10 million a day
In 2021, UK consumers drank 2.5 million litres or 10 million bottles of water per day. That’s a lot of plastic. It’s great that you’re all drinking so much water; good hydration is important. But when you buy bottled water, you are driving a chain that’s having a significant impact on our environment.
The Table: Feeding the Homeless through a Pandemic
Tony and Vicki Harris have been on a journey that would change their lives, seeing Tony giving away all their money and most of his clothes. It would lead them to start a group that would feed up to 50 people, six nights a week, during the height of the pandemic.
Mixing Colours: Video Submission
Roger Eno and Brian Eno invited submissions of single-shot videos to accompany the tracks on their latest album Mixing Colours. I chose 'Iris', a restful piano piece.
I shot my submission very simply on my iPhone, on a small bridge over the Thames and Medway Canal, a couple of miles from my home. This is the point where the countryside ends and the conurbation begins; London is in the distance.
C-19 Stories: The Darnley Pharmacy
The Darnley Pharmacy now dispenses prescriptions from a window. This saves patients needing to enter the shop, reducing the risk to them and the staff.
Field Notes: The trees of Windmill Hill
The trees of Windmill Hill, a series of three. Images Shot in Gravesend, March 2020.
Originally started to improve my Affinity Designer skills; this series is mainly inspired by specific graphic designs, or designers, I admire.
Lost Pubs: The Old Sun
Another in my series documenting Gravesend pubs that have recently closed. I’ve generally been trying to photograph the pubs at night, that seems the time when a pub should look most alive, highlighting those that are no longer. But a found myself walking past The Old Sun camera in hand, and it seemed too good an opportunity to miss. I might still come back one evening.
Lost Pubs: New Inn
The New Inn can be traced back to 1780. The pub with the shops adjoining had previously been the home of the Holker family where, in April 1734, Dr Holker entertained the Prince and Princess of Orange (daughter of George II) after their marriage when they were weather-bound on their return to Holland.
Lost Pubs: The Globe
On Thursday last, four well-dressed men arrived at the Globe Tavern, Gravesend, by a London Steam Packet. At their request they were accommodated with a bedroom and a sumptuous dinner, for which they paid and left for London the same afternoon. After they were gone, Mr. Lott, the proprietor, discovered that his bedroom had been broken into, and the bureau plundered of a pocket book containing £160.
Lost Pubs: The Call Boy
The Call Boy was built in 1953, replacing the demolished Assembly Rooms pub that was on this site before it. In 2008 the brewery Shepherd Neame closed The Call Boy along with many other pubs in the area.
Lost Pubs: Manor Shades
There have, at some time, been sixteen pubs in Gravesend with the suffix ‘Shades’ to their name. Manor Shades was the last when it closed on 31st December 2012. There were also ‘Shades’ pubs across south-east London and Kent.
Lost Pubs: The Railway Tavern
The Railway Tavern opened in 1881 and was tied to the Meux’s Brewery, it still features the original Meux glazed tiles. After 129 years of trading, it closed in 2010 and then reopened in 2011 as D-Ream. D-Ream lasted just over a year, closing in October 2012.
Lost Pubs: Terrace Tavern & Hotel
The Terrace Tavern and Hotel was present in records from 1837. It was tied to the Russell’s Brewery of Gravesend and the exterior of the still features the beautiful green tiles advertising Russell’s ‘Shrimp Brand’ beers, dating from around 1913. At one time the pub had its own football team, indoor cricket team, darts and pool teams; a real community hub.
Lost pubs: City of London
The building that was once the City of London is in a great location high above the river Thames. The original pub was founded here in 1839. Unfortunately, that building was destroyed by fire in 1893. The rebuilt City of London traded until 2002, in 2009 it was converted to a b&b.
Lost pubs: The Pilot Tavern
In 2012 when The Pilot Tavern closed the Gravesend Messenger reported: Its former landlady Susan Newman remained there and rather than tear it down is now hoping to bring the building, which is in dire need of some repair, back to its former glory.
Lost pubs: The Bricklayers Arms
The Bricklayers Arms opened in 1851 and closed in 1910. It reopened as The Station Hotel in 1914 which closed in 2002. Reopening later as Bar24 and then The Bridge Bar, which finally closed in 2017.
Lost pubs: Ascot Arms
The Public House, the pub, with maybe the church, was once at the centre of every English community. In my parent’s generation most men, and sometimes women, would have ‘a local’ a place to go and chat with friends about their lives, their troubles, or at least how poorly their football team were playing that week.
Sanctuary: talking with Steve Nolan
“Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, come to the community and share the gospel”. I’m sitting in the small very busy office at Sanctuary, the night shelter for the homeless in Gravesend, talking to Steve Nolan. Steve and his wife Lorna are the unpaid Project Managers for Sanctuary.
Sanctuary: not what I expected
I’m not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this.
Steve Nolan is showing me around Sanctuary, a night shelter for the homeless. He and his wife Lorna are the full-time Project Managers for the shelter.
365 Project
I’ve, possibly foolishly, started a 365 project for 2017. If you’re not familiar with the concept it’s a project some photographers undertake to free themselves from the confines of what they have to shoot and allow themselves to play a little.
Gravesend Street Portraits
I had a great couple of hour shooting some street portraits in Gravesend last Sunday. I took the opportunity to hand out some of my 'We Are Gravesend' flyers, hopefully, I contacted with some interested participants.