Up and over

I do love a tower. If there's a tower, I'm up it. Which is why I made my girls take a slight detour during our shopping trip in Victoria to the tower of Edward the Confessor at Westminster Cathedral.

247 feet high, 307 steps to the viewing gallery at the top, but we were asked to take the lift. 'If we let you walk up we'd have to keep asking if you had a heart condition' was the answer to the question 'why can't we use the stairs'. And if I don't have a heart condition? 'You still can't use the stairs.'

Inscribed on the bell named Edward, is 'While the sound of this bell travels through the clouds, may the bands of angels pray for those assembled in thy church. St Edward pray for England.'

The toll of the bell could not drown out the call of the new school stationery in Paperchase and we returned to earth. In the lift.