...and London in rain...

...and St Paul's Cathedral on a November evening. It was absurd really: I had to be there on the steps at 6.30pm, even tho'  I knew that no one was likely to turn up for the History Walk...and, sure enough, no one did. But it was actually rather enjoyable standing there, with Ludgate Hill and cheery red buses and people hurrying about, all in splashy rain and lamplight, pondering all the history of this enormous building and this great city...

I was warm and dry because that vast  pillared portico provides excellent shelter, and there were various stray people there, a canoodling couple, a tourist or two...and I had a sudden memory from over  thirty years ago, and that Royal bride and groom emerging to cheers from these great doors and coming down these steps...and the vast crowds...and among the latter a group of  young Army cadets from Sandhurst including a young J. Bogle and his young wife...

And the rain turned to a drizzle and I ventured out into it, and caught a cheery red bus via Aldwych to Piccadilly,  and thence to Farm Street for a meeting of the Catholic Writers' Guild, and then to our cosy home.