It has been remarkably quiet over the last few days. I was surprised to find that I can hear the bells of the Big Ben ringing four times an hour: I’ve heard them before from our house but not very often. Then S said something which explained it: have you noticed there are no airplanes in the sky?

They must have diverted the flight path for commercial flights after Thursday’s bombings, so it wouldn’t go near to central London. In normal times every 7 seconds there’s an airplane passing over our house, on the way to Heathrow. It is a terrible noise, but one that you get used to, and eventually can’t hear anymore, until someone draws your attention, or when it’s missing.

Helicopters still go over the house – probably police ones – but it’s not like this constant grinding ugly noise of big airplanes.