Thoughts from a 76

Is there another major thoroughfare in London that has such a great array of divers buildings as Fleet Street?

Three Wren churches (OK, so St Clements Danes is *just* Aldwych), The deco majesty of the Express Building, the Protestant Truth Society, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (and 7 other pubs), Coutts with its round windows with pointy bits on the bottom to stop the riffraff sitting in them and three or four 80s office blocks. I feel for the poor old Temple Bar now tucked away unloved round the back of St Pauls, behind the monstrosity of a bland curve of buildings.

One of my bus routes to work takes me down Fleet Street and almost every day I see something new, ooh look there’s Mary, Queen of Scots above the Pret a Manger, St Brides peeking out behind the Punch Tavern. Searching for the history of the street itself is a little difficult as “Fleet Street” tends to bring up newspaper histories (I think Reuters and DC Thompson are the only two left), but I did find this corking 19th century history full of riots, witches and Chaucer slapping saucy friars, marvellous there. Clearly, I need to do some Proper Research and Report Back.

CarsmileSteve in Blog 7 /FT /The Brown Wedge • 384 views