• Londoners express hopes, frustrations as Olympics come to town

    Reuters photographer Stefan Wermuth set out this month to talk to a cross-section of Londoners to gauge their feelings about the Olympic Games coming to their city this summer.

    Wandering the streets of Balham, Westminster, The City, Brixton, Wandsworth, Shoreditch, Battersea, Lambeth and Chelsea with his camera and a basic voice recorder, he met all kinds of different people and encountered a diverse range of opinions.

    Stefan Wermuth / Reuters

    Charley Osborne, a 75 year-old ex-serviceman who has lived in London for fifteen years, stands outside a pub in central London. When asked what he felt about London hosting the Olympics, Osborne said "It's good for London and good for Londoners. I'm not worried about security. We have the best security in the world." 

    Stefan Wermuth / Reuters

    Deborah Blackstock, a 34 year-old mother who has lived all her life in London, poses for a picture in Shoreditch. Asked about the city hosting the Games, Blackstock said "It's a brilliant idea but I'm worried about the traffic." 

    Stefan Wermuth / Reuters

    "It's very nice. Business will be up," said Sadiq Mohammad, a 69 year-old stallholder in Brixton who has lived in the city for eight years. 

    Stefan Wermuth / Reuters

    Karina Zamarska, a 23 year-old actress who has lived in London for five years, was more skeptical. "For London it's obviously not good because so many people will be here" she said. "The tourists will be asking me questions all the time." 

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