I’ve been meaning to start this series for a little while now. Ollie and I moved to Walthamstow last summer, and we love the area and have been to see bits and bobs and tried out local restaurants. But there is also lots we haven’t seen yet too. So in encouraging ourselves to be more familiar with the area we call home I thought I’d share with you lovely lot the places we call our faves. The plan is to continue this series throughout the year as we visit more and more places. It also ties in nicely to the fact Walthamstow has been named London Borough of Culture for 2019.
First up we have God’s Own Junkyard, a neon light heaven from the sheer genius that is Chris Bracey, an E17 local. Chris has been the neon man for 37 years and creating iconic and one of a kind pieces. Chris sadly passed away in Nov 2014 aged just 59. Their permanent home is now at Ravenswood Industrial Estate which now also houses their Rolling Scones cafe which means you can fuel up on coffee and cake during the day and the space is also a licensed bar too so a great place to grab a drink in the evening. I went to their previous location back in 2014 and did a little blog post about our visit. It’s funny to see that back then I had an interest in these creations and there are still pieces in the space today I saw back then.
I have shot at God’s Own Junkyard for brands and been on visits with family and friends, it always proves popular and the added bonus of the cafe means you can stay that little bit longer too and take in the crazy amount of unique neon lights, props and giant glitter balls that they have on display. I bet Chris would have been over the moon with the popularity of his creation and how it brings so much joy to others. It brings a smile to my face every time I visit the eclectic showroom, I think everyone should see it at least once! I’d love to do an editorial shoot in there one day too. I’m proud to be an E17 resident and to have this neon heaven as part of our community. I hope you’ve enjoyed the first post from my E17 Loves series and wish you all a fantastic weekend! Ollie and I are off to celebrate Burns Night with a group of friends this evening, have a good one!
Gods Own Junkyard
Unit 12
Ravenswood Industrial Estate
Shernhall Street
London
E17 9HQ
Open weekends : Friday – 11am to 9pm
Saturday – 11am to 9pm
Sunday – 11am to 6pm
The Rolling Scones Cafe is open for food and drinks all weekend.
