Bucket List Adventures: Walthamstow Wonders & Hackney Highlights

Some places have been quietly glowing on my bucket list for years, waiting for the right moment. A day in Walthamstow and Hackney gave me a chance to finally tick a few off - each one with its own distinct character, yet all threaded together by art, craft and imagination.

The William Morris Gallery had long been near the top of my list and stepping inside felt like stepping into a carefully crafted world. The rooms are full of fabric samples, sketches, printing blocks and small thoughtful details that invite you to slow down. Morris’s beliefs; that beauty should be for everyone, that craftsmanship matters, that work can be art; seem to seep into the house itself.

His books, tools, letters and other personal items are displayed with an almost domestic warmth. You don’t feel like you’re in a museum so much as a home that continues to live in conversation with its past. I lingered longer than I expected, drawn into the colours, patterns and calm. Outside, part of the garden had been planted out following some of Morris’s designs, a living extension of his creativity.

As a bonus, the temporary exhibition “Women in Print: 150 Years of Liberty Textiles” was on display, adding another layer of design history and craftsmanship to explore.

From Morris’s soft natural tones to the riotous neon of God’s Own Junkyard, also in Walthamstow, the contrast could not be more striking. Walking in is like stepping into pure electricity, with walls layered with neon signs, rescued film props, light sculptures and phrases glowing in every colour imaginable. Yet behind all the spectacle is evident care: each piece has a story, every flickering edge is handmade, rewired and given new life. It is exuberant, playful and strangely tender all at once, a place that makes you smile simply by being there.

From Walthamstow, I caught the bus southward to Hackney, well Homerton to be precise, for an afternoon movie at one of the must-visit independent cinemas on my cinema bucket list: The Castle Cinema.

This is the kind of cinema that makes going to the movies feel special, intimate, full of charm and completely embedded in the community, rescued through a crowdfunding campaign. The Castle continues that streak beautifully with its restored velvet seats and welcoming space, the kind of place that reminds you why small cinemas matter.

At the Castle, I also had the sheer joy of seeing The Muppet Christmas Carol on the big screen for the first time. I have seen it many times at home and it is my favourite adaptation, but being a Muppet fan and watching it with an audience just once made the film feel alive in a completely different way. The laughter and reactions around me added a wonderful energy.

It was the second cinema I ticked off my list that week. The day before, I had seen Jafar Panahi’s new film, It Was Just An Accident, at The ArtHouse in Crouch End, another indie cinema at the heart of its community. I used to go to school in Crouch End, but back then there was no cinema, and now there are two, The ArtHouse and a Picturehouse just down the road.

It was a day (Friday 12 December 2025) of contrasts and discoveries: Morris’s calm, crafted patterns; God’s Own Junkyard’s neon chaos; and a cosy cinema full of atmosphere.

It was a lovely day, and a reminder that ticking off bucket list items doesn’t have to mean travelling far, sometimes it’s about noticing the hidden corners and small joys of the city around you.