Taking photos of a deserted city is almost a tradition for me, and one I had almost not intended to partake in this year, but the temptation proved too alluring.
I actually had a ticket to attend church this morning — for while I love photographing them, attending Church for an actual service is a very rare event for this heathen minded soul. However, arriving in Westminster about 40 minutes before I needed to be in a pew, I thought to wander around and grab a few photos.
Then God waved a godly hand and the rain cloud laden skies cleared, blue azure was visible, which is simply perfect for photography. Evidently God had decided that my secular mind was not welcome within His house.
It’s getting increasingly difficult to take the photos on Xmas morning though — partly as I wasn’t expecting to take any, so arrived later than ideal, but mainly because of the Boris Bikes. When I first started these photos, heading into town was limited to those with two (or four) wheels of their own, so it was essentially utterly empty. Now, lots of people can pop on a bike in the morning and cycle around the empty streets.
Still so quiet and empty that it remains an additively remarkable experience, but the sense of desolation has vanished.
I would still put getting up early and experiencing a nearly totally empty city on Christmas Morning in any “100 things to do before you die” list though.
A few photos taken this morning — to add to the ones taken in 2008, 2010 and 2011
It also doesn’t help that my elderly camera is really struggling now — and will need to be replaced as soon as I can afford to do so.
Millbank Approaching Parliament
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Empty Westminster
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Haymarket
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Oxford Street
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Berwick Street
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A red bus?
A bizarre sight – a vintage bus full of passengers, presumably on a tour of empty London.
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Euston Road
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King’s Cross Station frontage
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Full set of photos:
Thanks for getting up so early and showing us an empty London. Merry Xmas from Baldwin
Do you have a PayPal account or Tip Jar where a fan might make a donation toward a new camera?
the human species is such an insignificant blip on this world.
a few hundred years after the demise, the things built in haste will decay to lumps of mediocrity.
Absolutely spooky!
As another poster points out, this could be sometime in teh future after we have all been wiped out – although acording to Patrick Moore’s book I have just been reading, this is unlikely to happen for a few million years yet so time to get the new camera.
Be warned, I got one about a year ago and still trying to learn how to use it.
Keep up the great work. Your site is a “must visit” every day.
Merry Christmas and thanks for all of your interesting posts during 2013 – look forward to many more in 2014.
Thank you for these amazing photos.
Thanks for this lovely useful website.
Happy New Year and all the best for 2014.
Simon
shame the Sun rises so late in December. great pics. did you travel around on a bicycle?
p.s.
the Routemaster bus was a special Christmas Day morning tour i believe.
about £120 per person!
Wonderful photos! I never dreamed London could be that empty, on any day of the year. It is a bit creepy, though – reminds me of 28 Days Later.
Hope you have much success with your websites in 2014 and can buy that new camera.