The Neon paradise you need to see for Instagram-perfect picture is definitely worth travelling to the end of the Victoria line.
Trends come and go but sometimes they do return. As the generation Z is embracing the 90’s style and culture, maybe neon signs from the ’80s will soon be back in fashion as well?
If you would like to explore the variety of neon, new or vintage signs, then there is a picture-perfect spot for you – Gods Own Junkyard. This neon light shop and showroom are located in the industrial estate in Walthamstow, East London. It was opened by artists Jon Blake and late Christopher Bracey in 2011.
In the Gods Own Junkyard, you will find everything – from religious statues such as Saint Mary to vintage signs for strip clubs. Bracey joined his father and the family business as a graphing designer in the early 70s. At that time the most common customers were pubs, strip clubs and sex shops in Central London. “I did 99 percent of every sex establishment in Soho for 20 years,” Bracey told BBC in 2013. “For me, it was an artistic endeavour.”
Walking around the store you will see signs like “Dreaming Lips”, “Let’s Play Doctors & Nurses” and even “Peep Show, Live Show, Couples Welcome” with a man and a woman having intercourse. All of them are vintage and ended up back with their creators. “Times have changed. Neon went out of fashion in the late 80s. Now everything is LED lights”, said Blake showing all of the creations he and Bracey have made.
Blake explained that people come not only to see these bright and colourful decorations but also to buy or order for custom make them. “We try to involve the customers as much as possible in the making of the sign”, said Blake. Recently, a woman ordered a sign with a quote her son has written down.
And even if you are not a fanatic of neon, Gods Own Junkyard is still a sight to see. The venue is so colourful and bright that every person who owns social media will want to post about it. As it attracts a lot of Instagramers, it is hard to find a spot without a posing person in the background.
“I absolutely love it!”, said Chloe Miller, 22, a fashion design student from the United States, who came to see the Gods Own Junkyard for the first time. “I study fashion design and all these signs are really inspiring me to create and use as much colour as possible. I heard about this place from my friends who visited before and I am so glad that I came.”
Gods Own Junkyard is not unfamiliar with fashion. For its October 2011 issue, Vogue Turkey hosted a photoshoot with Lithuanian model Edita Vilkeviciute on the cover. Bracey has also designed props for big films such as Eyes Wide Shut, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Batman (1989).
And if after exploring and posing for that instagramable shot you got thirsty or hungry, grab a freshly baked good and a cold beer (or tea if preferred) from in-house café The Rolling Scones (yes, it is a pun).
Christopher Bracey passed away in November 2014 after a yearlong battle with prostate cancer. On his Twitter account, a message appeared saying “Hi Chris ere, just wanna let you know I am actually in Gods Own Junk Yard and let me tell you its bleedin amazing up ere. Xx”.
Before his death, Chris set up a fundraiser page for Prostate Cancer UK to fund further research and to invent a cure for this illness. According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 11,700 prostate cancer deaths in the United Kingdom every year, which means it is 32 a day. Over 47,700 new cases are recorded annually, making prostate cancer the second most common cause of death in men.
“Chris was a very creative person”, said Blake. “He never went to art school. Chris always had a flow in him.” Now this eclectic store is looked after Bracey family and Jon Blake who has been a family friend for many years.
Gods Own Junkyard is open Fridays and Saturdays 11 am – 9 pm, Sunday 11 am – 6 pm. The entrance is free and if you want to learn more about the making of neon signs, come on Friday and Saturday when you will have a chance to meet Jon Blake who will probably be there mingling around.
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