Circular Whirl

London by Jonathan Pearson

I began this week excitedly printing posters and sharing online. On Tuesday, I began visiting some local laundrettes, armed with posters to put up. That morning, the bubbles of excitement became bubbles of something else…

What was I going to say to people? Did I need to wear a mask? Maybe I should take some washing with me? Do the posters have enough information on? 

Oh, hey there, Anxiety!

Anxiety and I are old friends, so it’s not exactly surprising that she would want to join me on this outing. We had some words about who was in charge, wrote some lists - ideas for questions and conversation starters - drank some chamomile tea, and off we went. 

I visited four laundrettes that afternoon, put up a poster in one and left one with a member of staff in two of the others. I had a brief conversation with two members of staff - one of whom was interested in the project (“Yes, people share so much here…), but wanted to speak to her manager before we spoke further. I only saw one customer, who didn’t want to chat. Of the workers I spoke to, most were friendly, some less so and one felt compelled to give me her opinion on the recent BLM protests (I hadn’t asked) which was somewhat uncomfortable.

I realised I wasn’t the only one feeling on edge.

‘Washbowl Laundrette in January’ - James Wise

Later in the week, I was catching up on the Growing up with Gal-dem podcast and heard a guest - Yomi Adegoke, author and journalist - talking recently about how she was feeling. She spoke about becoming “kind of weirdly institutionalised by lockdown” and admitted she felt “completely terrified at the prospect of having to enter the real world again”. 

Although laundrettes have remained open throughout lockdown, staff are saying that the numbers of people using them has declined. Perhaps some people who stopped using laundrettes during lockdown are now beginning to return… and I wonder how that is for them. 

Anxiety is already fairly common in the UK, and I suspect that with everything this strange year has thrown at us, those numbers may have risen. Also, those that had previously found coping mechanisms might have come across new challenges in the last six months. So, there are other anxious people in Brighton, using laundrettes… and how is that experience for them? Is it a challenge? Or maybe the familiarity of their local laundrette, and the process of washing itself, or the hum of the machines, can become a place of refuge... 

Catching up with a friend, I spoke about QDT Laundrette and her eyes went all hazy. She’d been reminded of a laundrette her mum would take her to when there was tension with her dad, and they’d drink the best hot chocolate...

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As the week came to an end, I popped into a couple more laundrettes. In one I received a very smiley but slightly confused welcome by an Egyptian woman who wasn’t able to chat with me but was happy for me to put a poster up. The other turned out to be completely self-service but was quite large so it could be a good place for me to spend some time in the future. However, as I moved around town a second time, I became aware that me hanging about in a laundrette trying to speak to people might not go down so well at the moment. 

I came across a BBC article from last month, talking about the future of laundrettes after lockdown with photographer, James Wise:

Photographer James Wise has always been drawn to the charm of their interiors and facades, photographing the people who own them and the people who use them in towns across Lancashire.

When the lockdown was announced, the 33-year-old continued to document those near his home in Chorley.

"I still use the machines and feel nostalgic about my childhood, as I have so many memories from them. Pre-coronavirus, I remember them being bustling with people.

"Now there is a nervous apprehension from people not wanting to get close to each other. It's a solemn mood - there is just a hum of the machines."

I wouldn’t say it was ‘solemn’ in the laundrettes I’d briefly visited this week, but it wasn’t the cosy, bustling community vibe I’d somewhat romanticised in my head either. I’m hoping it was just an off-day, or the wrong time, and that things will pick up for the laundrette trade soon. I’m also realising I can also try to engage with laundrette customers and staff, in other places...

I received a response to the call out from someone who avoided laundrettes, and the “circular whirl” of washing machines at all, whenever possible:

“My fear of the laundrette is entirely irrational but I think it's probably symptomatic of deeper fears. There's something about circular movements that fill me with existential dread.”

- Brighton based laundrette-avoider

The in depth description of the feelings the spin of a washing machine evokes for them, and thoughts on where their fear stems from, could well be future poetic inspiration... 

I feel optimistic about what I’ve learnt this week. I need to change up my approach when it comes to engaging with the public during strange times, including narrowing down who I want to talk to and why. This week has given me some pointers for groups of people I need to seek out and I’ve got quite a few ideas about how and where to seek them… 

Let’s catch up next week :)