The (non) flight of the dragon

Lifting the dragon from its perch

They came today to take away St James's golden dragon weathervane  for repair and regilding as part of the £350k works on the church tower, currently taking place.

The dragon was successfully removed from its perch, but seemed curiously resistant to come down to ground level.

The height of the tower, the weight of the dragon, and the configuration of the scaffolding temporarilly defeated our gallant band of workers.

So the dragon remains on the top of its tower and the workmen must return with some new equipment, to safely lower the dragon to the ground.

Then the restoration work can begin, and when it is finished, the newly gilded weatherwave will be
displayed at ground level for a few days for the public to view - before its returns to its regular roost, high above Bermondsey.

Right: the church tower encased in scaffolding, pending stonework repairs, about to start.