City of London (the Square Mile), London

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I'm not a huge fan of modern architecture but I have to say this one tickles my fancy. Maybe it has something to do with the shape? Nicknamed the erotic gherkin, that's a fancy word for pickle, the Swiss Re building is a 2004 addition to London's skyline. Unfortunately the building is private so unless you know someone who works in the gherkin, it's not likely that you'll get inside to see what the views are.

You can get a good view of the Gherkin from almost anywhere on the east end of London, even when you are far afield of London, you can usually see the Gherkin because of it's, ahem, large size.

The 1st thing I think of when I think of Lloyd's of London is oddly David Lee Roth (the original lead singer of Van Halen), the 1st time I ever heard of them was in conjunction with the unusual coverage he took out, paternity coverage. Now there's a policy I wouldn't underwrite, one can just imagine how many groupies were treated to his "erotic gherkin"! Lloyd's also provides coverage to many celebrities legs, breasts, voices and whatever else makes or breaks their careers.

The Lloyd's building in London is equally as controversial as their unusual policies. It was designed by Richard Rogers and was completed in 1986. The building has all of its innards on the outside of the building-staircases, elevators, water pipes, and electrical conduit, it reminds me a lot of the refinery in my town, not something that I would aspire to have my building look like. Unlike the erotic gherkin or city hall, modern buildings that I think look kind of cool, I just shake my head every time I pass by this one.

Every day tens of thousands of people flood through Liverpool Street train station in the City of London. I wonder how many of them ever stop to have a look at the statue pictured or think about what it stands for.

It is a commemoration of the Kindertransport which, translated from the German, means transport of the children and the statue shows some of the children clutching suitcases and, in one case, a toy. It is a touching scene if you know what it represents. Prior to World War 2, many Jewish families evacuated their children form mainland Europe to Britain who had agreed to take "a limited number of refugee children between the ages of 5 and 17". In the nine months before the outbreak of war, some 10,000 unaccompanied Jewish children arrived by boat and train, finishing their journey here at Liverpool Street. Many would never see their families again. The place names on the plinth indicate some of the places they came from.

The piece is beautifully sculpted which is unsurprising as it was desigmed by Frank Meisler, himself a Kindertransport refugee. It was unveiled in September 2006 and many of the displaced children attended. It never fails to move me.

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Perhaps one of the iconic images of the Second World War, and there are many, is the sight of St. Paul's Cathedral, in the City of London, standing whilst all around it burned during the Blitz by the German Luftwaffe (airforce) after Hitler and Goering had decided to bomb Britain into submission. The building itself, built to the design of Sir Shristopher Wren following another famous fire in the City, is something of a symbol of London. I pass it frequently and it is always surrounded by tourists, it is certainly high on most visitors "must see" lists and rightly so. There is a possibly apocryphal story that sir Winston Churchill gave orders to "save St. Pauls at all costs", or words to that effect. He evidently appreciated the potential morale damage to the British public of the loss of such a structure.

So why does St. Paul's stand today, relatively unscathed from the ravages of bomb and fire? It is there, undoubtedly, due to the often hugely heroic efforts of the London Fire Brigade, an organisation that keeps myself and millions of others safe from fire day and night to this day. I find it entirely fitting, therefore, that the National Firefighters Monument is situated in the shadow of St. Paul's with the "officer" figure pointing towards the building. It struck me as a tableau (wonderfully realised by the sculptor John Mills) of a very possible real scene in situ as it were and in stark contrast to much of the very formal statuary you see.

I recently watched a TV documentary on the 70th anniversary of the Blitz, and was amazed by the stories of men and women, often young and volunteers who performed with such amazing heroism in the most appalling conditions. Whilst originally envisaged as a memorial to those brave people, the monument now bears the names of all British firefighters killed in peacetime. I found it very moving.

So, on your travels to or from St. Paul's via the Millenium Bridge and the Tate Modern, take a minute and just have a little look at this memorial and remember those whose lives are commemorated there. If you wonder about the title of this tip, have a look at the detail photograph, it is a quote from the memorial itself.

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This was another church visited in early April - it was yet another church which had survived fires, wars and religious strife. It has a long history and was in fact the head quarters of the Church Army at the turn of the 19th and 20th century under the ministry of Prebendary Wilson Carlisle.

I was given a warm welcome but a group of ladies, who were expecting someone else for a meeting - which they held in the church.

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St Margaret Pattens ceased to be a parish church and became one of the City’s 'guild churches', under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London.

A 'Guild church' is a church in the City of London designated and established as such under the City of London (Guild Churches) Acts 1952 and 1960. these churches were established as there was a concern that they would cease to be used and fall into disrepair. This has meant that their roles have changed - and the operate throughout the week and have a so called "week day ministry". They are also linked to organisations and charities - St Margaret Pattens is the home of the Busoga Trust which has a mission to provide clean water to rural areas of Uganda.

The church's name is derived from the Christian martyr, Margaret of Antioch. For some 900 years this was the name of the church. However after it was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London a more distinctive name was thought to be needed.

The St Margaret name remained, but they added Pattens. This is thought to be as a result of having these wood and metal under shoes or pattens made near to the church.

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Each year an ice rink is created at Broadgate Circle in the City of London. It seems popular, and during a recent visit, we came across it being worked on during a Sunday afternoon.

The facility can be used by turning up, they accept private bookings for Tuesday and Thursday nights, they provide lessons and there is also a "broom ball league". Open annually from late October to January.

This old pub is one of the best places to go to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of old London. The building has been a tavern since 1538, and throughout its four stories you will find small, wood-lined rooms, narrow crooked stairs and old coal fireplaces. You can sit here and enjoy a pint or a meal in the same rooms where Dickens, Samuel Johnson and many others once spent some time. During the day it is visited by workers and businessmen. We happened to sit by an older gentleman who was only too happy to chat about the several decades he had been coming here.

It amazes me that a building like this could have survived the fires and development of the past few centuries.