In a bold lockdown development, I've taken up photography with a proper camera again. Made my first foray into the office yesterday - this is what a deserted capital and parliament look like.

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The press gallery was deserted on my day in this week, except for @GeorgeWParker who popped by for some socially distanced reporting. Most of the 200-odd journalists are working from home, some are trickling in again when the virtual parliament is sitting

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Hampstead Heath busier than on any day since the lockdown began. Couples and families were still social distancing, but those inept government briefings on picnics have been taken to heart. Heath police all but given up. Stunning London afternoon

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Kings Cross deserted in lockdown. A handful of trains are still running for key workers, but very few passengers milling around. All of the amenities are closed. And sadly like much of London, too many homeless sleepers.

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Kentish Town is gritty in the loveliest of times. In lockdown, nearly everything is closed, many shops are boarded up and the high street is pretty empty. Rio’s naturalist spa naturally deserted. Only the fruit and veg fella is happily trading.

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Pubs, wine bars and bottle shops are shuttered across north London. Our national pastime has moved indoors, at least until the summer. At my least my favourite little bakery is has reopened (when you can remember the limited hours)

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Covid commuting into Westminster today. The Tube was almost empty mid-morning, barely saw a dozen passengers. Face masks on everyone, stations deserted and social distancing rigorously observed.

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Spotted in the parliamentary press gallery for some socially distanced reporting this week: @MrHarryCole @LOS_Fisher @HenryDeedes @HugoGye. Most political journalists are still working remotely, but some are trickling back in for PMQs.

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The dozen or so rooms in the parliamentary press gallery are nigh abandoned, with old newspapers scattered around and plenty of dirty coffee mugs. The little canteen has been adapted for social distancing, ready for more hacks returning.

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North London was alive again this weekend. Plenty of DIY and garden tidying being done. Hampstead Heath was full of happy folks exercising, socialising, long afternoon drinking and enjoying the beautiful spring sunshine.

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The slight lockdown easing means @Pret is back. Take out only of course. Only six people are allowed in at one time, the shops are deserted and the stocks are low. But London lunchers can rejoice that mango pots and Flat Whites are back.

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No need for social distancing on the streets of SW1 as there’s no one about. Only workmen, cameramen and the odd runner can be spotted on the streets around Westminster. Barely any shops, cafes or offices are open.

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More trains are running, but the Tube is still almost deserted. Barely saw a dozen people on my journey into work yesterday. Wearing a mask and gloves this summer will be a joy when it’s warmer and busier.

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Fellow political journalists at work this week: @katyballs @tnewtondunn @JohnRentoul @nicholaswatt. More folks are gradually coming back to work in Westminster, although the parliamentary press gallery is still mostly deserted.

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Whitehall deserted. Most of the UK’s civil servants are working from home, so some of London’s most beautiful buildings will remain empty for some time. The Treasury, Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence had only one or two folks milling around.

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Victoria Park in East London looking stunning in lockdown springtime. Cycling, picnics, socialising and exercising dominated, even if it bizarrely shuts at 5pm every day. The park was busy when I visited, expect it to be rammed this weekend.

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Picnicking in park with my good mate @RhiannonJudithW. Thanks to the glorious spring weather, socialising one-to-one again is a joy. Londoners are flocking back to their green spaces, which are about to get even busier as summer arrives.

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London is walking again. As the lockdown easing begins, the capital’s residents are primarily moving around with the safest, cheapest and easiest mode of transport. Surprisingly few masks, especially among younger people.

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Back to the BBC last night for the first time in months to chat with @BBCcarolynquinn on Westminster Hour. Broadcasting House especially deserted, all guests have to be temperature checked and social distancing is being rigorously observed.

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London’s #BlackLivesMattter protest arrived in Westminster this afternoon. Thousands of young Brits came out to express their anger about George Floyd. All peaceful with the police calmly watching on.

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More from yesterday’s #BlackLivesMatter protest in Westminster. Parliament Square was peaceful for most of the afternoon with the police calmly watching on. Social distancing, however, was almost impossible.

