Skip to content

Newspapers

January 14, 2013
Whitechapel Station, newspaper sellers

Whitechapel Station, newspaper sellers 1988

London used to be full of newspaper sellers. They were part of the fabric of every tube station. The woman wearing the glasses is selling copies of the Evening Standard at the entrance of Whitechapel tube station. She has been joined by two other women. They have broken off from their conversation to observe an argument further down Whitechapel Rd. As a boy I had a paper round so I’ve always considered myself to be a distant relative to the hardy newspaper sellers of London!

Aldgate East paper sellers, 1987

Aldgate East newspaper sellers, 1987

Its a great shame that the digital revolution has heralded the extinction of newspaper sellers. They added character and colour to the streets. Some sellers even had their own cry advertising the paper. Those who advertised their paper verbally seemed to have a secret language. You would never quite understand what they were saying but you knew they were selling newspapers.

Aldgate East paper seller, 1985

Aldgate East newspaper seller, 1985

Newspaper seller, Aldgate East 1985

Newspaper seller, Aldgate East 1985

Newspaper seller, Aldgate East 1985

Newspaper seller, Aldgate East 1985

Newspaper seller, Birdcage pub Columbia Rd 1987

Newspaper seller, Birdcage pub Columbia Rd 1987

Reading a newspaper. Mile End underground, London c. 2000

Reading a newspaper. Mile End underground, London c. 2000

Man reading a newspaper. Bishopsgate Goods Yard c. 2000

Man reading a newspaper. Bishopsgate Goods Yard c. 2000

Man selling newspapers, Bishopsgate c. 1996

Man selling newspapers, Bishopsgate c. 1996

Newspapers on the wall, Dhaka Bangladesh c. 1996

Newspapers on the wall, Dhaka Bangladesh c. 1996

Selling newspapers, Dhaka Bangladesh c. 1996

Selling newspapers, Dhaka Bangladesh c. 1996

Cash And Carry On The Street

January 13, 2013
Selling vegetables on Brick Lane

Fly pitch on Brick Lane, 1983

This enterprising man has set up a fly pitch at the junction of Brick Lane and Hanbury Street. The vegetables in the boxes are going cheap and will attract the attention of passers buy. Such behaviour today would risk the wrath of trading standards officers who would be allerted by CCTV.

Pineapples for sale in Dhaka, 1994

Pineapples for sale in Dhaka, 1994

These pineapple sellers are unlikely to be asked to move on. The street floor is their shop.

Bishopsgate goods yard suitcase sale

Bishopsgate goods yard suitcase sale, 2001

An arch of the old Bishopsgate goods yard crowns this man’s suitcase. On offer is a clock, toys, story books and a shiny pair of black shoes.

Woman selling clothes on Brick Lane, 2009

Woman selling clothes on Brick Lane, 2009

Sunday market on Brick Lane

Fly pitch on Brick Lane, 2009

Selling lighters on Brick Lane, c. 1984

Selling lighters on Brick Lane, c. 1984

Cash and carry, Commercial Street c. 1990

Cash and carry, Commercial Street c. 1990

Expressive Hands

January 12, 2013
Hands on the underground

Hands on the underground

I’ve always felt that hands are an extension of an individuals personality. The urge to photograph them has always been there. Hands are fascinating and like the face bear the marks of time. Here are some hands that have received my attention over the years.

Petticoat Lane hands

Hands on Petticoat lane, early 1980's

I think these hands betray some anxiety. A few seconds after I took this I photographed this man from the front and his face showed the anxiety already exhibited by the grip of his hands.

Hands on Brick Lane

Hands on Brick Lane, 2009

These hands are altogether more relaxed but emerge a little uncomfortably from the jacket. The jacket is relatively new and lacks the character of the well worn coat from Petticoat Lane.

Brick Lane hands

Hands in a shop window, Brick Lane 1998

The mannequin appears to be in a daze and her hands convey no signals of life. Is she dead or alive?

Brighton hand

Brighton pier 2002

The unplanned appearance of this hand on Brighton pier changes the composition dramatically. The ornate iron work appears to derive energy from the sudden intrusion and reflect the hands shape.

A wave with a hand, c.1982 Liverpool

A wave with a hand, c.1982 Liverpool

Tony Benn making a point with his hand, c.1995

Tony Benn making a point with his hand, c.1995

Hand and face from the British Museum Egyptology collection

Hand and face from the British Museum Egyptology collection

Richard Hickox - conductor's hands, c. 1990's

Richard Hickox - conductor's hands, c. 1990's

Malaysian hands in Greece, 2000

Malaysian hands in Greece, 2000

Marrakech

January 11, 2013

I’ve just returned from seeing friends in that wonderful place Marrakech. Here is a taste of a magical place.

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

In the Kasbah, 2013

Whitechapel Station Updated

January 10, 2013

Whitechapel station is the nearest underground station to my home. Opened in 1876 it is the main gateway to the rest of the world for local residents.  The station has not changed that much over the years. The entrance faces the Royal London hospital and Whitechapel market.

Early 1980’s. Who is this man waiting for?

This man was a regular feature on the streets of Whitechapel in the early 1980’s. He had the ability to sleep standing up with the aid of his crutches.

This lady is waiting for her four photos which were developed in four and a half minutes for 60p. This facility was available in the entrance in the 1980’s.

Waiting for a train 2010.

Waiting at Whitechapel Station, c.1995

Waiting at Whitechapel Station, c.1995

Moving on the District Line, c. 1998

Moving on the District Line, c. 1998