Barrow has given new meaning to washing your dirty laundry in public, thanks to new art project.
People who run and use the town’s laundrettes have come clean about the role these facilities play in their daily lives while chatting to Barrow-born artist, Ruth Mary Johnson.
And the result is a zine of printed poems by Ruth, illustrated by Eleanor Finlay-Christiansen, plus an audio piece featuring Ruth and the people of Barrow.
The project was produced by Quiet Down There for arts organisation BarrowFull.
Barrow-born Ruth Mary Johnson is one of the artists taking part.
Over six weeks, Ruth spent time at laundrettes in Risedale Road, Crellin Street and at Easyclean on Barrow Island. She worked some shifts there and washed her own laundry while chatting to staff and customers. She also spoke to people at the chinwag sessions and clothes bank run by Women’s Community Matters.
Ruth created a post box, made to look like a washing machine, and placed it in Barrow’s laundrettes. She used it to collect stories from visitors and gather inspiration for poems.
Ruth is an actress and director who has worked at the National Theatre and Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake. She has regularly used laundrettes when working in theatre.
Ruth said: “I really love laundrettes, I have vivid memories of going with my grandma to one in Ulverston and I loved the smell of it. Even when she got a washing machine of her own, grandma still went to the laundrette.”
One of the stories she collected was from Harry Baker, 82. Harry worked at Risedale Road laundrette for 30 years and still opens it up.
He met his wife outside Lakeland Laundry which inspired Ruth to create a poem about the couple.
Ruth was also inspired to write a poem about where all the odd socks go after she learned the Crellin Road laundrette has an old spinner machine that collects those left behind.
Ruth added: “For some people, the laundrette is not just there for convenience, it’s a lifeline, somewhere they can feel a connection and have a chat.“What really struck me is how much care is in these places and there’s so much dignity and respect shown.”
From tomorrow, the Life Through Laundry poems and limited edition badges will be distributed at the laundrettes which took part in the project and at Barrow archives.
