I should start by saying that this isn’t really about Margaret Thatcher’s death. I think that’s sad for her family and friends and my thoughts go out to them. Equally, while she was a divisive character who did many things that had to be done, she also did many things that didn’t have to be done, trod all over many people in doing each and for every positive thing (e.g. free market reforms, contribution to ending the cold war or signing the Anglo Irish agreement) there is a negative thing (tacit support for the apartheid regime in South Africa, destruction of certain industries because of their politics and labour relations rather than their economics).

 

What this is really about is how the world changes and it it affects you, slowly, imperceptibly, but fundamentally. To me today seemed like a day like any other, I heard the news, thought it would be sad for her family and there would be endless debate about her “legacy” and that there would be chaos in the city on the day of her funeral (selfish I know).

Then, on my way to the station, I saw this Evening Standard billboard and it was like in that moment a part of my childhood died. Of course I had forgotten in the last 20 odd years what an important part of my life as a child in the 80s the politics of the time became. In thinking about it and the frankly eerie feeling I had after looking at the billboard I got half way down the stairs and realised I had to turn around and capture that sign with my camera.

Taken with my X100S