Townfish has undertaken many treks throughout London to find the hidden gems and most unusual places to visit for inquisitive Londoners. Walthamstow wouldn’t normally be in our hunting ground, but God’s Own Junkyard is no ordinary venue.
Owner Chris Bracey has been creating neon art pieces for over 37 years, working with the likes of David LaChapelle to create stunning pieces of artwork. His work has a global following from Los Angeles to London. He’s collected salvaged signs, old movie props and turned them into masterpieces. Amongst his collectibles, they include pieces from Batman, Eyes Wide Shut and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
God’s Own Junkyard is not just a shop, but a museum for all things neon. During our short visit, there were visitors from all corners of the UK and even tourists all the way from Japan. All the pieces are available for hire and you can also commission pieces with Chris if you have the budget.
The Rolling Scones Cafe offers food and drinks all day over the weekend. Although during my visit over a bank holiday weekend, their fantastic cake displays had been ravaged by famished visitors. I did enjoy a fine banana and walnut cake with a creamy, sweet vanilla icing on top along with a smooth, hearty cup of hot chocolate.
I have read rumours that the average electricity bill is at least £700 per week and goes up to around the £1,000 mark if they have a film crew around. With such a fantastic collection, you do wonder if they might ever consider a West End pop-up of their displays. It is the kind of exhibition that would guarantee queues of paying customers (it is free to visit God’s Own Junkyard). Also, you could see in future someone opening a bar in the vein of Blade Runner. Hopefully, it will be someone like Chris who will make sure neon artwork continues to be a popular form of art well into the 21st century. 
baldwin@townfish.com