Hedges

This is an adapted version of a pecha kucha I gave to introduce me and where I live.

Hello from Tooting. I live in some of the first social housing constructed in London, built around 100 years ago to provide good quality housing for the working class.

Walking down my road, one architectural element really imposes itself on the street - sometimes physically - is the hedge. I like the things hedges can tell you.

Like on this road of double hedges, where the front hedge - the first line of defence - is trimmed by the council, whereas the back hedge - closer to each house - is trimmed by the household. A subtle delineation of public and private.

But more interesting than that, I think, is that each hedge is an insight into the psyche of the people that live there. Like these neat, svelte hedges. What is the owner of such a hedge like?

Or these playfully architectural hedges.

Or these sculptural hedges.

Or these messy hedges. That's me with my 'hedge'.

Even if they're sometimes a little shyer than this one, hedges say things. Have a listen to the next one you pass.