In 2018, Rob Clayton returned to The Lion Farm Estate in Oldbury. Rob wanted to follow up on his early body of work which he started in 1990 under the guidance of photographer Nick Hedges, as part of his studies at Wolverhampton University.

On Rob's return to the estate, he found that little had changed. He told Photomonitor, "It is a solid working-class community, the sort within which I grew up. Despite years of neglect and austerity, it is a cohesive community. Sure, there are problems, and some people are struggling to get by, but there was the same sense of community I saw a generation ago. My representations are intended to be subtle, balanced, and despite the hope and resilience I encountered, the imagery reveals undoubtedly an aesthetic of melancholy."