Left as tokens of love, remembrance and hope, "lovelocks" are an increasingly common sight across the capital.
We've all seen them. You might have even added to their number. Personalised padlocks, or lovelocks, are to be found in various places across London.
I first became aware of the trend more than a decade ago, when locks started gathering on the fence opposite Shoreditch station. Who started the fad, and why, is not clear. This was one of those spontaneous, collective shrines that spring up from time to time, like the dangling shoe bundles elsewhere in Shoreditch, or the "skateboard graveyard" on the Golden Jubilee Bridges.
It's not, of course, a purely London phenomenon. The tradition is often said to have started on the Pont des Arts in Paris in the early Noughties, but it's very likely that smaller-scale lovelock clusters have been a 'thing' for much longer. You can find examples elsewhere in Britain, too, such as this heavily adorned bridge in Bakewell, Derbyshire.
People leave padlocks for many reasons. The majority, judging from the inscriptions, are left by visiting couples to mark their courtship, engagement or marriage — much as previous generations scratched names or initials into trees. Some are left in memory of a departed loved one. Still others are clipped on by kids, eager to participate in a playful bit of naughtiness. Usually, the padlock is off-the-shelf and decorated with permanent marker. But some are professionally engraved.
Most lovelocks are left with a light heart, but the simple gesture can also take on more profound significance. The JW3 Jewish cultural centre on Finchley Road recently established a Lovelock Hostage Bridge, in solidarity with the men, women and children held hostage in Gaza. Hundreds of people have added padlocks to the bridge, including well known names such as Rachel Riley, Alistair Campbell, Dame Maureen Lipman and Sir Simon Schama.
Bridges seem to be popular locations for lovelocks more generally. We've spotted examples on Tower Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Millennium Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Bridges. You can also find a long run of padlocks on the river wall east of Millennium Bridge. Every lock needs a quay.
But, really, lovelocks can pop up anywhere. While halfway through putting this article together, I chanced across this fence outside the Piccadilly Theatre on Denman Street. Here, padlocks have been left in celebration of Pride.
I've heard people dismiss lovelocks as tacky, scruffy, difficult to remove and "just another form of litter". But that misses the point. Every padlock is a token of love or remembrance or hope. They are emotions given tangible form. They are semi-permanent memories written onto interlocking steel. They enrich the streetscape by adding a touch of humanity amid corporate overdevelopment. Long live the lovelocks.
