London Lockdown – Hushed Hibernation
Calm, gentle, deserted and stuck in a hushed state of hibernation, London during COVID-lockdown proves that every cloud has a silver lining.
Millennium Wheel – from Golden Jubilee Bridge
So much so that for those of us lucky enough to live within walking distance of central London, the daily lockdown opportunities very much dove-tail in with Virginia Woolf’s (1882-1941) famous 1930 observation that “to walk alone in London is the greatest rest”.
Trafalgar Square
Offering a yesteryear flashback to a similarly quite street life, I have been out snapping away with my camera. Enjoying empty roads dominated by congestion-free red double-deckers, a smattering of black cabs, free-wheeling cyclists, emergency service personnel and a sprinkling of other Londoners escaping home to stretch their legs.
Tower Bridge from The Queens Walk – south bank
As my photos show (all taken over the past week), when walking through the city’s streets and waterways even the most iconic of locations are surreally people-free and peaceful. A world away from the usual bustling crowds and traffic gridlock.
Cenotaph with Remembrance Sunday wreaths
Travelling down from Regents Park, via Oxford Circus, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, The Mall, Whitehall, Horse Guards, Downing Street to the Palace of Westminster, I was able to stand in the middle of roads and criss-cross between some of the world’s most iconic venues without a care in the world.
With the odd security person, policeman, pedestrian, drag queen, street-cleaner, and horse guard for company, my journey’s flow continued to take me across a peaceful Westminster Bridge, via the Millennium Wheel and a relatively busy Southbank to the Tate Modern, Borough Market, City Hall and Tower Bridge.
Regent Street
Walking through the financial areas of the City I was equally struck by how deserted the mid-week street-scenes were around the Bank of England, Fleet Street and St Paul’s Cathedral. Visiting St Paul’s at midday, the famous entrance square was empty. Which further gave me the unprecedented privilege of being the only visitor to enter Christopher Wren’s masterpiece for a period of masked private contemplation.
St Paul’s Cathedral
The pedestrian-only ‘Wobbly Bridge’ (Millennium Bridge) from St Paul’s to the Tate Modern, was equally deserted giving the impression of stepping across a private shiny fairy-tale flyover from north to south banks. Continuing eastwards along the Southbank to the bee-hive City Hall and Tower Bridge area, my stroll continued with mix of seagulls, the odd runner and rain clouds for company.
Cutty Sark – Greenwich
I wandered on to an equally tranquil Greenwich; I enjoyed a sunlit Cutty Sark, Pier area, Maritime Naval College and Royal Observatory. Which offered open views down across Greenwich Park along the Meridian Line (Longitude Zero) to the National Maritime Museum and modern Docklands developments beyond.
My advice, if you are a Londoner, seize this moment to escape for some lockdown exercise and explore your local street-scene. It is as breath-takingly bizarre as it is eerie.
Bank of England
BBC Broadcasting House
City police – Cheapside (Bank of England in background)
Oxford Street – from Oxford Circus
Upper Regents Street – from Oxford Circus
Eros – Piccadilly Circus
Churchill getting a spray down – Parliament Square
Downing Street
Golden Jubilee Bridge view
Haymarket
Horse Guards
St Paul’s Cathedral reflection – from St Paul’s Church Yard
Westminster Bridge walkway
Shaftesbury Avenue – from Piccadilly Circus
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Millennium Wheel – south bank
COVID testing – Greenwich
Chinatown, Soho
Towards Borough Market
Wobbly Bridge – towards St Paul’s Cathedral from Tate Modern
Whitehall
Women of WW2 Memorial
Regent Street
Paparazzi outside Cabinet Office
The Mall towards Buckingham Palace
Tower Bridge north side
St Paul’s Cathedral entrance square
Parliament Square with scaffolding over Big Ben
Cabot Square – Canary Wharf, Docklands
Westminster Bridge north side – across to Millennium Wheel
City view over Thames from Southwark
Bakerloo Line tube
Trafalgar Square from The Strand
Canary Wharf
Westminster Bridge from south bank
Greenwich Park down towards Maritime Museum and Docklands development
Leicester Square
City Hall and Tower Bridge
Wobbly Bridge (Millennium Bridge) looking east towards Tower Bridge
Piccadilly Circus
South bank looking across to the City
Greenwich Observatory
Westminster Bridge from Palace of Westminster (Parliament)
Leicester Square towards Covent Garden
Fabulous pictures Jono. Cant remember the last time I was even close to London!
Fabulous image my dear Jono, hope you and family are well. Lupita.
Thanks … virtual commuting such does rule at the moment
I don’t miss the commute but I do miss wandering about London. Great photos Jono x
Absolutely loving this Jono! Some tremendous images, sad but strangely hypnotic! A great city with the pause button pressed… Stay safe pal
What great pictures.
London quiet, hard to imagine, great photos as always.
I really enjoyed reading this Jono, so surreal to see the capital like this.
Great photos of what I still consider my home town. Thanks Jono.