While snapping pictures of the big egg hunt and realising that the sunny weather was going to disappear for the next few days, i made the most of hanging out in covent garden. An area close to my heart since i studied graphic design at central saint martins college of art & design back in the mid 80’s.
I went on a bit of a nolstalgic tour picking out places that stood the test of time while showing you around the area with some photos for pure inspiration. Let’s go.
This was the building in long acre i studied in, now sadly replaced by an h&m.
When i needed to escape from art college i went to the monmouth coffee shop in monmouth street which still exists and back then was my haven.
I loved nothing best than to go to the arthur beale shop to look for inspiration for college project work. A shop filled with everything nautical and everything that has to do with outfitting a sailing ship, sailboat or yacht. Hooks, cleats, stays and marlin spikes, the only metallurgy used is solid brass. It’s been around for over 100 years. A couple of years ago, when designing my terrace i used some of the yellow rope you see below.
Another favourite was freud, a design shop founded in 1986. They are now best known for their fans and their mackintosh furniture. Attached to the shop is the freud bar, a regular haunt for me back in the 80’s.
Then there’s neal’s yard remedies, a real revelation to me in my 20’s when i started to care about natural and organic products. They started life in 1981, with a focus on using natural herbs for health and beauty. Although i no longer use many of their products, i still turn to them from time to time and then feel transported back to my past.
And of course neal’s yard dairy, the wonderful cheese shop that was founded in 1979.
The following photo series is for inspiration and showcasing the vibrancy and different styles you’ll find in parts of covent garden.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this tour of some parts of covent garden or at least got some colour or composition inspiration out of it.
Going down memory lane filled me with nostalgia. Any of you been recently feeling nostalgic?