Comments on: The Loneliness Of Old London

By: Catherine Morris

Catherine Morris — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 22:17:59 +0000

I moved to London in October 1979 from Toronto and really got to know London by walking for hours and hours on my own. Coming from a close family, I often felt a bit lonely but delighted in getting to know idiosyncratic streets and buildings. I look back on these days and remember the damp and cobbled together dinners when I came home at night. I was lucky enough to make friends and put down roots. Those early lonely days stay with me though and I always try to make it up to people who I think might be in a similar situation

By: Miriam Delorie

Miriam Delorie — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 16:39:02 +0000

The most fantastic pictures – they speak for themselves – I just love your posts – thank you and please don’t stop! all the best good luck and keep well.

By: Rhonda Alperin

Rhonda Alperin — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 20:02:59 +0000

Yes, some of these no doubt portray loneliness, but many I found to perhaps simply reflect a moment of tranquility before or during a hectic day. Maybe taking a morning walk extra early to enjoy a more quiet time in the big city, hear the birds, stop to smell the flowers, admire the trees or a sculpture, whatever. Wonderful photos no matter what one’s perspective…

By: Catherine

Catherine — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 18:18:32 +0000

Beautiful and poignant. I think of Dickens, walking London alone at night for miles and miles. Or Arthur Machen, newly arrived in London from Wales, living in poverty, half-starving, walking, walking.

By: Debra Matheney

Debra Matheney — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:33:40 +0000

Very evocative photos. I recall many happy wandering the streets of London alone in my student days. I am 66 now, my husband 74. Sheltering at home together is not as anxiety producing as it would be were I alone. I agree, Phil, this blog is important to our mental health and having a sense of community with fellow travelers in this way will only grow in importance. Take care, everyone.

By: Phil Maxwell

Phil Maxwell — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 15:14:05 +0000

Thanks for curating these images. They have a special resonance today. Over the coming months the importance of this blog will magnify.

By: Saba

Saba — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 14:23:40 +0000

A song from James Taylor that played in the streets of Washington, D.C., on beaches, and everywhere —
I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain
I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
The song, particularly the first line, means even more to me now.

Your blog, GA, gathers your own tribe around you because your writing shows a soulfulness that never becomes artificial. And, you bring your GRs a sense of normalcy among kindred spirits.

By: paul loften

paul loften — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 12:50:54 +0000

The pictures say it all but the post is full of thought and makes you remember. Anyone who has gone through times when they have been without a friend not only in London but anywhere will be deeply touched by this. I have so I am.

By: Helen Breen

Helen Breen — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 12:21:50 +0000

Greetings from London,

GA, what a unique way of viewing London, from the perspective of lone figures against such a variety of backdrops. I never tire of views of the city. In recent years my trips there have been solo, an experience shared with many fellow travelers.

I also learned a new word –“tiltyard” – “an enclosed courtyard for jousting… a common feature of castles and palaces.”

Kudos to the Bishopgate Institute for preserving these images.

Given the current circumstances, I regret that I have cancelled my annual trip to London this June. But I look forward to your daily posts and remain with you in spirit.

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 11:16:39 +0000

“The man who goes alone can start today…….” — Thoreau.
There is more to that quote, but as an Only Child, I’ve always enjoyed the abbreviated version.
I salute the message above from Di Corry who perfectly expressed what I feel today. Thank you GA for your daily offering of optimism and insight.

Onward and upward.