Thanks to apples and blackberries

12/01/10

The traditional annual Plow Monday service was given a modern twist at St Lawrence Jewry church next to Guildhall.

Instead of blessing the plough, the traditional apparatus of labour recognised on Plow Monday, Canon David Parrott blessed contemporary equivalents: IT equipment, or to put it another way - Apples and BlackBerries.

Plow Monday is the first Monday after Epiphany and traditionally marks the last day of the Christmas holiday before return to work. It derives its name from the ploughs of farm workers being blessed for the forthcoming year’s work. A collection of Apples, BlackBerries and iPods will be placed on to the altar during the service; including the BlackBerry of the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Nick Anstee, who is attending the service.

Canon David Parrott, Guild Vicar, St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall said:

"At the heart of this service is the traditional apparatus of labour used by the congregation. Our modern City workers are more familiar with PDAs and laptops than a plough so it seemed appropriate to update the focus."

There has been a church on the site of St Lawrence Jewry next Guildhall in Guildhall Yard since the twelfth century. The first, thought to have been built in 1136 was destroyed in the Great Fire of London and was re-built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1687. It was one of Wren’s most expensive City Churches. Following extensive damage during the Second World War it was restored and is now the official Church of the City of London Corporation. It is a Grade 1 listed building.