Land of my father’s

My family was from Salford, so I’m pleased to be a runner up in the council’s As Seen in Salford photography competition with a picture (inevitably) taken at Salford Quays (or Manchester Docks as it was known in my day).

A word from our sponsors…

I would like to give you my personal assurance that I would never let commercial realities come between me and you dear reader. So you have my cast iron guarantee that no advertising (subliminal – eat chocolate – or otherwise) or product (Volkswagen) placement shall ever sully these pages.

Yours truly, Robert Maxwell (prop.)

Borderland

Liz Lock and Mishka Hener’s new show Borderland opens at Gallery Oldham on 1 November and runs until 10 January. Liz and Mishka have worked in Oldham over the past 18 months, creating a series of images that explore the changing cultural and physical identity of the town. – I think their work is brilliant.

Dreams can come true

 

If there were dreams to sell, What would you buy? 
– Thomas Lovell Beddoes
Last night I dreamt of shopping trolleys. Two abandoned in a suburban street, waiting to be photographed. I suppose all photographers are collectors. Nearly every series I’ve done has started by accident. I realise I’ve collected a few photographs of the same thing and off we go… For some reason I accumulated a few photos of abandoned shopping trolleys. Now I look for them and have 42. I look out of the bus window hoping to make it 43. Last night I thought I’d reached 44.
I need to get out more!

Going, going, gone?

Whilst in London I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go and take a photograph of Banksy’s rather nice One Nation Under CCTV mural/graffiti/artwork/polemic (delete as you deem necessary).Glad I did – According to The Times, Westminster Council are planning to remove the said tourist attraction/witty comment/piece of wanton vandalism.
It’s by the Royal Mail Sorting Office on Newman Street (off Oxford Street) if you’re quick (well quicker than Westminster Council). Wonder if anyone will try to nick the wall?

Ligging

Went to the the opening of the Sarah Moon retrospective at the Royal College of Art. Mrs Dave (pictured) was very pleased to discover she’s taller than Erin O’Connor. David Bailey however took the news very calmly that I am taller than him. Although the champagne flowed freely, there was no cake whatsoever (this only makes sense if you’ve been to one of my openings).

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

As well as cctv, I take pictures of people being morose beside the sea. I’ve just been to stay in the newly refurbished art deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe. And just to prove it, here’s a rare picture of me – being camera shy in my room. So if you’re at the seaside do say hello if you recognise me (sometimes I wear a stovepipe hat instead of the lampshade).
Hopefully the trip to Morecambe will have added a few more photos to my seaside series, which I’m aiming to finish next year. Mind you I’m quite partial to a stroll along the prom, prom, prom – so don’t want to finish it too soon.

Neighbourhood watch

Spent today at Willow Park Housing Trust in Wythenshawe photographing their control room for my project on cctv. If you want to see the series develop, have a look at my DDTV flickr stream. New pictures get uploaded every weekend.
One day soon it will be finished and I won’t know what to take photos of anymore.