Cakes and St. Bride's

Bill writes: Today our London class went around Fleet Street, looking at the history of printing there. Aline was out with a cold, but I was able to go and see the sights. First off was St. Dunstan's Church, where William Tyndale (of the Tyndale Bible) preached. John Donne was rector here as well as Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral. Izaak Walton of The Compleat Angler fame held the posts of scavenger, questman (pigeon shooter) and sidesman, while across the street at "The Devil's" pub was the Apollo Club, whose members numbered William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith and Dr. Samuel Johnson. Oh yes, and in 1667, John Milton found a publisher here for Paradise Lost.



It also houses three of the oldest statues in London, of pre-Roman King Lud and his sons.



Among a lot of places, we stopped at Samuel Johnson's house. It now has a memorial to his cat, Hodge, who was his companion during the seven long years Johnson toiled on his Dictionary.



Lastly, we visited St. Bride's church, designed by Christopher Wren. An enterprising local baker, noting the church's fortuitous name, designed a wedding caked based on the spire of the church. This was the origin of the tiered wedding cake we're all familiar with.