Launderettes in the news

Dave Hill wrote a great article in The Guardian recently following the news that the number of launderettes in London has gone down to just a few hundred. It prompted many people to tweet with stories of launderettes in their own neighbourhoods and also the BBC contacted me to do a short interview with some of the owners and customers at the launderettes I photographed at.

During the interviews, which were conducted by Charlotte Frank, an elderly woman sat with her shopping trolley reading a book and an elderly muslin gentleman began loading up his washing, and when finished sat down to quietly pray, it was a lovely moment and typical of the experience I had whilst photographing last year. These can be contemplative spaces, you will often find people lost in thought and with busy lives, it’s a rare neutral space where people can switch off.

If you’re interested in launderettes there is also a great article by Edwina Attlee, also in The Guardian, who has written part of her PhD about launderettes as important social spaces.