0:00:04 > 0:00:07I've got the wind in my hair, the waves are gently lapping.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Join me on this special journey
0:00:09 > 0:00:12as I uncover the stories, the people and the places
0:00:12 > 0:00:15that have made London one of the greatest cities in the world.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Yes, it's time to mess around on the river.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19I'm doing London by boat.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Coming up - along with the hymns this week,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27we'll have stories from the UK's biggest city
0:00:27 > 0:00:31and our music comes from some of London's finest churches,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33and can you guess which bridge across the Thames
0:00:33 > 0:00:36inspired the poet William Wordsworth?
0:00:46 > 0:00:50At 215 miles long and flowing through nine counties of England,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54the Thames is one of the most famous waterways in the world.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58And for the millions of tourists who visit London every year,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01no trip is complete without a sightseeing cruise
0:01:01 > 0:01:03through the heart of the city.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06You know, in all the years I've lived in London,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I've actually never been on a river cruise - I'm very excited.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Over the next half an hour, we'll be passing
0:01:11 > 0:01:14some of London's most famous religious buildings.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17It's rather apt that we start with the capital's oldest cathedral -
0:01:17 > 0:01:19that's Southwark.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Every stretch of this river is a reminder of our history.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Its palaces, theatres
0:03:58 > 0:04:02and churches have been places of inspiration for centuries.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04I'm setting sail with Christopher Winn -
0:04:04 > 0:04:07London resident and Thames enthusiast.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- Are you a big fan of the river? - I love the river.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13There's a most wonderful sense of openness
0:04:13 > 0:04:15and peace and quiet on the river,
0:04:15 > 0:04:18and you get a different perspective of all the landmarks.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Because the river was so important to the growth of London,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24all the iconic sights, you can actually see from the river.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- I've never done this before. - It's very exciting.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30- Also, I've never been this close to Tower Bridge.- There it is.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Possibly the most recognisable bridge in the whole world.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36It's the only bridge over the Thames that opens, and of course,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38it opens because when it was built,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41the Pool Of London, which we're going through to now,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43was still a very important working port,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46and they had to get a lot of tall ships under here.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50It used to open about 20 times a day and in fact, in 1952,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53a number 78 bus was going across the bridge
0:04:53 > 0:04:57when it began to open and he had no choice but to accelerate
0:04:57 > 0:05:00and leap over the gap which he just made.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Fantastic.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07One of the most celebrated sights from the river
0:05:07 > 0:05:08is the Tower Of London.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Building was started by William the Conqueror in 1078
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and it's perhaps one of the most famous prisons in the world.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19- If you see there, that is Traitors' Gate.- Oh, I see.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24That's where people to be executed used to go into the tower and never come out again -
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Sir Thomas More.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Of course, Sir Thomas More, once he'd been executed,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32his head was put on a spike and put on London Bridge
0:05:32 > 0:05:34and that's where we're heading now.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37There have been lots of London Bridges since.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40In 1014, when the city was owned by the Danes
0:05:40 > 0:05:42or they occupied the city,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45King Aethelred the Unready sailed his fleet up
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and tied his boats to the wooden supports of London Bridge
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and sailed away, bringing the bridge down behind him.
0:05:50 > 0:05:55- That's where you get the nursery rhyme London Bridge Is Falling Down. - Ah, right. I never knew that.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- I'll be singing that all day, now. - I hope so.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01And our next hymn comes from the Queen Elizabeth Hall,
0:06:01 > 0:06:02a little bit further up.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Yes, that's further down in the Southbank Centre,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09much of which was built for the Festival of Britain in 1951,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13and the Queen Elizabeth Hall was added in 1967, I think.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17- It's a great venue. - The Southbank Arts Centre is the biggest arts centre in Britain.
