I hated the rec, partly because of the threat of team sports, partly because of the possibility of violence – the two seemed to go together – but during those long, endless days of summer, when the glare of sunlight on the TV screen became too much, we were harried out of the house to ‘get some fresh air’.
A flat, featureless oblong of patchy grass, sodden in winter, parched in summer, scattered with ring-pulls and dog mess – this was the late 70s – its great featureless expanse broken only by buckled goalposts and a few skinny, unclimbable trees. We didn’t call it the park it was the ‘rec’, as in ‘recreation ground’. In short, Parklife is my love letter to London’s green spaces. Parks touch the lives of all Londoners – from family gatherings to first dates, walks with friends to solo rambles – and for this they should be celebrated. For while these spaces have been a lifeline for capital dwellers during lockdown, their importance precedes this time and will extend beyond it.
It is my hope that these images will transcend the time in which they were made.
Last spring, I decided to pick up my camera to capture the diversity of people whose lives are enriched by these extraordinary green spaces.
These enclaves occupy some of the most expensive real estate in the world (and with some of the most breathtaking views) yet remain free and communal spaces for all – making London a unique capital city. 40 percent of London’s surface area is made up of publicly accessible green spaces – from parks to commons, greens, cemeteries, woodlands, waterways and marshes. In a world increasingly motivated by profit and status, the park is a space that symbolises democracy. I’ve always been captivated by the life reflected in them – an almost utopian microcosm of our wider society. We were restored and calmed by the natural world on our doorsteps.ĭuring this time my love of London’s parks deepened. Without the steady hum of traffic and the airplanes in the sky, the birdsong became our new soundtrack. We ventured to our local parks for our single dose of daily exercise and, perhaps for the first time, we noticed the crocuses appear and the slow blossoming of the trees. But then something magical happened: the first buds of spring appeared, and the bright April sunshine beckoned us outside. The world became untethered – all our rituals of normality removed against the backdrop of a global pandemic. With over 250,000 people signed up, Parklife has had to close registrations for the very first time.In the spring of 2020 I found myself, like many, knocked sideways. With tickets being met with unprecedented demand, the final Parklife 2021 tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 24th March at 10am – with tickets being sold through a very special presale, available to those who have signed up over the past few weeks. From Jamie XX, Bicep (Live), Peggy Gou, Four Tet, Kaytranada, The Blessed Madonna, Annie Mac, Camelphat, Honey Dijon, Artwork, Jamie Jones, Jayda G, Skream and Jon Hopkins through to the heavyweight power of Pendulum Trinity, Carl Cox, Andy C, Eric Prydz, Jax Jones, Adam Beyer (Presents Drumcode), Sub Focus, Wilkinson and many more. Ready to soundtrack Parklife’s hotly anticipated return, across the weekend, it’s a who’s who of dancefloor greats.
Fresh from stealing the show at the Grammys, Megan Thee Stallion makes her Parklife debut in style for a must-see ‘Savage’ moment whilst the likes of Skepta, DaBaby, Disclosure, Young Thug, Burna Boy, AJ Tracey, Mabel, slowthai, Nines, Mist, Earl Sweatshirt, KSI, Little Simz, Celeste, Becky Hill, PA Salieu, Princess Nokia and more will all touchdown in the heart of Manchester. In a UK Festival Exclusive performance, Mercury Prize and BRIT Award winning leader Dave steps up to headline a memorable Saturday night and that’s just the beginning. Heaton Park will once again be packing an almighty punch with a lineup that stands as one of the greatest in the Parklife history. Nearly two years in the making, Parklife has announced details of its unmissable 2021 lineup.