Alternative Headlines
On Saturday 500,000 attended the largest protest march in central London since the march against war in Iraq in 2003. In addition to the many trade union banners carried at the demonstration, hundreds of individual and mass produced posters called for an alternative to the present attack on the poor and an economy designed to protect and satiate the rich.
No Cuts. TUC March Central London 2011
No Cuts. TUC March Central London 2011
The Egyptian Sphinx on the Embankment provides an excellent resting place for this No Cuts banner. The statue is a copy of the Sphinx from ancient Egypt comprising a Lions body with the head of the Pharaoh Chephren. Essentially a symbol of the vanity of Chephren built with the Labour of his workers.
'Death by a thousand cuts'. TUC demonstration, March 2011
'We won't pay for their crisis'. TUC demonstration, March 2011
The crisis was created by the banks. The bankers continue to receive millionaire bonuses and we are told their is no alternative to the cuts. The large banner (below) embracing the bridge over the Embankment provides part of the answer.
Tax the rich. TUC demonstration, March 2011
'Liverpool Remembers', TUC demonstration March 2011
An intelligent piece of photomontage (above) is customised with the words ‘Liverpool Remembers’; the transition from Thatcher to Cameron is really effective. Below is a photograph of Liverpool during the Thatcher era.
Liverpool housing, 1978
Protestors on Cleopatra's needle, TUC March London 2011
'Why make the poor pay?', TUC March London 2011
'Cut war not welfare', TUC March London 2011
'Cut Trident', TUC March London 2011
'Tory cuts medicine', TUC March London 2011
'Tory cuts', TUC March London 2011
Birmingham teachers, TUC March London 2011
'Long live the welfare state', TUC March London 2011
'Death by a thousand cuts', TUC March London 2011
Fleet Street Hill
Fleet Street Hill was a small cobbled road joining Allen Gardens with Cheshire Street. The Victorian railway bridge and arch had the ability to immediately conjure up an atmosphere suggesting Victorian London, danger and darkness. The railway arch, much abused by car thieves, film makers, prostitutes, and heroin addicts, even had its own acoustic.
Concrete structure adjacent to the Railway line from the East into Liverpool Street, 2003
The concrete structure on four legs had become an iconic marker on the Spitalfields horizon before it was demolished a few years ago.
Tree & Railway structure viewed from Spitalfields Farm, 1987
The Great Eastern Railway Company built the viaduct to the right of this railway arch (below). It was once a haven for vagrants and I do believe that Don McCullin photographed there in the 1960’s. As you walk under the bridge you feel as if you are walking into a time tunnel; moving towards the other side always felt like a bit of a mystery. This was not related to the possibility of being mugged or disturbing a couple engaged in sex on the steps up the bridge. If I was ever to be transported somewhere by aliens or a Tower Hamlets Council enforcement officer then it would happen here.
Hazuan approaches Fleet Street Hill bridge at night, 2003
This image formed part of a tryptic which hangs on our studio wall waiting for another home.
Hazuan approaches the stairs at Fleet Street Hill, 2003
The stoned digital ambiance of darkness (above) gives way to Hazuan captured on stoical black and white film (below) in 1998.
Hazuan approaching the steps of the bridge at Fleet Street Hill, 1997
Looking back towards the imposing concrete structure (below) a boy walks towards the photographer as he approaches Cheshire Street via the bridge.
Boy walks over bridge, Spitalfields 1988
Three people cross a bridge, Spitalfields 1984
Looking down from the bridge towards Cheshire Street (below) traders of second hand goods and their stalls are visible.
View from the top of a bridge, Spitalfields 1984
Burger Blues
The mobile burger bar (below) has been a common site for many years at the Sclater Street market. I have never seen anyone purchase a burger from the stall.
Mother and son at the Sclater Street market, 1998
The ‘Purveyors of fine food’ sign at the summit of the hut did not appear to draw potential burger buyers in.
Mother and son at the Sclater Street market, 1998
In 2003 the Burger bar moved its venue to across the road; the ‘Purveyors of fine food’ lettering has been removed in favour of more subtle marketing. Still six years later no one appears to be buying a burger and the man with the trolley (below) is walking away from the bar.