0:06:17 > 0:06:18- Is it really?- Yes.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22APPLAUSE
0:06:24 > 0:06:30# Just one voice
0:06:30 > 0:06:36# Singing in the darkness
0:06:36 > 0:06:42# All it takes is one voice
0:06:42 > 0:06:46# Singing so they hear what's on your mind
0:06:46 > 0:06:49# And when you look around
0:06:49 > 0:06:56# You'll find there's more than one voice
0:06:56 > 0:07:03# Singing in this darkness One voice
0:07:03 > 0:07:08# Joining with your one voice One voice
0:07:08 > 0:07:12# Each and every note another octave
0:07:12 > 0:07:15# Hands are joined and fears unlocked
0:07:15 > 0:07:19# If only one voice
0:07:19 > 0:07:21# Started on its own
0:07:21 > 0:07:24# We need just one voice
0:07:24 > 0:07:26# Facing the unknown
0:07:26 > 0:07:29# And then that one voice
0:07:29 > 0:07:31# Would never be alone
0:07:31 > 0:07:38# It takes just one voice
0:07:38 > 0:07:42# Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
0:07:42 > 0:07:47# Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
0:07:47 > 0:07:50# Da, da, da, da, da
0:07:50 > 0:07:55# Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
0:07:55 > 0:07:58# One voice
0:07:58 > 0:08:01# One voice
0:08:01 > 0:08:06# Singing in the darkness
0:08:06 > 0:08:11# All it takes is one voice
0:08:11 > 0:08:17# Shout it out and let it ring
0:08:17 > 0:08:21# Just one voice
0:08:21 > 0:08:27# It takes that one voice
0:08:27 > 0:08:31# And everyone
0:08:31 > 0:08:37# Will sing... #
0:08:52 > 0:08:56# One voice
0:08:56 > 0:09:01# Singing in the darkness
0:09:01 > 0:09:05# All it takes is one voice
0:09:05 > 0:09:11# Shout it out and let it ring
0:09:11 > 0:09:15# Just one voice
0:09:15 > 0:09:21# It takes that one voice
0:09:21 > 0:09:25# And everyone
0:09:25 > 0:09:29# Will sing
0:09:29 > 0:09:33# We will
0:09:33 > 0:09:40# sing. #
0:09:40 > 0:09:44CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:09:46 > 0:09:49So, we've been under Tower Bridge, London Bridge
0:09:49 > 0:09:52and now we're approaching what was Wobbly Bridge.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55It will always be known as the Wobbly Bridge.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It's created a lovely space because it's connected the City
0:09:58 > 0:10:01to the South Bank in a way that it wasn't before.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03And again, that idea of ancient and modern.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06You've got the Tate one side and St Paul's Cathedral the other.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Yes, Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece.
0:10:08 > 0:10:1038 years it took to build
0:10:10 > 0:10:14and he was 78 by the time it was finished in 1710.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Love the idea that it's right in the heart of London, as well.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20It is. Very much so. It's been there since 604.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22That's when the first cathedral was put there
0:10:22 > 0:10:25and it's on Ludgate Hill which is the highest point in the city,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27so it rises above the city
0:10:27 > 0:10:32and you have this magnificent dome which is 365 feet high to the top.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33I've been up it.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36- It's a wonderful view. - I could definitely feel my calves.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Indeed, it's quite a scary climb up there.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42But also, it's a huge statement of faith, as well, isn't it?
0:10:42 > 0:10:45God's here in this busy hustle and bustle.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Despite the fact that these modern buildings are around us,
0:10:48 > 0:10:49it still rises above.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51It's the first thing your eye is drawn to.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It reminds me of the difference between spiritual
0:10:54 > 0:10:56and material wealth - that they work together.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03St Pauls Cathedral is one of London's most iconic images,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06dedicated to the saint without whom many believe
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Christianity would never have become known to the Western world.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11But who was St Paul?
0:11:11 > 0:11:152,000 years on, why is he still such an inspiration today?
0:11:15 > 0:11:20St Paul came from an area we now know as eastern Turkey.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23So, it's to Turkey that pilgrims travel to discover more
0:11:23 > 0:11:26about the life of this man.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Last year, Pam joined a pilgrimage
0:11:28 > 0:11:31to explore what remains of two cities Paul knew well -
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Ephesus and Miletus.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Ephesus was really important for Paul.
