The Museum of London - in your lunch hour

Spurred on by an article in one of the London free newspapers about how wonderful our museums are and proposing the idea that you might take in some culture during your lunch break, I walked past my regular sandwich shop and up the steps and across the walkway to take a look at The Museum of London.

Getting through the crowds of school children was easy as I strolled into the huge reception area spying the loos straight ahead and a well stocked shop to my right.

I walked towards the Galleries - on the left was a huge Sporting Life Marathon trophy and just behind that was a memory book for those lost in the London bombings. To my right was the entrance to an exhibition on "London before London" where I was submerged in geological explanations and history lessons about hunters and herders. Who would believed all those huge ox and other animals once roamed around what is now Fleet Street? The walls were covered in displays showing the numerous flints and axe heads recovered from London digs. There were some diroama showing what ancient villages may have looked like and models showing how those early huts were constructed. Neanderthal man looked slightly surprised at the quiet bird song piped through the galleries and I contemplated the huge chart showing how London temperatures have peaked and dipped over the millennia - what was that about global warming?

I moved back into the very red and womblike gallery exploring the Great Fire of London in 1666 "London's Burning". That poor baker in Pudding Lane! I didn't realise that four fifths of the City was destroyed then.

The Romans arrived in AD 50 and the gallery became suitably like a basilica with friezes as well as realistic shops and houses showing us what life as a Roman may have been like. Their furnishings were tasteful but sparse. Loved the mosaic floors though - and those underfloor heating systems.

As you stroll around the museum you can occasionally peer out onto the remains of the real London wall that was built 1800 years ago to protect the Romans from Bouddicea and her hoards. Then you enter a Temple like area which explains about the Temple of Mithras (and I only ever associated this with the Wine Bar near Bank tube station!)being about the God of heavenly light (from Persia) right alongside explanations of Minerva - the Romand God of wisdom.

Then it's into Medieval London (410-1559 AD) - literally the Middle Ages between the classical Romans and Greeks and the Renaissance - shown by a great wall based time line. I learned about Alfred the Saxon Kign defeating the Vikings and naming our great City Lundenburg and saw a model of the original St Pauls. The current one is much lovelier.

Then more history lessons as I read explanations how the need to belong to a Guild or Livery company before being able to set up shop in London was described. I wonder if the likes of Next, Marks & Spencers and Starbucks appreciate how lucky they are to have to only contend with the local planning authorities.

I didn't have time to do justice to the "Reformation of the Church of England" but sneaked a peek at the 1558-1666 gallery to learn that there used to be 52 jewellers in Cheapside back then. Wonder when it moved to Hatton Garden?

There was a great model of the Rose Theatre (just like The Globe!) and there was some nice Old English chanting in the area that housed the room simulations in Wandsworth - and I bet that there are a few houses that still have four poster beds like that.

The shop would make tourists spend almost as much as our Government has used to bail out the banks. There is one of the best collections of books about London - history, fashion, architecture, horror and ghost stories, Thames themes and there is also an ace collection of books for children. There are tube maps on wallets, credit card holders, messenger bags and mugs. For the kids there were Police helmets, "make your own black cab" kits, red London buses in every size, lots of Paddington Bear stuff and some fluffy black and brown London rats. Nice. I was tempted with a "London kills me" cushion.

To the right of the reception area is a large, airy cafe selling hot and cold drinks and some fairly wholesome and rather upmarket salads and soup. What a lovely change from the usual lunch time scrum in the City.

The Museum of London is currently undergoing a £20.5m refurbishment - I expect it will be even more spectacular then, but well worth a visit in the meantime. And you could even do it in your lunch hour!