‘A day in the life of London’ was based on a selection of photographs of the capital taken over 24 hours by 100 photographers commissioned for a book of the same name by Red Saunders and Syd Shelton, with London legend DJ Gary Crowley among the throng on the cover (Observer Magazine, 9 September 1984).
Saunders and Shelton ‘wheedled for permission to enter prisons, zoos, hospitals, TV studios, Turkish baths, monasteries…’ but the oddest assignment was the one given to Barbara Bellingham, whose sole task was to take pictures of women’s legs. She reported ‘complete cooperation and a great deal of mirth’ and became so involved she forgot about her parked car. But the police didn’t, and towed it away.
