Now is not a good time for wandering about in London photoing photos. And anyway, if you do go a-wandering, is putting the photo-results on your blog the smart thing to do? You need a good story to explain why your wanderings were actually essential. Who needs all that nonsense?
So, instead, I’ve been wandering in my photo-archives, which get steadily better as the years go by and as they record circumstances ever more distant in time.
Circumstances like how Battersea Power Station, one of my favourite London Big Things, was look in the summer of 2004:
Battersea Power Station is now surrounded by flats. No cranes will be seen anywhere near it, once the flats are all finished. And I’ve not seen many boats like that since then, with red sales.
Photoed with my old Canon A70.
Are lone people actually being stopped by the police in Central London and asked why they’re out? Certainly not happening in Lewisham and Greenwich. Kate and I went for a five hour walk on Monday and I took many photos. Nobody stopped us. There were plenty of other people out, strolling, cycling, walking the dog. The vast majority were individuals and couples. There were a few larger groups – maybe 3 or 4 – that weren’t families with young kids. They were all teens and twenty somethings. In all that time I don’t think I saw a single policeman. I’m pretty sure that if you’re out for your daily exercise there’s no law that says you can’t take photos.
I’ve been walking and cycling around London regularly for the last year, and posting photos that I have taken on these walks to Facebook. Nobody has had any problem with this. I was stopped by the police once, but they were investigating stolen Boris bikes and I was quickly allowed to proceed once I had established that the bike I was riding had been rented legally.
“Exercise” has at all times been a legitimate reason for leaving your home, and going for a walk falls under this.