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Gravesend author self-publishes photographic journey of London during Covid-19 lockdown

A photographer took to the streets of London to capture the "post-apocalyptic" feel during lockdown.

Wayne Howes, from Valley Drive, Gravesend, has published "London in Lockdown".

Wayne described how London was an almost dystopian setting during the lockdown. Picture: Wayne Howes
Wayne described how London was an almost dystopian setting during the lockdown. Picture: Wayne Howes

The book contains 50 pages of images of the City and West End, showcasing the sights, buildings and attractions without a commuter or tourist to be found.

Mr Howes said: "The scenes were almost post-apocalyptic.

"I spent my days transitioning between jobs in London and I could literally walk through the busiest parts of the city and not meet a single person, or see a car.

"Everything was silent, and I knew I had to capture it as a time capsule of the pandemic.

"What shocked me was how many large, vast spaces exist in the city. The people and traffic usually fill them up but without anyone else around, the city seemed so sprawling and dominating.

An Irish pub informs it's customers of temporary closure. Picture: Wayne Howes
An Irish pub informs it's customers of temporary closure. Picture: Wayne Howes

"That's the feeling I wanted to capture with my photographs.

"It seems a book like this has a natural gravity for the current generation of people who lived through lockdown.

"I hope my book becomes a beacon of history for generations to come."

The book was self-published and funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

In a review posted online Sukhbir Sing said: "This is a fantastic idea to capture how one of the greatest capitals in the world was almost abandoned in one of the worst crises to hit our country since WW2."

"It really does take you into an almost dystopian "I Am Legend" version of London where you are half expecting mutant zombies to pop out from some corner behind a building."

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