Man with trolley walking away from burger bar, Sclater Street market 2003
The young woman (below) has wrapped herself in a scarf as she walks past a burger advertisement.
Young woman passes burger advertisement, Whitechapel Road 2002
March against this Government!
It is with great pleasure that I have followed the prime minister David Cameron as he vainly attempts to explain and revive his election slogan of the ‘Big Society’. Charities are supposed to be playing a key role in the ‘Big Society’ despite having their funding cut.
John Major & Jack Profumo, Toynbee Hall 2003
One of the most well known charities in the East End is Toynbee Hall. They were supported by the late Jack Profumo who is described on the Toynbee website as ‘their longest serving volunteer’. Jack at one stage was apparently the toilet cleaner; I never saw him doing that but I suppose it looked good on the CV. In reality his job was to be grand and invite other grandees to donate to his charity. His contacts with the Conservative Party enabled him to pull in big name Tories to pontificate about social issues at lectures attended by the great and the good. I attended a few of these events and thought that the vast majority of the audiences were comprised of what I would describe as East End poverty tourists. Their lives, social experience, wealth and class removed them completely from the lives of real East Enders. Nevertheless I’m sure they considered themselves experts on the East End after attending a lecture by Michael Portillo with a complimentary glass of wine and finger buffet.
Ian Duncan Smith at Toynbee Hall, 2006
Ian Duncan Smith recently joined the Prime Minister at Toynbee Hall to launch plans for welfare reform. What they both have in common is a life characterised by privilege and wealth far removed from the life experience of the vast majority of the population. The majority of the Cabinet went to public schools and are millionaires. They are an out if touch elite who use their positions in government to protect privilege.
Pensioners at Toynbee Hall
Tories are always at their most gruesome when they try to convince the public they have big hearts when in reality they are trying to screw most of us in order to protect big business, bankers and an assortment of unaccountable secretive interest groups. In reality Cameron is paying lip service to the role that charities can play, while starving them of the resources they need. The voluntary sector is struggling under the weight of public sector budget cuts, the withdrawal of grants and the increase in VAT. The government is privatising Community Service and excluding public and voluntary sectors from the bidding process.
Tories at a Tory Conference, early 1990's
Cameron’s attempt to re-launch his ‘Big Society’ is nothing but a smokescreen for privatisation and allowing public services to be taken over and run down. Some people are disappointed and surprised at the role the Liberal Party has played in enabling this to happen. I’ve always found that if you scratch a Liberal you will find a Tory underneath; having experienced 8 years of a Liberal Council in Tower Hamlets in the 1980’s the antics of Clegg and Co don’t come as a surprise.
Protesting against the sale of Council Housing in Tower Hamlets, 1980's
Bill Turner, the protester above was critical of a Liberal Council’s privatisation of Council housing.
Protester against cuts in adult education, 2010
The Liberals pledged to support students in their fight against tuition fees. Once they were in power they ditched the policy. The annual cost of tuition fees has now gone up to as much as £9,000 – pricing many students out of higher education.
River Thames, 2004
Tower Hamlets Liberals even flirted with the idea of saving money by placing homeless families on a ship on the river Thames. The ‘Big Society’ is a big con sponsored by a coalition government which is doing huge damage to both the public and voluntary sectors whilst protecting the interests of big business.
Tomorrow, thousands of people will join the TUC march in London, to tell the government that savage spending cuts are unnecessary and unfair. The public service cuts will hit the most vulnerable the hardest.
There is an alternative
- fair taxation – tax the rich not the poor
- investment in our local communities, health and education
- a more equal and just society
- anything else you can think of to get rid of the ConDems
Chimneys
I can remember smog when I was a child. A toxic mix of fog and smoke, pouring from thousands of chimneys, it could reduce visibility to a few feet and induce a deadly suffocation. Chimneys abounded in the UK until the introduction of various clean air legislation rendered their use illegal.
The Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool and a house with chimneys, 1977
Truman chimney, Brick Lane 2007
I’m not sure if the prominent red and white funnels releasing steam from the bowels of New York City (below) qualify as chimneys but they perform a similar function to their higher up cousins.
Junction with steam funnels, New York City 2005
Old chimneys (below) compete with an even older spire of Christ church, Spitalfields.
Christ Church spire with chimneys, Spitalfields 1991
