February 2022

36
Wanstead Village Directory
For the last four years, I have been
wandering through London’s East End
photographing streets, open spaces
and buildings, in fact, anything that looks
likely to change or disappear.
However, development happens, sometimes
at an alarming speed, and sometimes it’s
very dramatic. The one constant during
this time has been the river. Following the
Thames east from Tower Bridge leads you
past old warehouses, where barges and ships
unloaded goods from all over the world. Now,
most are converted into smart apartments.
As the river follows the bend past Limehouse,
one of the most dramatic developments
opens up before you, Canary Wharf, so
named because fruit from the Canary Islands
was originally unloaded there. Building
was completed in 1992, but still today it is
expanding. When you come across it at night,
it’s difficult not to be impressed; it may not
be to everybody’s taste, but you can’t deny
it’s a statement to change. Next door on West
India Quay, 200-year-old warehouses still exist,
housing the Museum of London, restaurants
and bars. The exteriors of warehouses built in
1802 have survived to a large degree, a good
example of how original buildings can be
converted and maintain their fabric.
I am still going to spend nights seeking out
the unchanged parts of the City and East End,
capturing the atmosphere while it still exists.
This month, when we reopen the gallery, I will
be adding new pictures to the photographs
on display. The images will bring back
memories for older visitors who grew up in
the East End, and for the younger ones who
lived in apartments there and who now have
families and have moved further out. The
more I explore, the more I discover hidden
pockets that still exist. It’s just a matter of
looking.
Geoff’s Eightyfour Gallery is located at
84 Nightingale Lane, Wanstead, E11 2EZ.
For more information, call 020 8530 1244
or visit wnstd.com/84
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