It is easy to forget when you live here, but London is a wonderful city and full of nice surprises even for those of us who see it every day. I read Peter Akroyd's London four years ago whilst I was on holiday and it inspired me to take a look at my adopted home town a bit more closely. But then by the time I got back to the UK again work overtook me and I couldn't be bothered and I didn't do any of the walks through the city that I had planned.
But today I found myself at Tower Hill tube and discovered a couple of little niches that were full of history. There's a bit of the old city wall still standing nearby. Most of this was knocked down in the 18th and 19th Centuries when people decided they didn't need it anymore. Maybe this was fair enough: London was expanding and no longer in danger of attack from marauders, but then you'd think they might like to have left a bit of it up. There had been a wall there since Roman times (and in fact you can still see the Roman bit in the tiny section that still stands) and you'd think that might have been of interest to someone. But generally the bits that survive are only here now because they were incorporated into new structures by lazy cost-cutting builders.
But still, it was cool to be reminded of the city's Roman past. In the same site is a copy of the oldest inscription found in the city on the tomb of some procurator or other who had helped put down the revolt by Boudicca (or however you want to spell that). I love stuff like that.
Some American kids were having their photo taken by an old Roman statue of some emperor or other. The eldest kid was stretching out his arm and putting his finger against the figure's own pointing digit, like some gross parody of the Creation of Adam from the Sistine Chapel roof (more famous probably for being the start of the South Bank Show). The portentuous emperor was made to look foolish in this tableaux; the American youth with his braces and pinguid skin mocked the austere ruler, showing him little respect. And if I had been Rory Bremners I might have made the observation that this scene represented the triumph of a modern day empire over the ancient one. I am not Rory Bremners so I didn't.
The father eventually took his photo and the Americans seemed very pleased with themselves (but then try and think of an occasion when they don't), before heading in the direction of the Tower, no doubt to desecrate more of our national institutions with their crass posturing.
At least we can take comfort that one day the American empire will also lie in ruins. Unfortunately it will probably take us and what remains of the Roman prescence in London with it.
