Morris Dancers National Day of Dance in York
Over 50 Morris dance groups took to the streets of York dancing at various locations all within the city walls. This event takes place in a different part of the country each year and shows the variety of styles, traditions, costumes and music that make up Morris dancing. This year it was hosted by Minster […]
Making beer barrels in Wetherby with England’s last Master Cooper.
Alastair Simms, a Master Cooper based in Wetherby, West Yorkshire is the last remaining Master Cooper in England. A job he thought would die a death after he retires in a few years, but as luck would have it, the recent surge in microbreweries has kept him pretty busy – so much so that he’s […]
On the Grid, York
It was great to be asked by Maraid Design to photograph their favourite hang outs in York for the brilliant designer’s online travel guide – On The Grid. Maraid were asked to curate the York page which has just gone live today! It includes all their favourite cafes, shops and bars in York, so if […]
Hans van der Meer – European Fields
At the beginning of the 1995 football season, Hans van der Meer set out to take a series of football photographs that avoided the clichéd traditions of modern sports photography. In an attempt to record the game in its original form – a field, two goals and 22 players – he sought matches at the […]
Budapest communist cars
During a recent trip to Budapest I came across a few old cars dating back to the days of communism. During this period, Hungarians had few choices when it came to car ownership, with Ladas, Trabants, Skodas and Fiats pretty much all you could get. The cars were very basic, pretty uninspiring and were incredibly […]
Alec Soth – Songbook
I came across Songbook a while back during a visit to the Village Bookstore in Leeds. This latest publication from Alec Soth, a photographer from Minneapolis examines life and communities in rural America. During the project, Soth assumed the role of community newspaper reporter and from 2012-2014 travelled state by state while working on his self-published […]
Northallerton Prison (words by Russ Thorne)
When it opened in 1788, Northallerton prison’s first inmates can have had little doubt as to society’s attitude towards them. Never mind that it was designed by John Carr – who also created Leeds’ grand Harewood House – this was the first custom built prison in the country and its purpose was clear in the […]
Confrontier by Kai Wiedenhöfer
One of my favourite books of 2014. I was lucky enough to see the accompanying exhibition at Newcastle’s Side Gallery and was deeply moved with this extraodinary body of work. In 1989 Kai Wiedenhöfer photographed the fall of the Berlin Wall in his hometown. At the time, Wiedenhöfer, like many, believed this event would mark […]
Gasbehälter (Gasholder) by Bernd and Hilla Becher
German husband and wife team Bernd and Hilla Becher’s wonderful book Gasbehälter. The pair met as students in Dusseldorf in 1957 and began collaborating on photographing the disappearing German industrial landscape. Famous for their work on water towers, this book (published in 2002) looks at gasholders around Europe and is an absolute favourite of mine.
Andy Stott and Rainer Veil at Shipley’s Kirkgate Centre
The brilliant Andy Stott with support by Rainer Veil at the Kirkgate Centre in Shipley. Another thumping gig organised by the Golden Cabinet who are raising a few very respectful eyebrows in the electronica music scene.