Northfields is an area of Ealing nestled between West Ealing, Hanwell, Ealing Broadway, South Ealing and Boston Manor. Northfield Avenue threads its way through, from The Forester pub in the north, and The Plough Inn in the south. Along the Avenue are countless shops, cafes and restaurants, many of them small and independent businesses with plenty of history and charm.
The area is very familiar to me, and I began sketching the streets before lockdown. As 2021 unfolded, there was a strong feeling of community and a wish to renew and regenerate the area post-Covid. Encouraged to 'keep it local' for the sake of our health, many more residents would pass and meet on the streets, walking and cycling as guidelines permitted, and visiting shops and pubs as restrictions eased. Al fresco drinking and dining turned from a niche continental-style pastime to a safe way of socialising and also helping to regenerate the area. Children discovered the back streets as they returned to school and roads became pleasant cut-throughs for walks to the canal, nature reserves, and countless parks in the area.
I have a soft spot for Northfields, travelling here by E3 bus as a child to visit my grandparents. The leafy quiet streets and local shops have changed very little, and the fact that you are only a 30 minute tube ride to central London makes it a great place to visit, and to live. After a cruel year of devastation and isolation, my picture is an attempt to document the sense of optimism and freedom as we slowly get back to normal, in a happier, healthier, and more sociable way.
Prints are available in two sizes, both printed on heavyweight 308gsm Hahnemuhle Fine Art paper. Each print is signed by the artist and stamped on the back.