I am a filmmaker and photographer from London. In 2009 I exhibited my reportage America project 88 Days at Bloomsbury’s Orange Dot Gallery. Having recently finished a 35mm 15-minute short, I am now writing a feature film.
I am also currently organising my next photographic exhibition, Sweet India, which I made last summer.
London has great green spaces. There are large royal parks and small public gardens, hidden allotments and roof terraces. Each one has its own identity and characteristics and everyone has their favourite. In summer they become extensions of people homes, you see girls sunbathing from 9 am and the endless picnics mean you can eat 3 meals a day in the park. My favourites - St James Piccadilly Gardens, Hyde Park, Barbican Conservatory.
Netil360 is a great roof terrace bar near London Fields in East London. It is situated on top of an ex-Hackney Council Building. We were one of the first design studios to move into the building while it was still being converted into a creative hub. It is great to see that this place is still vibrant. It definitely has one of the best all around views of East London. I took this picture (facing South) in the summer of 2018. It shows the gasworks near The Oval Space in the mid-ground and the Shard as part of the London skyline.
I discovered this hidden gem by pure chance when i explored the area in one of my lunch breaks. Rochelle Canteen is hidden away behind the walls of three former victorian schools on Arnold Circus in London's Shoreditch. The atmosphere, upon entering the ground, is relaxed almost tranquil. The canteen itself is situated in the old bike shed and the kitchens' size almost belies it's output. The food is distinctively modern British; run by Arnold & Henderson, a household name of britisch cuisine. The guests are local creative types so that the atmosphere is more relaxed then anything else. In the summer you can also sit outside.
One of the most special pubs in London, not so much for the place itself but rather for the crowd you will meet there; a mixture of locals, art students, passers by and weirdos. A place to feel at home and share a beer with the staff and/or the landlord (Paul).