Pavement Tales
The pavement outside the Golden Heart Pub. Commercial Street, London 1999
The pavement at the junction of Hanbury street and Brick Lane. London 2012
Checking it out
You could never be short of second hand fabrics or clothes in the East End. Street markets and car boot sales abound and have been a feature of the area for decades. Regretably the gentrification in and around the Brick Lane area is eroding market life. These two photographs represent the continuity of unofficial markets during the past 30 years.
Two men examine some red fabric. Cheshire Street 2012
A woman examines some netting. Vallance Rd car boot sale, London 1983
Altab Ali
Artist Alice Sielle appears for a third time in one of our films this July. Here she is examining some work produced for our film ‘From Cable Street to Brick Lane’. Using the only known photograph of Altab Ali she produced a number of pieces of work. Altab Ali was 24 when he was murdered in an unprovoked knife attack. He was walking home from work when the attack occurred in Alder street. Following the attack the local community organised a number of demonstrations and an ‘Action Committee against Racist attacks’ was established. Thousands attended a rally in Hyde Park and marchers went on to Downing Street and handed in a petition. Alice used the Brick Lane Mosque as a backdrop for her work and referenced the different faith groups that have occupied the space that is now a Mosque.
Alice with her work for the film 'From Cable Street to Brick Lane'. London 2011
Alice with her work for the film 'From Cable Street to Brick Lane'. London 2011
Alice with her work for the film 'From Cable Street to Brick Lane'. London 2011
Alice with her work for the film 'From Cable Street to Brick Lane'. London 2011
‘From Cable Street to Brick Lane’ will be premiered as part of the east End Film Festival in July.
Through the window, London & Paris
Hanbury Street through the window of Rossi's Cafe. London 1998
The landscape of the East End is changing continuously. It is no longer possible to stare out of Rossi’s window as it has been turned into a trendy fish & chip.
Restaurant window. Paris 2010
The Erasure of Wheler Street
Until recently Wheler Street was where you could catch the train from Shoreditch Station. At least the street where the new station now is was always called Wheler Street.
Tower Hamlets Council Road Sign. 'Braithwaite Street', London 2012
Imagine my confusion when I discovered last week that Wheler Street no longer exists! Part of the Council’s ill founded efforts to ‘upgrade’ the area was to change the street name to ‘Braithwaite Street’. Someone or some PR person thought that the name change was appropriate in order to give the area a ‘prestige’ worthy of the Shoreditch tag. Dreadful. I thought I was seeing things when I saw the twisted cheap new sign that has replaced the cast iron Wheler Street sign which had survived decades.
Tower Hamlets Council Road Sign. "Braithwaite Street', London 2012
Its as if the name has been changed as a message to local people letting them know that the space is no longer for them. Wheler Street had its own special vibe deriving from the industrial Victorian architecture that enveloped the area and loyal residents who used it; old ladies would push their shopping trollies through the street between different markets. They have now been driven away and replaced by ‘Shoreditch types’, fashion conscious and aloof.
Outside Shoreditch station. London 2012
They emerge from the station oblivious to anything that is not prescribed by their iphones. I recall with fondness the Wheler Street of old: it was so much better than the polished corporate hub that has replaced it.
Woman in Wheler Street before gentrification. London 1989
Demolition. Wheler Street 2010
Conversation near Wheler Street. London 1985
Wheler Street. London 1989
