In My Endz

a working collection of memories, reclaiming the pride for working-class british neighbourhoods. by Neve Ak.

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The Ends are modern-day castles.

These modern-day castles are inhabited by Kings and Queens.

And the Ends, along with its inhabitants, are nothing short of beautiful.

- Nabil Al-Kinani, via castles.jpeg

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In My Endz: East London, Submitted by Neve Ak

Waking up in the morning to the smell of cooking, my Uncle John in the Kitchen making us a batch of his “tasty chapati” to take back to the Countryside. It was Ramadan and my cousins were already up from praying. This is how I remember spending time with my family in Mile End as a kid. Construction was just beginning, it was back when Boxpark didn’t exist in Shoreditch.

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A Love Letter to the Endz: #2

Home sweet home, a love letter to the ends

I know the cracks in the concrete like the lines in my palms. I know the streets of Newham like the back of my hand. I can direct you through the Greenway without a map. I can tell you what Rathbone Market used to look like, where the old West Ham stadium used to be and point towards a decaying, closed Balaam Leisure Centre. I can tell you about the times we would chill outside Canning Town McDonald's or The Hub and would smoke on the steps of Yellow Flats. I lived in E15 and used to go to school in E16 and I had friends who lived in E13 and friends who lived in E6 that had friends who lived in E7, and they had friends that lived in E12 - everyone is connected. I wrote about Stratford Shopping Centre before Westfield, and the marshes before Olympic Village and I existed before the latter. My best friend and I frequently reminisce over Percy Ingle’s Tottenham Cakes and the old Canning Town Library. I often think about Carpenters and the people who used to live there and how they must feel being so far from home. My dad and I used to go on walks around Upton Park and watch a sea of football fans outside Queen’s Market on matchdays – people watching but the footy version, I guess.

When I was younger, I could not wait to grow up and leave Newham, I thought I would never look back. It was an area I had associated with most of my struggles, and I just wanted a better life outside of it. Now, I am older I realise it is possible to find comfort in the place that birthed my deepest fears and my wildest dreams, it is possible to belong in somewhere I once felt like I hated, somewhere I once wanted to leave.

Belonging doesn't have to be instant it can be gradual. Sometimes gradual belonging can feel even sweeter and more meaningful.

We can leave home but home never leaves us, it will always be waiting for us even when it looks unrecognisable, or it has been a while since we last saw it.

Home is like a parent waving you off to a university a few hours away confident in your return. Home is like the seasonal vegetable that we wait all year round to embrace.

It loves us even when we don't love it back. It remembers our tears and the echoes of our laughter.

How could we not possibly belong in the places that remember us in ways that no human could?

- NazFromNewham

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In My Endz: Whitechapel, Shot by Alisha Ali

Wishing everyone viewing this blog a blessed 2024. Apologies for my absence - throwing it back to last Summer in Whitechapel. After visiting Rinkoff Bakery, we chilled around the back of the block there.

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In My Endz: Somers Town, Camden, Shot by Samir Qurashi

Around where HS2 is being constructed (Euston area), Social Housing blocks are being threatened with demolition. My best friend grew up around this area, she told me yesterday how the first block she lived in (Cartmel) is now cordoned off for demolition. The HS2 works are predicted to be complete in over 20 years, and the demolitions continue.

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A Love Letter to the Endz: #1

Dear Whitechapel,

You are the beating heart that captivates my soul. From the delicate morning air infused with whispers of butter and sugar escaping bakery walls to the lively embrace of your bustling streets, adorned with vibrant Mithai stalls and abundant fruit markets, you enchant me with every step.

Yet, it is within the sanctuary of the garden where I find solace. A tranquil oasis where rosemary bushes intermingle with blossoming trees and a flourishing vegetable patch thrives, it is a testament to the harmonious coexistence of nature's wonders.

As bluebells bloom, I'm transported back to cherished childhood memories, reminding me of life's purest joys and the enduring beauty found in nature's embrace.

Whitechapel, you are more than a place; you are an embodiment of culture and tranquility, weaving an enchanting tapestry that resonates with my deepest emotions. With each passing day, my love for you grows, and I am forever grateful for the moments we share.

With love, Alisha

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In My Endz: Kilburn High Road, Shot by Hana Abdel Fatteh

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In My Endz: Rinkoff Bakery, Shot by Alisha Ali

Alisha took me to Rinkoffs round the back of her Flat - she told me you can always smell the Bakery from the Garden. They’re a Ukrainian-Jewish Family Bakery, and in 1911 their first Shop opened up just down the road from here on Old Montague Street.

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An Ode to the Ends pt 2.

chimneys smoke

as do the people

weary and run down

the city is simultaneously building whilst falling apart

houses go up so quickly

they could succumb to a shake

or a blow

but these houses were meant to be houses

and indeed not meant to be homes.

- Hannah O’Sullivan

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In My Endz: Camden Town (off Inverness St.), Shot by Neve Ak

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In My Endz: North Kensington, Shot by Ayah Mamode

Today marks 6 years since the Grenfell tragedy, where a fire broke out in the 24-storey block. The fire was exacerbated by unsafe cladding approved by the KCTMO (Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation) and K&C (Kensington & Chelsea) Council.

The unsafe cladding that worsened the fire still remains on a number of Council Blocks across the UK - 6 years on and social housing tenants’ concerns surrounding fire safety are brushed under the carpet.

Today I’m posting this in memory of the 72 people who passed away, as well as the hundreds of tenants who have been displaced from their homes as a result. Also to keep in mind all the Firefighters and Locals who helped the residents.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-65894129.amp

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Drawing on Stories from across the UK reminiscing on pre-Gentrified areas, In My Endz is a working Collection of memories reclaiming the pride for Working Class neighbourhoods.

- Neve Ak