‘Acton to  Cork- a London Irish Childhood’ is an exhibition of photographs by Marcella Reardon.  Marcella is a former resident of Acton, the child of Irish immigrant parents. The family were housed in the utopian building Charles Hocking House. It deteriorated rapidly, the area declined socially, and in 1972, they decided to return to Ireland. Years later Marcella discovered the objects that were packed for shipping at that time, in the attic of her parent’s house. Riveted by the discovery, she photographed them one by one. The exhibition comprises this photographic collection in its entirety. Describing the work, Marcella Reardon said “ The images capture an arrested moment of a family in transit - the familiar childhood objects speak of the fragility and emotion of the emigrant experience. The photographs fuse past and present, expressing that moment of hope, optimism and change”.  The Exhibition was originally part of Ireland’s celebration of the Centenary of 2016, but the re-development of the Acton area, and the Global Pandemic, means that it only now that the  exhibition is finally coming to the W.3 Gallery, where it was always intended to be.

“Acton to Cork – a London Irish Childhood” will open to the Public on St Patrick’s night and will continue until 31^st March at the W3 Gallery in Acton High Street.