Old Ford, out of Fish Island, was a numinous locale in London’s deep-topography: the crossing place of the River Lea – which was once a major obstacle, a much broader stream. Here was a border between cultures, between Vikings and Saxons, pagans and Christians, travellers and fixed citizens, the living and the dead.

Iain Sinclair – Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire

So I was out running this morning and I saw my friend, the street sweeper, on Chester Road at 7.10am. He was emptying a litter bin and sweeping up around a bus shelter. One of the good things about this otherwise very distressing time is that we’re coming to realise which are the really essential jobs. Let’s not forget the people who do those when all this is over.

Picture of the Captive River ©Bobby Seal