 21st century as well. The black and white banners from Sir Bob Geldof's MAKE POVERTY HISTORY campaign launch in early 2005 are still wrapped around the two outer pillars at the front of the church. At the back of the main space of the church is a small statue commemorating the end of apartheid. Among other things, this was the venue for the memorial service for singer Kirsty MacColl in early 2001, following her death under a speedboat at Christmas 2000.
As I walked back into Trafalgar Square, two red double-decker buses hired by VH1 for the day came roaring up from Whitehall, flying balloons and banners as bogus voting campaign buses, one of them shouting the praises of the music of the 1980s with various folk dressed as New Romantics on the open top level, urging Brits to VOTE TONY on May 5....as in Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet. Best moment of this dismal election campaign to date.
Train down to Bromley South for a VE Day Anniversary Music Hall afternoon! I was easily the youngest person there, by about 35 years. Serves me right. Spent the evening in Bromley High Street with Jessica, former colleague who came here last August and dearly wishes right now that the world was not quite so Bromley boy-shaped. After coffee, good pizza and discount shopping, she took food home to her own, grown boy, and I went back to London.
Next
Previous |
|
