Old London Bridge: The Story of the Longest Inhabited Bridge in Europe

Rating:
Summary: Ye Keeper Of Ye Heads
Review: This is a little gem of a book, concerning the history of Old London Bridge- the stone structure which spanned the Thames, and which operated from 1209 until it was replaced by Rennie's new bridge in August 1831. Actually, as the author Patricia Pierce points out, archaeological evidence was "unearthed" which showed that a wooden bridge had been on the same spot prior to the erection of Old London Bridge. (The wooden bridge dated back to Roman times.) Old London Bridge was functional for over 600 years. Rennie's new bridge was not so fortunate, becoming obsolete in 140 years- and is now serving as a tourist attraction in Arizona. The current London Bridge opened for business in 1973. Ms. Pierce has managed to make her book interesting by not limiting herself to the bridge, strictly speaking. After all, reading about the shops and houses that were on the bridge, the hazards of traveling over the bridge (due to congestion) and under it (the changeable currents), and all the repairs that were needed over the years- well, that could become tedious after awhile. (There is still enough of that material present for me to give the book 4 stars rather than 5.) So, the author uses the bridge as a focal point and enriches the story by telling us about people who crossed the bridge, who didn't like to cross the bridge, and who crossed under the bridge. The first category included the French king, John II, who was "paraded" over the bridge after being captured in 1357 at the Battle of Poitiers. Those being chivalrous times, John was well-treated. He was given comfortable accomodations at the Savoy Palace beside the Thames, and was allowed to visit the City of London. When he couldn't come up with the money necessary to ransom himself he was allowed to go back to France to try a little harder and his son, the Duke of Anjou, took his place as a hostage. Anjou showed considerable initiative by escaping and getting back to France. His father, however, thought that wasn't very sporting and voluntarily came back to London and once again was held for ransom. The English showed their appreciation by treating John even better the second time around and Sir Henry Picard, a former Mayor of London, had John as a guest at a dinner where five kings were present. In the second category (those who didn't like to travel over the bridge), Queen Elizabeth I is mentioned. It is unclear exactly why Elizabeth didn't like to do so...it could have been a fear of heights or concern for her personal safety (the bridge was extremely crowded with pedestrians, carts and animals and people were sometimes knocked into the Thames and drowned). In any event, it is believed that during her long reign Elizabeth only made the trip one time. In the final category (those going under the bridge) Samuel Pepys is mentioned, which offers Ms. Pierce the wonderful opportunity to talk about Pepys's career with the Naval Board, his famous diary, and his fondness for the ladies. Ms. Pierce even branches out a bit and covers things that may not have been on the bridge, but were at least nearby. This way we hear about the Globe theater, which got "its name from its sign and the flag which flew to announce that a play was in progress...It showed Hercules with the world on his shoulders...". Ms. Pierce even tells us that the rule of the road regarding "keep to the left" originated with a 1722 decision of the Common Council, which was made to control the traffic on London Bridge. One last thing I should mention, regarding the title of this review: For hundreds of years after the bridge opened, traitors' heads were set upon a gateway at the Southwark end of the bridge. Someone had to have the job of placing each new arrival "among the rotting heads, quarters and skulls already there...and (to toss) superfluous heads into the river below". Hence, the position description: Keeper Of The Heads!