Lockdown London
Dog walkers in Primrose Hill
The past few weeks have been unprecedented in our lifetimes - lives and economies have been suspended and many have found it to be profoundly unsettling. All my photographic events and assignments have been postponed and it’s difficult to foresee a time in the near future when I will be able to work as before.
Initial anxieties have, in time, diminished and with Darina, my partner, able to work from home I settled into the unpaid role of office manager. My responsibilities ranged from IT support to catering manager and even designated first aider. I tackled tasks which I have been shelving for months - I organised 15 years of images, refreshed my website and I even started writing a blog.
I developed a passion for through the bedroom window wildlife photography - keenly observing the behaviour of the squirrels, wood pigeons and a brief visit from a rather handsome fox. I found this to be very enjoyable and relaxing - perhaps it was time for a career pivot to wildlife photographer!
After the first few weeks I decided to take a trip into London to experience one of the world’s most vibrant cities in lockdown. Fortunately, I live close to the centre so I was able to get there without using public transport. I walked through Primrose Hill, past the dog walkers and runners out for their government sanctioned one hour of exercise per day (although I’m not sure who or how anyone was keeping track).
I collected a public hire bicycle on the edge of Regent’s Park, thoroughly disinfecting the handles and brake levers before removing it from the docking station. My journey took me through the park, to Oxford Circus and on to a deserted Trafalgar Square. The traffic consisted mainly of empty double decker buses and other cyclists enjoying the uniqueness of a vehicle free city. The roads felt safe and the air was clean - it was a tantalising glimpse of what could be a cleaner , greener future. I continued past the Mall to Westminster and over the bridge to the Southbank, finding a place to dock my bicycle close to the Royal Festival Hall.
The Mall
The Southbank - a usually vibrant and thronged riverside was now an unreal urban landscape. These were historic times - and to emphasise this, a stranger even said ‘hello’ to me. A lone runner took advantage of the empty Jubilee Gardens, making his way past a stationary London Eye. The city had been purposefully paused and placed into hibernation to save lives - it was both strange and wonderful.
London Eye
Click on images above to view
Mural by artist Lionel Stanhope paying tribute to NHS workers
Millenium Bridge
St Paul’s Cathedral & River Thames
As London emerges tentatively from lockdown the city will inevitably come back to life. Confidence will grow and the urban spaces will once again fill with humanity.
Will it be different? Will it be the old normal or a new normal?
Will it be cleaner, greener and kinder? I hope so.
