Each day in August, Jim Grover photographed visitors to a bench on Clapham Common in south London and learned how Covid had affected their lives
- Covid Tales From Tom’s Bench is on display at the Omnibus Theatre on Clapham Common
Jim Grover: At the side of Mount Pond on Clapham Common there is a 24-hour, 365-days-a-year snack wagon called Honest Tom’s. It has been there for 30 years and was owned and operated by Tom, who passed away last year. In his memory, a bench has been erected nearby, with an inscription plaque and a flower vase which Nadine, who has worked in Honest Tom’s for 27 years, fills with fresh flowers each week.
Everyone who sat on Tom’s bench has been through what we’ve all encountered over the past few months. The impact on individual lives has been so varied, from surprisingly rewarding to absolutely harrowing