The Wetlands, where I lived not long ago.

Before Cambridge I lived in north east London, in Walthamstow. I moved there from Ealing, almost the opposite side of London, geographically and demographically speaking, I would say. I loved it there. It felt almost like living in a small town, within London. Many times one could forget it was actually another London borough.

Wandering around it’s streets, shops, pubs, the William Morris gallery and park, God’s own junkyard it’s neons of all shapes and colours, was what I most did during my stay there.

During the pandemic I rediscovered the Walthamstow Wetlands. These water depots were not open to the public until some years ago, now they are a place that has that eerie feeling of a forbidden place, a similar feeling I had when visiting Orford Ness years ago. But the feeling disappears as soon as you get into the coffee shop for a hot drink. It is also a nature reserve, and different paths are open or closed depending on the season, to not disturb the different kinds of birds that live here. For bird watching fans, this place is paradise.

I remember spending the compulsory hour of exercise during the UK lockdowns riding my bike to the wetlands and marshes nearby. It felt like I wasn’t in London, but somewhere else. Many times I stayed for longer than an hour…

The opening photo was exhibited at the 32 Annual exhibition of London independent photography, the theme was the lockdown, and the exhibition took the form of a magazine (LIP Chronicles) that you can read here. The rest are from different days, bike rides or walks, during that weird time.