Shoreditch Life - business and soul

Life n' Soul of Shoreditch

Oranges and Lemons

The Bells of Shoreditch refer to those housed in St Leonard's Church, on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch. There has been a Church on the site of St. Leonards since 12th Century. St Leonards was often frequented by Elizabethan actors as it was located near to the first purpose built theatre called 'The Theatre' and also in close proximity to the 'Curtain Theatre'. The current church, was built rebuilt in 1740 but its churchyard still holds earlier graves including those of many actors including William Shakespeare's friend and builder of the Curtain Theatre, Richard Burbage.

Gay go up and gay go down
To Ring the Bells of London Town

"Oranges and Lemons" say the Bells of St. Clements

"Bullseyes and Targets" say the Bells of St. Margaret's

"Brickbats and Tiles" say the Bells of St. Giles

"Halfpence and Farthings" say the Bells of St. Martin's

"Pancakes and Fritters" say the Bells of St. Peter's

"Two Sticks and an Apple" say the Bells of Whitechapel

"Maids in white aprons" say the Bells at St. Katherine's

"Pokers and Tongs" say the Bells of St. John's

"Kettles and Pans" say the Bells of St. Anne's

"Old Father Baldpate" say the slow Bells of Aldgate

"You owe me Ten Shillings" say the Bells of St. Helen's

"When will you Pay me?" say the Bells of Old Bailey

"When I grow Rich" say the Bells of Shoreditch

"Pray when will that be?" say the Bells of Stepney

"I do not know" say the Great Bell of Bow

Gay go up and gay go down
To Ring the Bells of London Town

Where are these famous bells?

Cilck here and we'll point them out

Children often sing a shortened. more common version of 'Oranges and Lemons' ...

This cuts out a number of the couplets and finishes with the lines :

Here comes a candle to light you to bed.

Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.

. ....JAY

Oranges and Lemons - when I grow rich say the bells of Shoreditch

Maurice Collins - shows his eccentric contraptions at V&A

Looking back in time - a turbulent history

Shoreditch Town Hall - now it's a show piece

Shoreditch Town Hall - design show comes home ...

Environmental Green Mark gives chance for ultimate savings

SmartWater to flush out those thieves ...

SECURITY TIPS 'top ten' from local police

For whom the bells toll in London

The churches in this rhyme are all believed to be in and around the City of London: St Clements is at the top of Shoredich High Street, St. Martin's is close to where the moneylenders used to live; Shoreditch is where a church used to stand in the past; Old Bailey is near the prison where debtors were sent; Bow is probably St. Mary-le-Bow, whose bells told Dick Whittington to "Turn again".

The song is very well-known. It is also used in a children's game. Two children decide who will be the orange and who the lemon; they join hands to form an arch and sing the song, while the other children pass under the arch in a line.

At the end of the song, which gets faster and more menacing, the two children forming the arch bring their arms down on the child passing under the arch, who has to decide whether to be an orange or a lemon, and lines up behind one of the two parts of the arch. When all the children have been 'chopped' there is a tug of war to decide whether the oranges or the lemons are the stronger.

The bells also had another sinister history - they were the bells that were heard if you were a prisoner in the tower of London awaiting execution. The last two lines refer to the fact that it was the holding cell for convicts who were scheduled for execution the following morning.