Palm Sunday procession at Borough Market

Crowds gathered in warm sunshine on both sides of the Jubilee Market on Sunday morning to see the palms blessed by Dean of Southwark Andrew Nunn.

St Mark's account of the first Palm procession in Jerusalem was read by the succentor Anna Macham. The ancient custom of a procession recalls the Bethany to Jerusalem route taken by Jesus on a donkey.

The traditional hymn sung during Palm Sunday processions for over a thousand years, All Glory, laud, and honour, rang down Winchester Walk as the long procession moved off.

At the end of the Eucharist in the cathedral it was announced that Giles Fraser, former canon of St Paul's Cathedral, is to join the Southwark & Newington Deanery as parish priest of St Mary's Newington.

A notice in the weekly newsletter about the opening of a pub in the cathedral crypt appears to have briefly convinced some who had forgotten that it was Sunday 1 April.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Southwark presided at the blessing of palms in the Amigo Hall prior to a procession into St George's Cathedral. Archbishop Peter Smith will be celebrant at all the major Holy Week services.

Earlier in the day there was a procession with palms from Christ Church Blackfriars Road to St John's Waterloo by way of The Cut and St Andrew's Short Street.