Camden Docks - London, UK.

Time seems to stop on the Camden docks in the late afternoon. As I am walking, I raise my head to admire the colours of the sky reflecting on the canal that crosses the neighbourhood. The lights aligned on the barge in front of me just emphasize the separation of the sky and the water and give the signal that night is about to fall. Little visited by tourists, this specific area looks like a peaceful and silent place hidden a few meters away from the craziness of the crowd. A mix of tourists and Londoners that do not know you are there rather because they do not know this place exists or because they do not notice, hurrying to go home after a long day at work. Camden Locks has become one of the trendiest areas for a great day out. Famous for its markets you literally do not see time fly so much there are. Camden is the place to find food from all over the world and unusual shops and places where you can find gifts, works of art and antiques. But it's also a beautiful place to spend the day alongside the canal.

As I think about it, laughs catch my attention. I see a group of young people – Spanish if I hear correctly – crossing the canal on the bridge on my right in order to reach Camden High street, probably enjoying a school trip in London. Maybe are they going to their next visit? Or just have a curfew as they looked fifteen years old and are late as it their first trip abroad? Too much imagination and a bunch of questions I can only imagine the answers too. I could spend hours in this place taking pictures and watching and imagining the life of Camden. Through the windows on the left we can see the offices of several companies. I notice the employee who is going to stay late at work considering the cup of coffee is holding in his hand, and the three other ones – empty maybe – standing on his desk. I also see one floor above the employee giving a last check-up to something on her computer before turning off the last lights still on. That is captivating to think about all these different lives gathering there each day, contributing in creating London’s dynamic. Sitting there allows to have a different angle on London, and this is what is amazing about this city you never know what you are going to find at the end of a street, under a bridge or behind the door of a shop. A voice takes me out of my thoughts to ask if I have a lighter. As I turn my head right, I see a security man standing there. A very all and nice man who stops in front of every person to check if they are okay, makes some jokes and goes to the next person. Indeed, if Camden became a trendy place by day, by night there are still a lot of people sleeping in the street and these people are here to keep an eye on everyone. I think about Richard that I met some months before at the exact same place, it is freezing outside and I wonder what he could be doing now, I have not seen him here for a long time. Night is full now; I decide to go back home. I take the path under the bridge and turn right to reach – above - the waves of people in Camden High Street.

Photography: Lison FERNANDES