The Mystery of the London Stone.



How rational are human beings? Not very. Economists have often based their calculations on the notion of the rational economic man- yet even in the City where the world is bought and sold, some things remain sacred

The City is rumoured to hold more wealth than any place on earth. Yet it has the air of a religious institution where things are done by ritual.

The City is one of the three great trading centers of the world and yet it maintains a tranquil air that I suspect Manhattan or Tokyo have lost. This is partly due to the City having maintained the Roman street plan with narrow passageways and courtyards that cars cannot reach.

Postman's Park has a moral message - a memorial to civilians who gave their lives saving others.

#cityoflondon

A photo posted by Richard Ford (@richard.ford) on Jul 14, 2016 at 2:07am PDT

These quiet areas are never signposted. The attitude seems to be that you will find them when you need them. Many squares and parks serve a spiritual purpose and invite the visitor to reflect upon mortality, sacrifice or the nature of love.

Then there is the London Stone. There is a legal fiction that it has existed since the beginning of time and is therefore somehow above the law. Anyone in possession of the stone or associated with it gains a sort of glow of authority that deifies logic.

#cityoflondon The enigmatic London Stone. It is everything or it is nothing and now it is gone.

A photo posted by Richard Ford (@richard.ford) on Jul 14, 2016 at 3:23am PDT

The first photograph is of one of the many statues in the city. The city never forgets its heroes. Public spaces also try to be morally improving such as Postman's park. Finally we have the stone itself. The point around which all else revolves.