Around the Way

"Yeah I'd love to come - sounds like a vibe, where is it?"

"Oh er, somewhere East? Let me check... somewhere near Leyton"

"What? Where the hell is that even? Is that even in London?"

"It's on the Central Line, Zone 3 I think -"

"I'm not coming"

"But it's just -"

"I'm. Not. Coming."

Utterly spoilt, I know. I'm ridiculous when it comes to making long journeys, as living in Zone 1 has made me so accustomed to 20 minute bus rides and tube journeys with less than 10 stops. Oh you're getting married? Where? Outside Zone 2? Basically Shropshire. I'll send you a card. 

I'm in love with my area, how close I am to everything, yet far enough not to be in the thick of it all the time (although some would disagree, I guess a 20 minute walk from London Bridge is not exactly the sticks). But South London gets a bad rep; who cares if it's a bit rough sometimes? I like the grey 60s architecture, I like how the locals splash it with colour, I like the Shopping Centre and it's perpetual time warp (like stepping into a dystopian dark drama each time I visit), I like the bus pile ups, the hipster students shopping for veg next to elderly grandmothers pushing their trollies (they've seen it all, rolling their eyes to the new fashions), I even like the grubby pavements pockmarked with blackened chewing gum.

But all that's changing. They're 'regenerating' the area: ah yes, the sweet buzzword bandied about by those who won't admit what it really is. Gentrification. Now don't get me wrong, I'm no anarchist, neither am I a staunch idealist blindly refusing to admit that okay, the piss puddles in corners are fucking gross and need to go. But with all this change, I'm facing renting out my lady parts just to be able to consider the possibility that I may have my own place one day. If only there was away to welcome change without booting out all the people that make this community bubble with vibrancy. As all these homogenous glass structures shoot up with the fervency of unwelcome facial hairs, I wonder how long it'll be until the people become homogenous too.

I got upset about all this one weekend, so I decided to leave my house and take some photos of my manor. Nothing fancy - and I didn't see this as a photography project as such. More documenting. I love to take photos just to look back and remember, so why not do that for where I live? As I wandered round taking it all in, I fell in love with my hometown more and more with each click, savouring every image for myself.

Jacquie