We stopped. We stared.

I was working onsite a client’s office in London all day yesterday, based on a very high floor of a very high building. Usually, the space I’m given affords me excellent views of the London skyline, but yesterday the weather was so appalling, the sheets of rain blocked out most of the horizon.

Until about 5pm. The rain suddenly cleared, the clouds parted and the sun peaked through, creating the most intense rainbow I’ve ever seen.

The noisy and hyperactive open-plan office around me stopped as one and people dashed to the windows to have a closer look. I looked up to see virtually the entire staff pressed against the panes of glass, silent except for the occasional ‘ooh’ or ‘ahh’.

Only after a moment or two did they start taking photos and at this point, I joined in. Photos are rarely as impactful as the original scene, and the one I share below is testament to that. It’s in no way edited, except to crop out some unhelpful reflections.

When I got home, I noticed the plethora of photos of this same rainbow all over social media. A great example of a shared experience in London that captured lots of people’s imagination at the same time.

A lovely, if short, pause in an otherwise hectic day.

(Cover photo by reza shayestehpour on Unsplash)