LEN

Len is 87. He told me that he lived in Camden on the fourth-floor of a tower block for most of his life, but the Council moved him to Bloomsbury a few years ago. He prefers this flat as it is on the ground floor, faces the park and has lots of shops behind it. I said that it must be handy to have so many shops nearby.

Len replied that he never goes to them. He told me that he gets the bus back to Camden Market for shopping and tobacco because 'It's what I've always done.' (Len smokes half an ounce of Golden Virginia every day). I asked him how lockdown has affected him, and he said he misses the pub. Not one of the many pubs on his doorstep - Len's 'local' is a 25-minute walk away. I said that that's a long way to go for a drink, and he replied, 'It's what I've always done.' He added that he doesn't go to the pub for the booze; he goes for the company. I said it must be tough living alone during this pandemic. He told me that his girlfriend, who lives a few miles away, regularly comes to visit. She's 'just 62', he said with a smile, 'we've been together for the last 25 years.'  I asked why he didn't get married, and he replied, 'I've done that twice before, and I'm not doing it again - I've already got two families.'

Our conversation ended when Len said that he had to go and make his dinner (It was only 11 am), so I quickly took a few shots. He said that he never knows what to eat until opening the freezer; he just 'has a look and cooks something quick.' His parents owned cafes, and they'd always 'cook things quick,' and he told me that he does the same because 'It's what I've always done.'