PHIL MAXWELL

Leigh-on-sea

January 23, 2017

Leigh-on-Sea is situated on the northern side of the Thames Estuary, only a few miles from the open waters of the North Sea to the east, and a similar distance from the Kent coast to the south. The coastal environs of the town feature a nature reserve at Two Tree Island and a centrally located beach adjacent to Bell Wharf. At low tide, Leigh’s foreshore has a wide expanse of mud flats and creeks, extending offshore towards the deep water channel of the Thames (Yantlet Channel). I took these photographs whilst walking with Rachel Lichenstein in her home town. Her book Estuary is “an immersive, intimate journey into the world of the Thames Estuary and the people who spend their lives their”. It captures the area beautifully.

Leigh-on-sea 2014

Evening, Leigh-on-sea 2014

Leigh-on-sea 2014

Evening, Leigh-on-sea 2014

Railway station, Leigh-on-sea 2014

Liverpool Trump Protest

January 22, 2017

Hundreds turned out in Liverpool to protest on the day of the inauguration of Donald Trump. In the fading light people gathered on the steps of Lime street station to show there abhorrence towards Trump. On that day the most powerful office on Earth was transfered to someone who promised to build a giant wall along the Mexican border, organise the expulsion of 11 million “illegal” immigrants and introduce “extreme vetting” for Muslims entering the country. Trump has a long history of racist outbursts. He has said ‘laziness is a trait in blacks’, described Mexican immigrants as ‘criminals’ and ‘rapists’, and condoned the beating of a Black Lives Matter activist at one of his rallies. He has also said women should be “punished” for having abortions, and chillingly sought to downplay the severity of sexual violence, dismissing boasts of sexually assaulting women as ‘locker room talk’.

The most powerful elected official in the world will also now be a climate change denier, posing a direct threat to the survival of large swathes of humanity as global temperatures threaten to cause climate chaos. Trump also suggested he would consider appointing Supreme Court judges that would overturn the ruling on same sex marriages. The effects of a Trump presidency is set to be felt all over the world as racism, sexism, homophobia and bigotry is normalised through the voice of one of the most powerful and visible figures in the world, and progress on Co2 emissions targets dashed as one of the world’s largest emitters refuses to accept there is a problem. At the Liverpool protest speakers from CND, Trade Unions and community groups outlined what a Trump presidency would mean and why it is vital that the world stands up to Trump from day one.