We give ‘The Old Fireplace Shop’ an NHS makeover
We say thank you to Key Workers with our window display of children’s artwork
Walking to and from our King Street office over the years, it’s hard to miss the Fireplace shop. Since 1980 this green façade has been the recognizable face of Glenthorne Road. Now, after closing last year, the shop has been sitting dormant and boarded up waiting for a new occupier.
It was this sad sight that caught John Horton’s attention one morning and, after talking to the building’s owner Jonathon Aaron, he hatched a plan to transform the windows with photos from around the neighbourhood to showcase the community spirit shown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photographing the Village
During lockdown, resident photographer and Horton and Garton beautifier Annabel Moeller turned her attention to capturing her Village during a lockdown. This endeavour resulted in some wonderful photography, including over a hundred photos of NHS and Key worker thank you messages displayed on people’s homes.
“Walking through the streets of Brackenbury I am endlessly struck by the sheer character of this beautiful neighbourhood. Flowers boisterously decorate almost every building as far as the eye can see, whether lovingly tended by a proud home-owner or cheerfully growing out of brickwork or a pavement crack all on its own. The spirited determination of nature is food for thought and for the soul. As I amble along I find this place to be infinitely photogenic and the perfect antidote to these peculiarly testing times. It is fantastic to find strength and smiles everywhere in the multitude of drawings, paintings and quirky sculptures in praise and thanks to the NHS. It has been a privilege to photograph all of this, over these last months.”
The transformation begins
On Monday, the Hammersmith company FastSigns began the transformation and as ever, Annabel was there to photograph it every step of the way. With over 35 individual rainbow drawings, paintings and thank you messages, the window now perfectly represents the gratitude felt by the nation at the hard work of key and NHS staff over the past months.
What do you think about the new windows? We can’t wait for everybody to see them and be reminded of how the community pulled together during this strange time.
To see more of Annabels’ work, follow her on instagram @annabelmoellerphotography, or visit her website. Also stay tuned to our social media pages where we too will be posting our favourite of Annabel’s shots.
