Adios summer, for what you were.

Its nearing the end of September, summers a distant memory and we now enter into autumn.

It’s been a interesting 6 months, dealing with work, juggling home schooling and trying to fit in some photography to document these ‘crazy’ times.

I think I am writing this blogpost with the same mindset as you, that a second wave is coming, god knows what it will look like.

Inevitably, these times bring folk together, I have discovered an added depth to the relationship I have with my kids, also my photography has taken on a new dimension, both positives.

The negative is trying to manage wellbeing and ‘calorie intake’.

I would consider myself bookish, I enjoy a good read, but being a single parent, finding time for some exercise is non existent in my daily schedule.

So trying to plan some order in my day, I purchased a Schwinn IC8 Spinning Bike for the house, only owned it 4 days, but I’ve enjoyed 20 minute spinning sessions at the start or end of the day, courtesy of the Peloton app, its that more enjoyable that the family are also participating.

Man, you earn every calorie or inch travelled, no free wheeling like on a pushbike! It’s shocking how unfit I am / have become. That’s the Q4 2020 challenge set. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn into a clothes horse!

On the book front, I try to avoid typical self help books, as they are too broad brushed in their approach. I’m open to all genres. I finished The Midnight Library by Matt Haig last week, nothing to demanding, quite a light hearted read but quite relevant in these times. I have enjoyed Haig’s work since picking up The Human’s a number of years ago. His books all have a slant towards mental health and positivity, he talks openly about his own struggles with mental health, his twitter stream is interesting.

On a final note, why don’t we push the clock forward 4 hours, rather than back 1, this will give us all a fighting chance over the winter.

Until next time, keep snapping.

Staycation 2020

A good friend of mine made an interesting statement about Covid19, back in May 2020.

He mentioned he was calling his girlfriend’s pug 'Covid' When I asked ‘why’? I was told, ‘its simple really…… it's stopping us going on holiday, we can't go out for an evening to the pub or restaurant and it poos everywhere'!

Both funny and apt.

I’m sat here writing this blog, returning back to work after my two weeks annual leave. No sun, sea or extravagant journeys unfortunately, lockdown in COVID-19 has kiboshed that.

I had some nice plans for 2020. April 2020 was supposed to be a trip to Istanbul with the kids. It was being billed as ‘kebabs and cameras’. I have been mesmerised by the street photography there for many years, in fact the tipping point was purchasing the excellent City of a hundred names, by Alex Webb last year. But alas not to be, this year at least.

Whilst this is depressing, it is providing me with some me time, catching up on photobooks, documentaries and also afforded me the opportunity to compliment my own body of work documenting these strange times.

It also provided a more grounded break with the kids, to have a couple of day trips.

First up was Broadstairs and Margate. I have always loved the allure of the British seaside town and all its kitsch foibles.

I hadn't been to Broadstairs before, and was given the nod by a work colleague. It was a lovely place with plenty of photo opportunities of the domestic holiday maker.

I wanted to take them to the Black Lives Matters exhibition at the Turner Contemporary Gallery, this was of interest to my daughter, who has taken an interest in the three marches that have been held Brighton over the summer, since the harrowing murder of George Flloyd by a police officer.

The exhibition detailed works evidencing black folks plight in the Deep South to get work through art and craft. It also had an excellent (albeit limited) collection of black and white civil rights photography front the 1960’s.

The Turner Contemporary Gallery is a stunning building situated to the east of the seafront, which also has an Anthony Gormley statue in the sea, at the rear of the gallery.

Whilst the town has regularly been voted the best seaside town in the UK to live, the remnants of the old Margate are omnipresent.

Arlington House is a beautiful brutalist residential high rise that dominates the skyline.

First completed in 1964 the site was advertised as “Britain’s first ‘park and buy’ shopping centre with luxury flats,” and marked the beginning of Margate’s redevelopment.

