St Mary-le-Bow Church (London)

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  Bakerloo_BadBoy

  This is the church that is refered to in the childrens nursery rhyme, Oranges and Lemons from the line: "I do not know" say the Great Bells of Bow" The original childrens nursery rhyme is sung thus: "Oranges and lemons" say the Bells of St. Clement's" "You owe me five farthings" say the Bells of St. Martin's" "When will you pay me?" say the Bells of Old Bailey" "When I grow rich" say the Bells of Shoreditch" "When will that be?" say the Bells of Stepney" "I do not know" say the Great Bells of Bow" "Here comes a Candle to light you to Bed" Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head" Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead." To be a true Cockney you need to have been born within the sound of Bow Bells, and it is the bells in this very church that people refer to. During the war a lot of cockney's could have been born an awfully long way away from the church itself, due the fact that the BBC used the peal of the bells to start their news bullitens. Dick Whittington who was Lord Mayor of London four times was always said to be called back to London by the sound of these bells. The character Dick Whittington was based on a real person, a cloth trader who genuinely was elected Mayor of London four times

  17 years ago | reply | hide comment