‘Nat Has a Fast Car’

The image I wanted to post here today was a street photography snap – two ladies, faces covered in black hair crossing the road with a microwave. A cross between moving house nostalgia and that terrifying girl from The Ring. Unfortunately my focus was off and the image is a useless blur so instead we have this ode to Nat.

I found this car parked by one of my favourite Hackney Wick haunts near the ‘Nat Has Herpes’ sign. The sign changed, a few years back, to ‘Nat Has Recovered’, which is tremendous news. If you’re not familiar with the Nat has Herpes meme/tag/phenomenon you can find out more here.

I’ve loved documenting Hackney Wick over the last 15 years or so. It used to be filled with car mechanics, giant warehouses, squats and rave parties. Now it’s blurring into a world of luxury apartments and cocktail bars. The rapid change and merging of worlds is strange and fascinating to watch.

It’s something that London does in cycles. The so-called ‘dangerous’ area becomes the cool area… becomes the posh area… then the same thing happens somewhere else.