Rabbits & Rats & Co Ltd

I am amazed that Shoreditch and Hoxton are cursed with so much dismal graffiti. You have complete freedom to do whatever you want to do, but most can barely rub two ideas together. So all the more brilliant to discover works of bloody art which not only regurgitate the neighbourhood, but you love so much you make a detour to see them. The artist called ROA first did this wonderful rabbit in Curtain Road. When I was making furniture, I bought veneers from Crispin & Sons who were located opposite. It was run by various combinations of twin brothers in brown overcoats. They were gentle fanatics whose knowledge of varieties of exotic hardwoods was a delight. When you bought a parcel of birds-eye thua or burr walnut it was lovingly tied with hairy string and wrapped in delicious brown waxed paper like a new baby. The smells were overwhelming – timbers with feral scents that made you feel slightly dizzy; from elephant dung to peppery spice to old socks soaked in spearmint. So imagine my delight when this gorgeous rat – I guess also by ROA – popped up in Hackney Road in the space once occupied by Universal Fittings. As the name suggests this trade counter featured the most morose staff in the universe who would do their utmost not to sell you anything. It was all very Catch 22. If you wanted it – they didn’t have it. But if you didn’t want it – they did.  Tom