Before Lockdown, I developed the habit, when money allowed, of taking myself on little dates to London, just to see what I could do for as little money as possible. Mostly it involved going to art galleries. I LOVE art galleries! And, when Lockdown was at its strictest, and everywhere was closed, the thing I missed the most was art galleries.
So when The National Gallery announced that it was reopening, I excitedly booked myself a slot to go and visit. Although the gallery is free (with the exception of occasional visiting exhibitions, this time Titian) social distancing measures mean that you have to book a slot, to avoid overcrowding.
I had heard from a few friends that going into London now wasn’t too bad. Trains, I was told, were quiet, and most people were pretty good at keeping themselves to themselves. The National Gallery had implemented an excellent one way system, had hand sanitiser, limited capacity and all staff in PPE. They also heavily encouraged visitors to wear face masks at all times (of course, not everyone did). So I didn’t feel too apprehensive when making my journey into London.
I decided to avoid the Underground and spend as little time as possible in any other building other than the gallery. I wore my face mask at all times, had a spare, just in case, and washed my hands at every opportunity, so I knew I was keeping myself as safe as possible. Any other places I did go to were just to buy necessities, and I made sure they didn’t look too crowded before I went in. Generally speaking, all the stores had excellent distancing procedures in place.
What first struck me as something of a pleasant surprise was how quiet the trains were, and just how many people were actually wearing masks. I think I only saw 1 person not wearing one on all my journeys that day. It was, of course, super easy to stay distant, as the train was so quiet. I travelled off peak and there were only about 4 other people on the platform with me. This theme continued in Blackfriars station…everyone keeping their distance, everyone wearing a mask. They even have a vending machine at Blackfriars, selling hand sanitiser and masks. I don’t know if they do that at any other stations, but if you go into London via Blackfriars, there really is no excuse for you.
It was about a 20 minute walk to Trafalgar Square and I would go so far as to say that it was eerily quiet. I picked up a coffee at a nearly empty Cafe Nero, and took it to Nelson’s Column to read my book and wait for 12:15, when I would need to start queuing for the Gallery. I sat on a bench and noticed that, despite there being a few more people round here than other parts, it was still strangely quiet. Everyone seemed more relaxed somehow, like everyone was enjoying this rare peace and quiet. They kept themselves to themselves, sitting alone or in twos, quietly chatting, reading, and enjoying the sun. There were a few barriers and signs up, stopping people from climbing onto the Lions, thus avoiding loitering and overcrowding, and a couple of security guards even strolled around, making sure everyone was being sensible. It felt very safe. Very controlled. Very relaxed. Even the public toilets were super clean. The cleanest public toilets I’ve ever been in. The cleaners and workers were obviously taking it all very seriously, which was great to see.
When the time came to queue for the gallery, 2m markers were placed outside the building. It was a long queue, but moved very quickly. Hand sanitiser was mandatory at the entrance, with foot controlled pumps at each door.
Inside the gallery are three different routes, taking you around on a one way system. Each route has signs dotted along it to make sure you’re sticking to the right path, and each one tells you which artists you will see on the way, making your choice of which one to follow much easier. You can actually follow all three, but doing so involves a walk back from the exit to the beginning before starting route C. I followed routes A and B and managed to see all of my favourite pieces in the gallery, as well as some amazing new acquisitions that had not been there last time I visited.
It’s super exciting to see such incredible art in ‘the flesh’. It always gives me such a rush to be able to get so close to Monets and Van Goghs and Matisses. Like meeting a favourite celebrity. I actually get quite emotional sometimes.
My visit to the gallery took me around 3 hours. I think I stayed longer than I have done in the past, because the social distancing made it much easier to get up close and personal with the paintings, so I took advantage and spent my time really exploring the brush strokes and colours, trying to work out what techniques had been used and how colours had been mixed, really allowing myself to get more immersed in the artwork than I think I have before. I was glad to be wearing a mask because I think I was making strange faces and was definitely muttering to myself with excitement. I took a lot of super close up photos on my phone, so I can look at the techniques whilst I’m painting, and see if I can replicate them in my own work. I always love going to art galleries, and always get a huge amount from each visit, but I think that, somehow, with the new social distancing requirements, I managed to get even more out of my visit this time than ever before.
I can’t speak for all shops and all visitor attractions, obviously. Or every single train line and service. But if I were to base my recommendations entirely on my experience of London that day I would say: if you want to go to London, or need to go to London and are apprehensive or worried, I would encourage you to go. Take every precaution you can. Wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid busier places and the Tube if you can, and only stay for as long as you need, but don’t be afraid to go and have a good time. I’m so happy I decided to go and wouldn’t hesitate to go again. And I would 1000% recommend the National Gallery…if there are still available slots open.
Stay Safe and Have Fun
Jess
Xx