A Year on the Farm
Drawing comparisons with Pepys, Mayhew and Dickens, the Gentle Author of Spitalfields Life has gained an extraordinary following in recent years, by writing hundreds of lively pen portraits of the infinite variety of people who live and work in the East End of London. The Gentle Author has a long association with the Farm.
I first visited the Spitalfields City Farm over forty years ago, tip-toeing along scaffolding board laid across the freezing mud on a frosty winter's day. Since then I have loved the place and, living next door, it delights me to wake to the sound of the animals. As one born in the country, its presence allows me to feel at home in the city. This is why I have been working with photographer Rachel Ferriman to document the seasons, through a year in the life of the farm. It has always been a consolation but through the extraordinary times of the past year, it has become an invaluable reminder of nature and the rural landscape beyond the city.
The Gentle Author
