Growing up I would occasionally go out early in the morning with my Step Dad, wrapped in a fleece or a thick coat and go fishing. It was one of the few times I spent with him alone, being one of 4 children and him having two children as well. I would help carry his box and watch as he set up his rods, line, hooks and pull up chairs for us to sit in. He would tell me the types of fish we were trying to catch and we would spot the early morning wildlife on the banks of the river. I'm not an expert and certainly haven't gone fishing in many years but I always remember the peace of sitting next to a river, watching the small orange dot of the float across the reflection of the river, spotting damselflies whizz across the surface of the water. Often with my hands in a bucket of maggots as I enjoyed the feeling of them wriggling through my fingers. I was a gross child.
Hayes Farm is just one of many green spaces that are slowly being swallowed up by housing developments, building poor quality homes and selling them for maximum profit and certainly not for a price that is obtainable for the average young person looking to settle down and start building their family. All that brings for the other local residents is more traffic, a big issue along Hayes Lane where the farm is located, and the loss of a third space. A place where people can unwind from the stresses of their working week. Where a father can teach their son or daughter how to tie knots. Where friends can talk or where someone can enjoy the peace and quiet. We are losing more and more of these natural spaces over time, green spaces being eaten up by developments and no replacement for these third spaces being introduced. There is another development being built in Biggin Hill for 650 homes in Green Belt space plus there are plans to convert Bromley Palace into apartments, a wild decision for a building with such beautiful grounds.
I think it is important we immortalise these third spaces while we can, much like how you see many patches, hats, sweatshirts etc that are branded with the National Parks, Camp Sites and Fishing/Hunting Clubs in the USA. I picked up a particularly nice vintage fishing vest online with multiple patches from Canada including a nice patch of a Beaver.
This will be the first of three drops that will all be themed around this idea, keep an eye on our website and sign up to our newsletter to find out when Volume II will be released!