The Strand, London 1971

This 1971 photograph looks east along the Strand, with a red route 9 London bus heading for Hammersmith and a dense stream of taxis, vans and private cars filling the carriageway. The view is rich in period commercial detail: on the left are Wimpy and Mooney’s Irish Bar, the latter part of a West End pub chain, while on the right the vertical Savoy Theatre sign stands out above the pavement. Other easily spotted details include the Blue Star for Cars advert on the rear of the bus, a glass van working through the traffic, and the busy pavements of one of central London’s most crowded thoroughfares. In the distance, St Mary le Strand rises above the traffic, anchoring the scene in a part of London where theatres, bars, restaurants and constant movement all met. More than just a street view, the image captures the Strand in 1971 at full everyday intensity, with its mix of buses, black cabs, signage and West End bustle.