Charles Dickens was, I understand, famously unable to sleep. As a result, he would sometimes walk the streets of London at night, later recording his experiences of the city at these unusual hours.
When people visit London and are busy exploring, I usually tell them to try to make sure that they see London from the river, and that they see it by night – both giving a very different perspective on the city. Today’s picture was one I took in the “blue hour”, that wonderful time between sunset and night proper, when the sky is a wonderful deep hue, and the world can seem a strangely magical place. The evening breeze lifts and stirs the litter at your feet, the pavements seem a little quieter, and the street lamps flare in the falling light.