citylikeyou — God's Own Junkyard — London by Nathan Hackett

London / Gallery / Cafe / Art

At the end of the Victoria line at the Walthomstow station, and then a 15 minute walk through some suburban streets with some lefts and at other times rights is an industrial estate. Through the gate and buried at the very end of the units where you are convinced you are lost and doubting it’s existence at all is God’s Own Junkyard. It’s a worthy pilgrimage and actually sort of where you expect God would put a junkyard. The warehouse is a monument to neon and the life works of the late Mr Neon, Chris Bracey. It’s littered to the rooftop with cables, plug sockets and choice words with neon epigrams, the whole collection is stacked, I suppose how a junkyard of the sort would be. Full of sex, religion, americana, sci-fi and nostalgia that all blend together surprisingly well, It’s a visual feast that you can take in with a coffee and an open mouth. It is a gem of a place. It is really great.

Website
godsownjunkyard.co.uk

Address
God's Own Junkyard, Shernhall Street, London, United Kingdom

Illustrator

Current city: London

Other cities: Birmingham

nathanhackett.co.uk

Illustrator and doodler unsettled in London via elsewhere

More Places in London 471

London / Pub

One of my top three Wetherspoons.

London / Bar

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.

London / Street Art

In 1936 Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists attempted to march through East London in what was an attempt at an intimidating show of strength. Like today, this area was home to a large number of ethnic and religious minorities, particularly Jews. 300,000 people came out to oppose the march and blocked the route. The battle that followed was actually between the protesters and the police who tried to clear the route so that the march could take place. Seeing that they faced a losing battle and possibly a riot Mosley called off the march. The artist Dave Binnington began this mural in 1976 to commemorate that day, and it was eventually finished in 1982. The mural and the battle of Cable Street are both perfect examples of Britain at its very best.

London / Museum

This beautiful 19thC industrial building is situated in Markfield Park just around the corner from my studio. Once a sewage treatment works serving the whole of Tottenham and now a museum. The fully restored Victorian pump engine is only open to the public on the second Sunday of every month but the outside of the building and surrounding park is a worth a visit regardless.

London / Restaurant

A charming family-run restaurant offering a great selection of freshly made hand-rolled pasta. Delicious:p