National Covid Memorial Wall

Along the Albert Embankment wall of St Thomas’ Hospital, directly over the Thames to the Houses of Parliament is an incredible piece of public guerrilla art.

Hand painted on the wall are thousands upon thousands of red and pink hearts, each one representing a victim of the Covid pandemic. Some have the names of individuals written in, there are other hearts drawn by family members, messages have been appended.

The impact is staggering – I’ve walked past it on a few occasions, but today videoed as I walked. There’s over 7 minutes of this, 400 metres or more of individuals lost in the last 18 months to covid and the inadequate response to the virus.

The mural is unauthorised and was organised by Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, with the help of the campaign group Led By Donkeys.

There is also a full image of the wall here, which one can scroll along and listen to thoughts and recollections of people involved in the painting of the mural.