Gin, Justice and the street where Christmas trees go to die

​It occurs to me that all our blogs so far have been exclusively on the City. That's because that is mostly where I (Jo) do most of my wandering and walking. However, last week I was in Clerkenwell for one of Karen's excellent tours of St John's Gate. Highly recommended by the way (see the tour section). I was early so I wandered off to revisit the frieze that graces the front of the reconstructed Booth's Gin Distillery in Britton Street, which represent the stages of gin making. The frieze was originally on the front of the Distillery's administrative building in nearby Turnmill Street but when that was demolished the frontage was re-erected in Britton Street. The sculptures are by Frederick William Pomeroy, 1856-1924. His is a name that is not immediately well known although in my humble opinion it should be. One of the images is shown here and the others are on our Facebook page.
​So what is the link to justice?
​Readers of John Mortimer's hilarious Rumpole stories may remember that when Rumpole needed a drink he usually repaired to Pomeroy's wine bar. And those of you familiar with the Central Criminal Court in Old Bailey will certainly know  the impressive figure of Justice that stands on the roof of the building sixty metres above street level. She too is by Pomeroy, standing some 3.7 metres high, made of bronze covered with gold leaf.  And unlike many representations of Lady Justice she doesn't wear a blindfold.
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 If I were standing on a roof 60 metres above the street, I personally would require the blindfold. I get weak knees in the Upper Circle in a theatre....

And the Christmas trees? Well judge for yourselves. One of the saddest sights to be seen after Christmas I think. And not just after Christmas either, I saw a discarded tree in Hatton Garden on Christmas Eve!!!
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