0:11:37 > 0:11:43He really wanted to get there. It was the largest metropolis around the Aegean - some 250,000 people.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Major trading port
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and many people would be coming in to that city,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49so he wanted to get there.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53It was a strategic place and it was a really important part of his strategy.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55He describes his ministry there
0:11:55 > 0:11:57and it's clearly been really, really tough.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00It is almost a near-death experience.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03He also talks about having to face wild beasts in Ephesus.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Almost certainly that's a metaphor -
0:12:05 > 0:12:07he's not literally facing wild beasts,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10but it describes the opposition which he's under.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15South of Ephesus along the coastal route is Miletus.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19It was here that Paul bid an emotional farewell
0:12:19 > 0:12:21to the leaders of the church in Ephesus.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27It's been eye-opening for me to come to Turkey with a group of pilgrims
0:12:27 > 0:12:28to follow in Paul's footsteps
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and visit these ancient sights.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37Paul travelled thousands of miles, but we've seen just a tiny fraction of the distances he covered.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39I think he must have been a marvellous man.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41We've been sitting in a coach
0:12:41 > 0:12:45for four or five days already on this pilgrimage
0:12:45 > 0:12:47and we've done such distances.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51I don't know how he could have possibly done it by foot or on a donkey or whatever.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54It certainly makes things come vividly alive
0:12:54 > 0:12:59to stand where he stood and where the early Christians stood.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04That's the Ionic Stoa there, where all the processions started.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08The spate of all these trails and shipwrecks and beatings
0:13:08 > 0:13:10and all that, he still pressed on towards the goal,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14towards the prize, and the prize would be eternal life with Jesus.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It must have been an incredible journey
0:13:17 > 0:13:19fraught with all kinds of dangers,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22difficulties, problems, hardships along the way,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25which Paul alludes to in some of his letters.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28So, my admiration for him has increased
0:13:28 > 0:13:30as we have traced some of his steps.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34The account of Paul meeting the Ephesian elders in Miletus
0:13:34 > 0:13:37is a very moving account in the New Testament.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40It's described in Acts, chapter 20. Paul's speech is there.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45It's moving because he knows that it's going to be his last time with them.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47He's convinced that he's going up to Jerusalem
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and then on to pastures new.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52It's goodbye to all his seven years of working around the Aegean,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55and he knows that hardship is awaiting him.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59He's often going into places where the name of Christ has never been heard of before,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02he's going into cities which are full of pagan culture,
0:14:02 > 0:14:04and he's going almost single-handedly,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07determined to bring a new message into that location,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11convinced that God has done something in Jesus which is for all people.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23I love this part of the Thames cos you've got the grandeur of St Pauls.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25But, if I'm right, isn't that St Brides?
0:16:25 > 0:16:28- That is indeed St Brides on Fleet Street.- The tiny spire.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31As you see, it's got a very distinctive shape.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32In the 17th century,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36a pastry cook who was working on Ludgate Hill opposite the church,
0:16:36 > 0:16:37looked up at the spire
0:16:37 > 0:16:41and got inspired to make a cake for his daughter's wedding,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43and he made it in the shape of the spire
0:16:43 > 0:16:46and that's why we have wedding cakes tiered like that,
0:16:46 > 0:16:47in the same shape as that spire.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Of course, a very important wedding took place not far from here.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Indeed it did. Wasn't it a most marvellous day?
0:16:53 > 0:16:56- That was showing London at its best. - Absolutely.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58We're so good at pomp and pageantry in London.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02All the buildings lend themselves to this wonderful pageantry.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Does the Thames have a royal connection?
0:17:04 > 0:17:07It has an incredible royal connection because
0:17:07 > 0:17:09there are lots of palaces on the river,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11going from Windsor to Whitehall
0:17:11 > 0:17:14to Westminster Palace down to Greenwich, Richmond Palace,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18and the kings and queens used to progress between their homes
0:17:18 > 0:17:21in great state, in their state barges along the river
0:17:21 > 0:17:23which was the safest and the quickest way to go.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Further upstream, Windsor is now home to the oldest
0:17:27 > 0:17:30and largest inhabited castle in the world.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33But, for visitors to the castle,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37the real surprise is the magnificent St George's Chapel,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40and it's the setting for our next piece of music.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45# Oh, grant it, Heaven
0:17:45 > 0:17:50# That our long woes may cease
0:17:50 > 0:17:54# And Judah's daughters
0:17:54 > 0:17:58# Taste the calm of peace
0:17:58 > 0:18:01# Sons, brothers, husbands
0:18:01 > 0:18:04# To bewail no more
0:18:04 > 0:18:06# Tortured at home
0:18:06 > 0:18:09# Or havocked in the war... #
0:18:16 > 0:18:19# So shall the lute and harp awake
0:18:19 > 0:18:21# And sprightly voice sweet descant run
0:18:25 > 0:18:28# So shall the lute awake
