The days since we learnt photography together have long since passed, but they are far from a distant memory, most of the recollections are still relatively fresh with me, they were good times indeed. Our class was a small one, 12 students and we met formally once a week for several hours over the course of 3 or 4 years, I cannot remember exactly now. Sadly, some of those people, my friends, have now passed away, some I have no idea where they are now, but two friends I have kept in regular contact with, over now what is, almost 40 years!
If you have read certain of my previous posts, you’ll have already met one – Pete, we have had some good adventures together. The other is Steve and we’ve had some good adventures too! When I do get back to London, we try to meet up and go out shooting together, though as the years have rolled by, it’s become harder for various reasons.
One such occasion was a few years ago, on a trip to London we met and spent the day in London’s Borough market and the South Bank. I was staying with my sister in south west London, Steve lives very close by, so we met and travelled into London together. Pete came in to London for the day from Bristol with his daughter Amy.
Borough Market is a wonderful place to go to and experience, it is full of life and wonderful stalls with all kinds of fare to found and had. Needless to say, there is a great deal to photograph there and as you know I love photographing people, but let’s not forget the colours, shapes, textures (sorry there’s no way I can show you the wonderful smells!), so many and varied aspects of the market and the people there.
London is an amazing city, there’s a wealth of history, and so many different areas for one to explore and photograph. Borough Market is just one of many markets in London and it’s also close to many other areas of interest too. You could make so many walking tours of London and no two would ever be alike – so then think also of the myriad of photographic opportunities just waiting for your camera.
Long before I was ever interested in photography, when I lived in near Clapham Junction (in Battersea), our local fruit and veg market was along Northcote Road – down (or up) the Junction! and I remember it well. The images and sounds of the people, stalls and shops along the road, are as fresh in my mind today as the produce that was sold from those stalls so many years ago, along with their cries of what they were selling to attract business. Out-of-interest, I just did a Google search, as I’m writing this post, and the only image I can find of the period of time (a few years later that I’m writing about) is a shot of a visit from then Opposition Leader – Maggy Thacher. But nothing from the time of my youth – a few photos from much earlier. The bulk of the photos I found are shot recently and show the many trendy bars and restaurants that line the road now. It was a very working-class area when I was a boy – just as Borough was – not so any longer! Borough was a “rougher” area than Clapham and Battersea were when I was growing-up.
The photographs I have shown here today, are of a much more modern and trendy market and London – one that attracts tourism and not the market of old, where you’d only find locals shopping for their dailies or the weekly shop – not that they don’t now.
My day at Borough Market and the South Bank, was not just about going out to do some street photography, but very much for being in the company of good, old friends, people I have known and enjoyed being with for so many years. Peter and Steve are the two people I have only ever gone out with on a regular basis to shoot with. There is an unspoken understanding when we’re shooting, we’re never in each other’s way, we can wonder off and always find each other. We have shot together so many times for many years – there is an awareness that goes along with it. I hardly ever see Pete and Steve now, though we stay in touch through the internet and video calls. We still share images and stories with each other and as I have mentioned in a previous post – Pete and his daughter Amy still shoot film (as well as digital).
I’m also sure that our lives have changed and that our photographic priorities and ideals have changed along the way too. And that’s fine, everything changes and one must embrace the change and learn and adapt. I don’t doubt for a moment the way in which I would have approached and shot a subject is very different to how I would go about my work now. Should I have the opportunity to visit and shoot Borough Market on a future occasion, my approach will definitely be different, my photography has/is evolving, I’m learning all the time (well I hope I am) – and I wouldn’t want it any other way!
It’s a shame that it was all gone before I ever thought to photograph it, the images are still in my mind, along with the sounds and smells. Though I cannot show you the images from my youth, that exist as memories in my mind, I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and the images from it too.