Wefts & Tracks //
‘Wefts & Tracks’ started as a personal project and was featured within an editorial for The Financial Times Weekend Magazine. I collaborated with journalist, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff to reflect the stories of the bubbling community of afro hair salons on Blenheim Grove, Peckham in South-East London, one of the capital’s most diverse communities where many of the salons have been thriving since the 1990s.
There is no getting away from the importance of hair - for centuries black women have been battling with the pressures of Eurocentric beauty standards, straightening and taming their hair in ways unknown to most white people. But the significance of the salons extends beyond beautification and a place to work; they act as impromptu community centres, babysitting venues and everything in between. Above all, they provide a sense of belonging at the centre of daily life.
Friends pop in for cups of tea and coffee, salesmen display their wares to unimpressed laughter, and hairdressers bop to dancehall or languidly watch their favourite Nollywood dramas as they wait for clients, In some of the more informal premises babies crawl around the floor; voices are raised in languages and accents from all over Africa and the Caribbean and gestures replace speech as clients are moved from mirror-fronted styling chairs to washbasins where creamy white chemical straightener is rinsed out before it begins to burn, or newly plaited braids are dipped and sealed in steaming pots of boiling water.
Now a plan to relocate some of the salons in the name of regeneration is causing controversy…
How Darts Became a Global Phenomenon //
Luke Littler — and a touch of business savvy — have helped transform darts from a boozy hobby into a sporting juggernaut.
Not long ago, darts was seen as little more than a beer-soaked pastime. But things have changed. Sharper marketing, big-name sponsors, and a new wave of talent have propelled the sport onto the global stage — complete with packed arenas and lucrative prize pots.
One name in particular has captured attention: Luke Littler. At just 16, the young prodigy stormed onto the scene in late 2023, shocking fans and veterans alike by breezing past darts legends to reach the final of the World Darts Championship — winning over a new generation of fans in the process.
And then, of course, there’s the crowd. Couples, families, women, and kids flood the ornate Victorian setting of Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, arms full of beers and cardboard “180” signs, ready for the roar of the next perfect throw. In the stands: Shreks, monks, and Marios in full fancy dress, all cheering in unison. One newlywed couple proudly announced they’d chosen the darts event as their honeymoon destination.
What was once a humble pub game is now a full-blown cultural event and global enterprise. The sport has tapped into something far larger than anyone predicted: community, celebration, and the electric thrill of a shared spectacle.
Created in collaboration with journalist Rosanna Dodds for Financial Times' HTSI.