London, May 28, 2021: After a long wait, London recently emerged from a bruising Covid-19 lockdown. For Londoners, the lifting of restrictions has come as a welcome relief, never mind fresh fears of new variants of the coronavirus.
The UK capital has suffered the most due to the combined impact of Covid curbs and Brexit. London, which accounts for 25% of Britain’s output, suffered a 30% fall in salaries and wages over the past year.
Historically, London and Londoners have shown they can stand back on their feet despite immense crisis and adversity. Will the British capital regain its lost buzz this time as well?
Indranil Chakrabortywas on the prowl across the streets of London over the past one week, taking photographs that give us a feel of how London is waking up to its newfound freedom.
The Tower Millennium Pier is a vital transport hub on the Thames river. Ferry services run from this pier for daily commuters as well as for tourists. Tourism will take some time to pick up, but the usual daily commuting is already underway as seen here. Uber boats, too, are popular among the locals and they ply from this pier.
Ferry services have made a slow but certain return to activity on the Thames river, with the iconic Tower Bridge seen in the background. With unlockdown underway, people can be seen hanging out on the walkways along the riverbank in small groups.
Life is very much back on the streets in many parts of London, as we see here in the Tower of London area.
The buzz is somewhat back at London’s popular hangouts, as we see here in front of the well-known Liberty Bounds pub near the Trinity Square bus stop.
Outdoor dining pods, such as this one at the Coppa Club in Trinity Square, were inconceivable during the pre-pandemic era. They are now part and parcel of our new lifestyle as we try to reinvent ways to socialise while staying cautious about the coronavirus. The Coppa Club is a halt for many who visit the nearby Tower of London.
Commuters use a pier on the Thames river, near the Tower Bridge, as they seek to catch ferries and Uber boats.
People hanging out in the London Bridge area on a late afternoon. The place is next to central London offices, while the Buckingham Palace is nearby. With the lockdown lifted, casual touristy groups can now be seen in this locality, taking pictures of the Tower Bridge.
This area near London Bridge, which was completely deserted during the lockdown, is now seen teeming with small groups of people showing up early evening onwards to grab a bite at restaurants that have reopened.
People taking photos of the Tower of London, near Tower Bridge – a sign that the good old days are back.
Ferry services along the Thames river are back in business as the number of commuters hitting the streets has quickly risen following the lifting of curbs.
Life is back on the Thames river as well as along the riverbanks, with numerous banks, hotels and restaurants reopening.
People hang out near eating joints, some in masks, some without. A dining pod, as seen on the left, has become a new feature in London as restaurants look for ways to rework their spaces in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic that is still far from over.
Across the street near Trinity Square bus stop, people are seen queueing up outside the entrance to a popular traditional pub known as Liberty Bounds.
The Shard, a towering skyscraper, is seen in the backdrop of a dining pod at Coppa Club in Trinity Square.
A vehicle passes by and a handful of people are seen hanging in this neighbourhood near Irongate at Aldgate. Youngsters are nowadays back at the hangout late afternoon onwards with their skating boards.
The slow ride back to normalcy, as seen in the Irongate area at Aldgate.
People cross the road in the evening in the Aldgate area, heading out of offices and dashing back home.
A panoramic view showing The Shard skyscraper and business as usual at outdoor restaurants.
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