Arlington was designed by Russell Diplock Associates and built by Bernard Sunley and Sons, Originally the site was made up of 52 shops, a pub, a supermarket, a coach station, a filling station, a multi-storey car park and the 18-storey, 142-flat block.

I normally take the kids up to London for a day trip, but due to the depressed tourist market, we were fortunate to be able to book a 2 night stay at the Lancaster Gate Hotel, near Hyde Park. We snagged a bargain getting the room at 50% of the normal daily rate.

First up was West London, and Notting Hill / Portobello Road.

By daughter loves to see the whitewashed London terraced houses and flower lined mews.

For dinner we headed over to Tayyabs Restaurant for the mixed grill in Whitechapel, absolutely delicious. This place never seems to disappoint. I haven’t eaten here for nearly 10 years.

Day two was a mixture of shopping and sight seeing, we ended up heading over to Soho in the evening for a bite to eat at Bibimbap and to take some night photos of the lights in China Town.

As staycations go, it wasn’t bad, the kids and I remain healthy and well, so we can’t and shouldn’t complain.

Until next time, keep snapping.

A selection of the images within this article are available for sale on the Website or Etsy Store, if you would like to enquire about something else, please click the email icon at the foot of this page.

Masking over the cracks

I’m sat here on Monday 27th July 2020 writing this blog post, after the announcement at the weekend on 24.07.20, when the government made the wearing of PPE / face covering, mandatory in England. That is, when visiting closed spaces such as supermarkets, petrol stations, retail shops etc, MASKS ON.

Although England has been late adopters to this next stage of addressing the pandemic, I suppose its ‘better late than never’.

I have found this whole COVID-19 pandemic to be very revealing and insightful, in regards to understanding the human psyche.

Largely folk are conformist / compliant towards adhering to these changes to societal customs, But I find the right to demonstrate, against such stances as lunacy, for example this MP recently in the Houses of Parliament spouting complete nonsense, as part of his constitutional right to debate.

Normal folk see sense.

What I am finding is that now masks are more common place, folk are more attuned to having their photograph taken, they are conscious about how they look. This change in mindset is making it difficult to catalogue my ongoing COVID-19 project, whilst I look to compile source photos for COVID-19 Volume II Zine.

I am sure things will settle down as masks become the accepted norm, as they have in the Far East.

Whilst I finish of this blog, the radio has had several articles today regarding Boris Johnson’s next government campaign with the fight against obesity. If this is a success, no doubt he will start offering marriage guidance classes.

Until next time, Keep snapping.

A selection of the images within this article are available for sale on the Website or Etsy Store, if you would like to enquire about something else, please click the email icon at the foot of this page.

Lockdown

Decided to pop into town for an end of the day meander.

Seeing first hand the sheer quietness of COVID-19 and the impact of the lockdown on the city, is dystopian.

This period has also led to some interesting discussions with my kids.

What their generation have lost with the exclusion from their peers and friends in the school environment, they have made up with their ability to understand and adapt to these changing times.

What I did notice tonight was a little change.

Whether it was shop owners painting their shopfronts, signs on windows stating 'Opening soon' or owners dusting down counters, there is a sense of change in the air.

This is a once in a lifetime event, I'm so glad that I decided to document it.

You can see the COVID-19 project here.

As this is an ongoing project, I decided to make this into my first zine, Volume I - COVID-19, which will go live this weekend.

Exciting times

A selection of the images within this article are available for sale on the Website or Etsy Store, if you would like to enquire about something else, please click the email icon at the foot of this page.

COVID-19 - Lockdown

‘Stay Home, Protect the NHS & Save Lives’

I created a page for my coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, that is sweeping the world.

Its hard not to make this a political statement, such as the header at the top.

Utter nonesense by the government making our front line NHS workers be exposed to this with any form of acceptable PPE. Not forgetting other essential key workers (transport, supermaket, teachers, this list goes on).

Have a look at the COVID-19 page here.

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