Yesterday afternoon and evening was exceedingly long. I was due to attend the Rooftop Collective at Metro Imaging so I went up early to check out Anywhere and Everywhere – the UCS BA(Hons) Photography Lolondon variant of their degree show. As with last year’s group they used Hoxton Arches, in Hoxton of all places. Such is the transport network to this close yet remote part of east London, I opted to walk. It is far quicker than the laborious train connections and I was lucky as I dodged the deluges that were taking place.

I was really pleased to see how Adrian Manning had hung his work.

I was privilged to work on his negatives when I drum scanned them and at this size they looked great. I’m still not convinced by the use of this gallery but I suppose it has upsides to it compared to the stress of getting in and out of the Truman Brewery. It was quite scary thinking that it was two years ago that Lux Locus was doing all this.

Abellio Greater Anglia did their bit for the return journey after I had attended the 2 hour meeting at Metro. I had hoofed it from the meeting to catch the 2130 only there was no 2130. That is off the schedule whilst evening work is done on the line between Colchester and Ipswch and I don’t know about you but when I have paid for a train ticket I expect to use a train, not a sodding bus service so I cooled down and got got the 2200. What I had not expected was being held at Manningtree whilst the ballast gang was still on track so I got in at 2350 but not before I saw scenes not seen in Ipswich since the Steve Wright murders.

The queue for Taxis was long and it is not far to walk home so I hoofed it along Portman Road, past the football ground and up the hill. My radar was working overtime as I could see skulking shadows, male shadows just past St Matthews Church then I saw her proposition another late commuter ahead of me then as I went past I was propositioned for the first time since working on the docks in Liverpool ( I think the uniform was the draw in those days and most of that was larking about by the girls who worked the docks) in 1973. I have never ever been approached by  a prostitute in my late commuting days although the place was rife  with them before the notorious murders cleared the streets.

As I turned onto Norwich Road the same chap ahead of me was propositioned by another lady of the night. I was gobsmacked, something has changed in or ‘hood and it ought not to have. I had crossed the road to Coes but she tried to catch my eye and there further up the road was another male skulking. Were these  shady males pimps? I know not.

I love this area of town for the diversity it offers but I do not want to see prostitutes on the streets plying their trade, and indiscriminently at that. For the love of Jesus I’m 61, they must be desparate.