With Londoners heading out to enjoy the sun, it’s hard to imagine that just two years ago streets and parks stood empty as the first coronavirus lockdown hit the city.
Pubs, restaurants, hotels and non-essential shops downed shutters as the virus spread, with people told not to travel in or out of the capital unless absolutely necessary when the lockdown came into force on March 23 2020.
Since then, it’s been a rough ride for many, with lives, businesses and jobs lost over the pandemic.
While cases are rising again, all legal restrictions came to an end earlier this month and the life finally seems to be going back to normal.
More and more Londoners are heading back to the office, with Oxford Street and Covent Garden once again full of shoppers and tourists.
As London recovers and rebuilds, it’s fascinating to look back over these eerie images which show normally busy areas such as St Paul’s, the Mall and Heathrow Airport abandoned and deserted.
13. Deserted Piccadilly Circus
The slogan of “stay home, protect the NHS, save lives” is projected across an empty Piccadilly Circus during the first lockdown. | LW
14. The V&A closed and quiet
South Kensington usually popular with tourists and Londoners alike is empty during the first lockdown. | LW
15. Not a soul in sight
Westminster Bridge and the South Bank are devoid of people during the first lockdown. | LW