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London Underground marginally busier this week as shops and the economy reopens. Masks are now compulsory for travel, but not all passengers opted to wear. Still eerily empty and quick to travel.

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More lovely colleagues back at work in the parliamentary press gallery this week: @GuardianHeather @christopherhope @JasonGroves1 @sam_lister_

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After a summer break, I’m back photographing London in our weird new normal. The most notable change is that the Tube is busy again and everyone is wearing masks. Still no pre-Covid commuter crush though (and won’t be for some time).

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Comrade @PickardJE hard at work in the parliamentary press gallery. Possibly the most stylish member of the FT’s crack political team.

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Reporting trip to Chingford yesterday, where London meets Essex, to see how marginals voters after feeling after an especially turbulent political summer.

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Extinction Rebellion came to Westminster this week to protest against climate change and capitalism. A couple of thousand folks turned out, but not a huge amount of social distancing. Some pretty creative, if bizarre, stunts.

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Lunch and pints with @Ed_BigMac is always a joy, particularly when we haven’t seen each other in far too long. Almost worth trekking to West London.

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It’s a sad day in Westminster as legend @jnjokugoodwin leaves politics for a glittering career in the music biz. Few political advisors are as respected and liked as this fella. He’s also become a great friend, despite thrashing me at chess every time.

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Back in the FT newsroom for the first time since March. Still almost deserted - much like the square mile - but a joy to catch up with @Jderbyshire, captain of the world news desk.

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When you enjoy a FT Big Read, it has come through the desk of the great @DyerGeoff. His small team smoothly churn out tens of thousands of words a week, even when they’re divided between home and the office.

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Columnist @robertshrimsley thoughtfully enjoying a conference call. Robert’s return to the parliamentary press gallery after a sojourn at FT HQ had made Room 7 an even better place to work (despite the severe lack of natural light)

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To Blyth Valley in Northumberland for book research. First time it’s ever had a Tory MP. The town centre is sadly depressed but the surrounding countryside is beautiful, the people kind, and the port is booming.

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Next stop for book research is Consett, Youngstown of England. In the beautiful County Durham countryside, this post-industrial town has mostly recovered from the closure of its steel works. But it still suffers significant job and education challenges.

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Book research has taken me into Sedgefield, an iconic part of New Labour mythology. A mixture of verdant villages and pit cottages, some parts feel naturally Tory, but others very Labour. Not a surprise it backed Brexit and flipped in 2019.

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Next up on my research trip is Wakefield, a prime example of how cultural generation can attempt to step into the void left by departed industry. The Hepworth Gallery and Sculpture Park are wonderful, but the city centre still struggles.

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Next stop for my book research: Grimsby. The port is vast and very much still in operation, but the scores of abandoned offices, cafes and warehouses are a reminder of when it was home to the largest fishing fleet in Europe.

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Final book travels for now (damn coronavirus): Don Valley. The smile around Doncaster is a mixture of market towns, city suburbs and struggling former pit villages. Like many red wall seats, it is rural but with plenty of urban grit and industrial estates

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Last month, it was a joy to spend a morning with Peter Hennessy: peer, historian and groundbreaking Whitehall correspondent. Peter has mostly retired from public life, but we had a wonderful time debating the British constitution over tea and cake.

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As lockdown 2.0 approaches, the economic damage of 2020 is too obvious on Tottenham Court Road in the heart of London’s shopping district. Some outlets have gone for good, others moved online, and others are hoping to return.

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Tale of two commutes: on day one of lockdown 2.0, my usual journey into Westminster was deserted and eerily reminiscent of April. But my return home was surprisingly as busy as last week. Has London shut down as much as expected?

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With life back in lockdown, restaurants are subsisting on takeaways. Gangs of Deliveroo drivers on mopeds are a common sight once again, especially outside my favourite pizza takeaway. Dreaming again of an evening meal in a restaurant.

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Clerkenwell in the lockdown rain. Unlike earlier this year, plenty of London’s shops and cafes have remained open during the second shutdown - with punters huddling outside. All of the area’s best restaurants are sadly still closed for another week.

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