0:18:28 > 0:18:31# So shall the harp awake
0:18:31 > 0:18:33# So shall the lute and harp awake
0:18:33 > 0:18:36# And sprightly voice sweet descant run
0:18:36 > 0:18:38# And sprightly voice
0:18:38 > 0:18:40# Sweet descant run
0:18:40 > 0:18:43# And spri-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah-ah, ah-ah
0:18:43 > 0:18:47# Ah, ah-ah, ah-ah-ah Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
0:18:47 > 0:18:51# Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ightly voice
0:18:51 > 0:18:54# Sweet descant run
0:18:56 > 0:19:01# Seraphic melody to make
0:19:01 > 0:19:06# In the pure strains of Jesse's son
0:19:06 > 0:19:11# Sera-ha-ah, ha-ah, ha-ah Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
0:19:11 > 0:19:16# Ah-ah-phic melody to make
0:19:16 > 0:19:18# In the pure strah-eh-eh-eh-eh
0:19:18 > 0:19:21# Eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh Eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh
0:19:21 > 0:19:24# Eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh Eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh
0:19:24 > 0:19:26# Eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh strains
0:19:26 > 0:19:31# In the pure strains of Jesse's son
0:19:31 > 0:19:35# Sera-ha-ah, ha-ah, ha-ah Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah
0:19:35 > 0:19:41# Ah-ah-phic melody to make
0:19:43 > 0:19:49# In the pure strains
0:19:49 > 0:19:55# Of Je-eh, eh-eh, eh-eh Eh-eh-eh, eh-eh
0:19:55 > 0:19:58# Eh-eh-eh, eh-eh
0:19:58 > 0:20:01# Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh
0:20:01 > 0:20:04# Eh-eh, eh, eh-eh-eh
0:20:04 > 0:20:07# Jesse's son. #
0:20:11 > 0:20:15- And the view every tourist comes to London to see.- Indeed.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17There it is, Big Ben.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Probably the most famous clock in the world.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24In fact, Big Ben refers only to the great bell of the great clock.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- OK.- That is the actual bell is called Ben,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29and it was named after Sir Benjamin Hall
0:20:29 > 0:20:32who was the commissioner of works.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Or possibly, a story I prefer, it was named after Benjamin Caunt
0:20:35 > 0:20:40- who was a heavyweight champion of the time whose nickname was Big Ben. - Oh, really?- Indeed.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42What about the House Of Commons? Magnificent.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Magnificent Houses Of Parliament.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Of course, this is new, this was opened in 1852.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49It's on the site of Edward the Confessor's
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Palace Of Westminster, so it's known as the Palace Of Westminster -
0:20:53 > 0:20:56the oldest royal palace in London.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59And the big square tower, the other side, the Victoria Tower,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- was the tallest building in the world when it was first built.- Really?
0:21:02 > 0:21:04It was. Extraordinary.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07It's got a copy of every single law and record that's been made
0:21:07 > 0:21:10since the 11th century, inside it, now.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13It's a sort of modern Tower Of Babel, you could call it.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Do you know what? I'm glad I turned up today.- So am I.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- I always enjoy telling these stories. - It's a great story.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25The building we see today was designed by Charles Barry,
0:21:25 > 0:21:28after a fire broke out in 1834,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32destroying almost all of the original Palace Of Westminster.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37One of the few structures to survive was a glorious underground chapel.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40St Mary Undercroft isn't normally open to the public
0:21:40 > 0:21:43but it still holds regular services for MPs,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46members of the House Of Lords and their families.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Last year, I met Lady Patricia Scotland,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51who's a worshipper there.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55- What a jewel this place is. - It's absolutely beautiful.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59It's a church right in the heart of Parliament
0:21:59 > 0:22:03and it's just a pool of calm and an opportunity to come in prayer.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05I think it's a very special space.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08And it's really wonderful
0:22:08 > 0:22:11because you see people that you never imagined would come
0:22:11 > 0:22:12and go, "Oh, hello."
0:22:12 > 0:22:14How do you feel when you're praying here?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Erm, really touched, actually,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21because you have a clear understanding
0:22:21 > 0:22:24that God is in the centre of all we're doing.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Every time Parliament starts the day, it starts with prayer.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Yeah, many people would imagine that, you know,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Parliament and God really wouldn't go hand in hand.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36I think in this space,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39there is no party, there's just one body
0:22:39 > 0:22:42and that's the body of Christ and being able to acknowledge
0:22:42 > 0:22:47that we're all part of it and we are all part of the solution
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and there's a great deal we can do by working together.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55Patricia Scotland's career reads as a series of firsts.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57The first black woman to become a QC,
0:22:57 > 0:23:00the first to become a government minister,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02and the first female attorney general.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Born in Dominica and brought up in East London,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08she didn't always feel quite so part of the establishment.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I was one of ten children,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14and my mother was a very devout Catholic
0:23:14 > 0:23:18and my father was an equally ardent Methodist.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22And I think my parents found it quite hard
0:23:22 > 0:23:25when they first came to England
0:23:25 > 0:23:28cos at that stage, it wasn't necessarily as welcoming
0:23:28 > 0:23:30as they thought it would be.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34And their faith was a very strong part
0:23:34 > 0:23:39of how they got through all of those things.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Some public figures find it difficult to own up to being a Christian, if you like.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Why do you think that is?
