Hoe St E17 |
Men
shout at me as I take photos, the cars disrupt my frame, and the fumes choke my
fragile lungs. I see Hoe Street through the lens of my camera, and it looks
awful, containing none of the promises of my dreams. The sweeping curve of the
street is gone, replaced by grey and dusty buildings and the sense of a litter
of chaos.
I’ve always been fascinated by Hoe Street
in Walthamstow, E17, at least, that bit of it which runs from Forest Road to
the High Street. If life was fair and we lived in a different kind of world
(and one that I only push at with my imagination), Hoe Street would be an
ambling walk through beautiful old buildings, with art galleries, cafes, and
bookshops. A place where you engage with the feel of the old, remade
successfully in the present.