St Paul's Cathedral, an alternative view

Went on a tour today of the parts of St Paul's that you don't usually get to see, which was very illuminating.

We started off at the the Chapel of St Michael and St George, the spiritual home of the Order of St Michael and St George, founded in 1818 to honour people who have rendered important service overseas and to which Her Majesty the Queen attends from time to time.

Next we climbed up the steps you take to get to the Whispering Gallery, but instead stopped off halfway up and visited the atmospheric library with its ecclesiastical tomes and reminded me of a Harry Potter set. Indeed we passed by the Geometric Staircase, which actually was featured in the Harry Potter films, as well as the Madness of King George. Then off to an extraordinary view of the Triforium, a view rarely afforded to the general public including a view of the specially commissioned trumpets for the Queen's Silver Jubilee that are so loud, Her Majesty said that she would prefer to bring her own trumpeters 'next time' upon entering the Cathedral.

Finally we visited 'The Great Model', one of the designs that Sir Christopher Wren put forward to King Charles II after the great fire of 1666 destroyed old St Paul's. Costing a whopping £600 at the time, it was the one and only model that Wren made but quite fantastic to see it close up.

Check out some of the pictures...