0:23:44 > 0:23:47I think it's because it makes lots of people feel vulnerable,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50and that you could be subject to attack.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54There's a feeling that more might be expected of you
0:23:54 > 0:23:58or that if you make decisions, people will challenge them
0:23:58 > 0:24:01and look at them through the prism of the faith that you purport to have.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04It's never really been an issue for you, though, has it?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06No, no, it hasn't.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10I think I've never hesitated from giving the credit where credit's due
0:24:10 > 0:24:12and the credit always goes to God.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14The things that I've done which are good,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16I know have been through his grace.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19The things that I've done that aren't so good,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21I know they're usually down to me,
0:24:21 > 0:24:26so faith has been very much part of the living, breathing fabric
0:24:26 > 0:24:28of my life and who I am.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19If I'd known we were coming this far up the Thames,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- we could have popped in to see my fellow Welshman at Lambeth Palace. - Indeed.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26There it is, the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Since the year 1200, I think, was when they first moved there.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34And in fact, I grew up there. I had spent some of my formative years there
0:26:34 > 0:26:39- in the Cranmer Tower where Cranmer compiled the prayer book.- Wow.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- I like to think that's where I get my writing skills from. - Not a bad place to grow up, eh?
0:26:43 > 0:26:47No, and it was next to the river, which is where my love for the river comes from.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- It's obvious that you really do love the Thames.- I do.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52I love the space, I love the open air,
0:26:52 > 0:26:56there are so many fascinating characters and stories
0:26:56 > 0:26:59and so many things I never knew about the River Thames,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02that I love to learn. You can never learn enough about it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04I've learnt so much. I can't wait to bring my children.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07- I'm going to be the font of all knowledge next to you.- Indeed.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- It's been brilliant. - Thank you. I've enjoyed it, too.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I always love it on the Thames.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I know that you've chosen a hymn for us, as well. What is it?
0:27:15 > 0:27:17On a stormy day like this, it's quite relevant.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20It's For Those In Peril On The Sea.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22I come from a naval family, and of course,
0:27:22 > 0:27:25an awful lot of people sailed down the Thames
0:27:25 > 0:27:29to go across the world on perilous sea voyages
0:27:29 > 0:27:32to discover America and Australia, so I think it's quite relevant
0:27:32 > 0:27:35to be thinking for those in peril on the sea.
0:29:45 > 0:29:46'Dear Father,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49'give us the wisdom to ask for your mercy
0:29:49 > 0:29:54'not just when the storm is raging, but also when the waters are calm.'
0:29:54 > 0:29:58Help us to understand that peace and happiness come
0:29:58 > 0:30:00not from having worldly riches,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03but from having your love in our hearts.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05And in days of doubt,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07give us the courage to acknowledge your presence
0:30:07 > 0:30:10and sing forth your praise.
0:30:10 > 0:30:11Amen.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17So, here we are at our journey's end.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Before we go our opposite ways, there is one question I want to ask.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25- By all accounts, Wordsworth was inspired by one of the bridges we've been under.- Indeed he was.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28The view that inspired William Wordsworth to write the lines,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31"Earth has not anything to show more fair,"
0:30:31 > 0:30:33was the view of Westminster Bridge.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- I didn't win that bet. Thank you very much.- My pleasure.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39I don't know about you, but I've had a fantastic time
0:30:39 > 0:30:42exploring some of these wonderful sights that London has to offer
0:30:42 > 0:30:44from the mighty Thames.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47We're going to end where we began at Southwark Cathedral
0:30:47 > 0:30:50with an inspirational hymn of praise,
0:30:50 > 0:30:51Angel-Voices Ever Singing.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Until next time, goodbye.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21In next week's Songs Of Praise,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Irish singer Dana goes back to her home city
0:33:24 > 0:33:25to explore her past.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29And she uncovers some stars of the future.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:33:52 > 0:33:55E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk