All photos this week taken within a 1000feet of my home (yes my world is expanding). I never thought I would ever be able to live in a smaller place after living in London. It just seemed impossible to me. I was addicted to the hustle and bustle. I loved living in an anonymous ant colony, vast and sprawling, where everyday could take you to a part of the city you had never seen even though you were born and bred in it and spent most of your adult life there too. Not only was it huge but it was also densely populated and containing representatives of pretty much every single country, culture and continent on Earth which meant it felt like you were always travelling even though you never went anywhere. And it was relentlessly stimulating. An incessant stream of activity that stopped for no-one and I just loved the buzz that came with it.
And yet for the last year or so I have barely left my neighbourhood.And much of that time was spent within a single block or two of where I lived. A tiny bubble within this huge metropolis. And yet as I saw nothing beyond the confines of my postcode and it has been the equivalent of living in a tiny village. This has meant that I got to know a lot more of my neighbours which again made my life more resemble being in a small place where everybody knows each other.
It has given me a glimpse into a quieter existence, a more chilled paced of life. And it hasn’t been all bad. And even though I’ve been ill I’ve rather enjoyed it. But even still, I’m not sure I could live in a little spot in middle of nowhere because even though I have existed happily within a tiny area it is still inhabited by a huge range of varying ethnicities and a host of wonderful characters. It also has a vast array of tourists from other countries visiting. And that is what makes it interesting. It has been a very long time since I lived in a monoculture and I think I would now find that too weird after so many decades in this melting pot.
So maybe my current life is the best of both worlds. Although I am itching to get back on the tube. I know it sounds odd but I really miss it. Not rush hour obvs. I’m sure that’s still relatively hellish but I just loved disappearing underground and re-emerging in a totally different part of London. I know all you tube travellers are going..what the fuck is he on? Is he mad? And yes maybe I’ve forgotten what it’s like and have rose-tinted spex on but still..I can dream can’t I?
