Object: A knitted scarf and handmade clutch bag and a biography

Origin: Donated by owner and maker Jo Hurford, used on panti-HS2 protests

Date: c. 2017-2022

This scarf is an example of the many that were tied around trees earmarked for destruction in Somers Town and Euston.  They were being cut down to make way for building projects and HS2.  The scarves were symbols of residents’ love for the trees.

The handbag depicts people who were buried in St James Gardens, now disinterred by the HS2 project.  The article on the bag was written by local Historian Marian Kamlish on behalf of the dead and was published in the Camden New Journal.  The underside of the handbag shows flowers commemorating the wildflower garden Camden Council planted in St James Gardens each year.  The handbag has been used at many protests about HS2 and has also made appearances at the House of Commons and House of Lords Select Committees.

The biography of George Moorland is a fascinating look into the life of this local artist, whose family laid him to rest in peace in St James Gardens unaware that his peace would be disturbed by HS2 in the 2010s.

By Jo Hurford