Apple butter, sightseeing and puppets: How UK is marking US independence milestone

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, US-UK relations have come a long way since the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill - as painted by John Trumbull By James FitzGerald Published 7 minutes ago The forecourt of St Paul's Cathedral in London feels like an unlikely place to embark on an exploration of American independence - but a lesser-known statue in that very spot has a tale to tell within one of history's most infamous breakup stories. The sculpture depicts America as an indigenous female figure - holding a bow and arrow, and wearing a headdress. There's been a statue here that looks like this one since 1712 - well before the United States went its own way as a nation. The figure goes some way to showing how those far-flung lands fuelled the imaginations of people at the centre of the British empire, as tour guide Mark Grant explains at the start of a guided walk through the area. Grant is one of many people across the UK marking the 250th anniversary of American independence by holding special events - whether walks like this, a parade, or even cookery. Organisers are eager to show that 4 July is not just a date for fireworks and barbecues in the US. It's a cause for wider reflection - and even a little fun, too. Given that the UK was on the receiving end of the breakup, what do Brits hope to get out of the occasion? British spin on 1776 intrigues visiting Americans Grant's tours are designed to reveal the often-overlooked links between the City of London and the young United States. The history buffs include people from both sides of the pond. Grant says the two groups have been appreciating different things about the sessions, which are being run on a time-limited basis by the City of London Guides Lecturers Association. For the Brits, "it's interesting facts among other interesting facts", Grant says, noting that there's also plenty of Roman and medieval heritage in the City to take the interest of a local. "Whereas with the Americans, they feel more personally involved." Image caption, Tim Parry, Patricia Windham and Peter Tidmarsh joined a tour of historical US-linked sites in the City of London Patricia Windham, visiting from Chicago, wanted to understand how American independence was experienced in Britain at the time of the rupture. "You only get one side of the picture from the US," she explains. "I think it's important to get various perspectives from people, not just the one that you get from home, because that's the party line." Windham enjoys the many tour stopoffs. Whether it's the church where US Founding Father Benjamin Franklin worked for a time as a printmaker, or the sites of old coffee houses where merchants made transatlantic trade deals, the American-ness of the Square Mile runs deep. Declaration print prompts reflection - and a little humour Saturday's semiquincentennial, as it is formally known, marks 250 years to the day since the United States adopted its foundational document - the Declaration of Independence. The text