It’s 4am and Griff alights from one of London’s iconic vehicles, a route master bus. While most of London sleeps, Griff makes his way to a statue in Trafalgar Square. Not the famous Nelson’s Column but a statue of Charles the First, which officially marks the centre of London where all distances are measured from.

We all know the legend that if the ravens leave the Tower of London the Kingdom will fall. Not as well known is a similar legend surrounding the Stone of London, which is located in the wall of a disused shop in Cannon Street. The stone is reputed to have stood in the middle of the Forum, when the Romans were in London. It survived the Great Fire and the Blitz and the myth is that it as long as the stone is safe, London will flourish.

As London starts to wake up, Griff climbs to the top of a 200 foot high crane in the City to see the sunrise.

His birds-eye-view provides an unusual angle from which to see London’s commuters start to make their way into city.

As one of the busiest rush hours in the world commences, Griff decides to take a short cut to his next appointment. He gets a lift from the harbour master from the Port of London authority along the Thames to Westminster.

Arriving at the Houses of Parliament Griff is given a guided tour of by Joe Murphy, political editor of the Evening Standard who points out that 400 years ago you would have seen Oliver Cromwell’s head on a pike by the entrance.

Medieval customs are still adhered to in Parliament and age old rituals take place every day by men and women wearing clothes that went out of fashion over a hundred years ago. Griff observes: “More than any other city in the world, London likes to keep one buckled foot in the past.”

Griff climbs the clock tower to Big Ben, probably the most famous clock in the world whose chimes are transmitted live to 183 million listeners across the globe. To ensure the chimes never fail the clock has to be wound by hand, three times a week.

London has nearly 8,000 acres of open land which gives London the official classification as a forest.

Many of London’s parks were once the private property of the monarchs. Nowadays they are public spaces but many of the traditions still remain. Luckily there are no longer crocodiles in St James’s Park. James the First liked to keep two in the lake, but the pelicans are still there, which are the descendants from those from presented by the Russian Ambassador in 1664.

Anyone can take a horse into Hyde Park even if, like Griff, you can’t actually ride it. Griff is joined by a group of regular riders, and is told by one rather grand young lady that riding is a good form of exercise. Griff tells her: “Posh people like to do any form of exercise…as long as it’s sitting down.”

Griff’s next venue is the site of what was one of the most bizarre railway stations in London, a railway for the dead. The Necropolis Railway in Westminster Road was opened in 1847 after a terrible cholera outbreak, and used to ship coffins to Surrey by rail. It lasted for nearly 100 years as a terminal, in more senses than one.

London has many hidden gems, and Griff discovers that 150 feet under the surface of the City, beneath the Central Line is a huge tunnel complex that was a secret for 50 years. It was built by a secret Act of Parliament and is just under a mile in length. The labyrinth was to be used as a telephone exchange in the event of a nuclear attack and is now one of the most unusual properties for sale in London. .

Beer has run through the body of London for four generations and in medieval times fermented ale was thought a safer option than water. Griff visits an eighteenth century pub, The Old Doctor Butler’s Head whose original proprietor, Doctor Butler, came up with numerous liquid cures, all containing alcohol. Today they are launching new herbal purging ale, and before it goes on sale it has to be passed by the City of London Ale Conners. The test involves spilling the ale on a wooden bench and the Conners, in their leather breeches, sit on the wet patch. If they stick to the bench the ale is no good, but luckily the ale passes the test and Griff pulls the first pint for the waiting customers.

Griff ventures on to the St. James area of London, an area known for its expensive and exclusive shops and clubs. Burlington Arcade could be described as the first shopping mall. It was built 190 years ago by Lord Cavendish, because his wife said she had nowhere to shop in peace and quiet.

The arcade employs the oldest and smallest private police force in the city, and Griff dons the uniform and takes his place upholding the rules of the arcade. These include, no whistling, because pickpockets used to whistle signals to each other, and no singing or humming, because it was ‘ungentlemanly’ to show merriment.

From the riches of St. James Griff journeys to the financial centre of the City of London – the Square Mile.

Broker Dave Peters from Tullett Prebon explains why London is the financial hub of the markets. Griff gets a taste of the frantic and, to the outsider, confusing dealing that goes on in their offices, and discovers just how stressful moving vast sums around the money market really is. Later in the programme we will find out how Dave alleviates the tension of the day.

From the ancient to the modern Griff continues his day with a visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral and then on to another Wren church, St. Martin in Ludgate, where Griff tries his hand at bell ringing – managing to put his back out in the process.

He then visits Sotheby’s for a modern art auction where he will be helping.to hang the works of art. One of the night’s star lots is a piece by Fontana that Griff describes as “the gold one, with holes in.” To Griff’s obvious astonishment and amusement this sells for £9.2 million. The night’s total sales add up to £95 million.

It’s getting late and in East London Griff visits a boxing club where they describe the matches as ‘white collar’ fighting. Dave the broker we met earlier is fighting tonight. He is on the match list as ‘Mad’ Dave from Tullett Prebon and the other combatants are from various financial and business companies. However, as can happen on the trading floor, where nothing is predictable, Dave’s luck takes a downturn.

As Big Ben strikes midnight, Griff is given a very special lift for a spectacular view of the city at night. The Metropolitan Police air support unit is on call 24 hours a day, which is why his courtesy flight suddenly turns into a hot pursuit of a suspected axe wielding man who is thought to have attempted to steal a car.

Below them most of the city’s inhabitants are asleep, and London prepares itself for the next day.

Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 9:00PM - 10:00PM, ITV1