Paper short abstract:

These photos were taken over 20 years ago by a life-long resident of Poplar, east London on a walk around his neighbourhood. He photographed ordinary things which, in the context of the current comprehensive redevelopment of his estate, evoke his conflicting feelings about the changes taking place.

Paper long abstract:

Over 20 years ago, James Watters - a life long resident of Poplar, east London - took a walk around his local neighbourhood with a disposable camera. He took photos of some of the things he came across: a crumbling brick wall one side of a railway bridge; an abandoned motorcycle in the middle of the path; graffiti memorialising the Beatles on the back of a utilities shed; one of the gas holders of the Leven Road gas works. Ordinary things, which with the passing of time have acquired additional significance. "I wish I'd taken more now."

The abandoned motorcycle - "motorcycle in repose" - is his favourite: "something's been discarded and not cared for, just like the neighbourhood was back then." Today meanwhile, the estate is in the process of a comprehensive redevelopment or 'regeneration', with the phased demolition of most of the pre-existing social housing and its replacement with a larger, mixed tenure development renamed 'Aberfeldy Village'.

The image evokes James' conflicting feelings about the changes taking place. No-one wants to live in a place that is "discarded and not cared for" but the new development doesn't sit quite right with him either. Everything has been cleaned up, but who is it really for? "Even when I walk through it I feel like I have to walk in a straight line... There's something precious about someone chucking a motorbike on the ground and just saying - 'fuck it'."