A406/A quick thought on division.

I have travelled this road and seen both ends many times and recently I was considering how much it as been a part of my life.For twenty years I have travelled it to get to my studio or to the big supermarkets,to get to the M4 West to see my folks or maybe the M11 to the airport or on my way to a shoot location,recently instead of using it to take my kids somewhere,swimming lessons,football practice,ballet I’m using it visit my kids houses,soon i’m sure the full circle will happen and i’ll be taking the next generation to swimming lessons,football practice or ballet.

Ongoing of course I plan to photograph and ask other people what their thoughts are.Some of my relations will remember when at least part of it was not there,in fact I can vaguely remember how pleased my dad was with the time saved when they built the Southend Rd extension that runs nearby my house now.I must of been under ten years old but I can still remember when we came off the waterworks junction and went over the cattle grids towards my posh aunts house,those cattle grids are still there and drive over them most days I must record the sound! Before I head on to my point I must just tell you that cows were grazing just next to the road right up until the 1990s and it was not uncommon to find a stray cow in your front garden eating your prize dahlias,there was a few dairies nearby (one of which as only just shut down recently) and back in teh day they kept their own cows up on the common ground then drove them down the main street my street comes off towards the dairy.No kidding and I live in a London postcode….amazing eh!

I digress,that very extension my dad loved so much actually divided a community, where once it gelled nicely from where Epping Forest started there now is a huge 6 lane road.Two whole streets were demolished connected now by two bridges only.I must ask some of the older relatives and people I know what impact it had. Imagine being part of a community looking out across the street a t a row of terrace houses then a couple of years later your front gate is 4 feet from a busy road and you are cut off by this physical barrier from the streets beyond.