2003 Review

After providing freelance cover for the Bolton Evening News and other Newsquest titles for three years it all came to a rather sorry end in May. Newsquest staffers went on strike for an increase on their miserably poor pay levels, and the majority of freelancers both union and non union decided to support them. Regrettably Newsquest management decided that 'since we had been unavailable to work, work would be unavailable for the freelances'. This has resulted in them being unable to cover many late night jobs and has put extra pressure on the staffers.

The good news is that in June, the Oldham Advertiser, part of Guardian Media, owners of the Manchester Evening News gave me a weekly column to shoot on pubs and clubs in Oldham. The Rochdale Observer considered this to be a success, they now want to use me to cover their version of the page in 2004.

I'm still shooting the weekly Ray King food features for the Manchester Evening News, and I've had a chance to sample some of the best and worst food in the North West.

There were also trips to  Yorkshire and Northern Ireland to produce work for Time Out's Eating Out In Great Britain and Ireland 2004 book.

January

Bolton celebrated 750 years of the granting of its charter as a town. A cloth and scaffolding medieval arch was built over Churchgate.  The mayor was caught street drinking by two police officers as part of an ale testing ceremony, but the town crier was 'arrested' instead by two policemen dressed as Peelers. Worst moment for me was hanging out of a cherry picker over the archway for a fisheye shot.

February

The first  snow of the year at Smithills Hall, it stayed for an hour or less, and there was a mad panic to get a picture back to the Manchester Evening News first edition before it melted. 

The Taurus Bar provided one of the funniest moments of the year. I was sent there by the Bolton Evening News with a blonde female reporter, undercover, with the intention of getting a report on a play about Myra Hindley being performed there. We quickly realised that our cover was blown as we sat in a bar full of moustached men kissing each other and stoutly built women looking lovingly into each other's eyes. The BEN didn't seem to have noticed when booking us that the bar was on Canal Street in Manchester in the heart of the Gay Village.

March 

I never managed to get sent to cover any of the anti war protests that popped up all over the place. I came upon this one whilst returning from a food feature. The vast majority of the British population were against the UK going to war against Iraq, Tony Blair's popularity started to slump. Later in the year we were to discover that the government had 'bent the truth' to justify their support for the USA.

As Bolton Music Centre's week long extravaganza was being given large amounts of page space, everyone was getting ready for the war to begin.

A lighter moment was being pelted with roses and thongs by middle aged women whilst in the press pit at the Donny Osmond concert at the Manchester Evening News Arena.

April

Several square miles of moorland above Belmont were destroyed in fires that raged over the tinder dry grassland. The pictures were used by all the local papers, and the Daily Mail. The National Trust selected some pictures for use in a brochure and the  fire brigade used them in internal reports.

May

Two things became apparent during May, firstly I wasn't going to be offered any more work by Newsquest titles following the strike. The other one was that the Labour Party were going to get a shock in the local elections. As a fall out from the war in Iraq, many Labour voters deserted the party and voted Liberal Democrat instead. Even the Conservatives had a little to dance and smile about. Amazingly the Labour Party Mayor was still smiling despite major defeats across the town. The largest shifts were in areas with a large Muslim population.

Since it was quiet I had a little time for personal work, and spent a few hours photographing a friend's Porsche.

June

Coverage of a charity fashion show at the Village Hotel, Bury for the Manchester Evening News produced a scoop ahead of the Sun who pulled their story. One of the models, 6th form student, Claudia Kinsey was rumoured to be 'involved' with Simply Red singer Mick Hucknell. I  started learning to photograph Rugby as a personal exercise.. Summer music festivals kicked off with the Performing Arts Orchestra's Seventies Night.

July

Salford Reds win the Arriva Trains final, my first experience pitch side at a major rugby event, and my adopted 'home team' lose. Probably my favourite picture of the year was the Halle Fireworks Concert at Tatton Park. MEN editor Paul Horrocks asked for a picture showing the audience, champagne glasses, candelabras, the orchestra and possibly the fireworks. No excuses about it being impossible due to exposure latitude or depth of field were allowed. This was the penultimate frame from over 300 taken. It was nominated as Manchester Online's Pic of the Week.

August

I've never been a sport specialist, but I ended up covering the World Cycle Speedway Championships in Bury and the England V Germany women's hockey. Rugby is coming on nicely. I'm starting to discover more of Oldham's night life ranging from the youthful Smokies to the more senior Candlelight. It's hard to stop myself covering it all in the style of Martin Parr.

September

After 17 years photographing weddings for myself and other studios I finally decided that it was time to pack it all in and concentrate on the press photography exclusively. Yet another World Championship- this time it's the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships in Ramsbottom. Sven came along to help in the guise of Leigh Journal photographer Colin Lyne. The end of the BBC 'Restoration' programme came to a dramatic finale, Tony Bowyer, who led the Manchester Victoria Baths campaign awaits the result- they won! The tackle of a Leigh player by a Rochdale player needs no comment.

October

Whilst snapping TV presenter Esther Rantzen during an interview she remarks that she, "Can't talk and look at a camera at the same time." How odd- perhaps she doesn't like my choice of lighting and tight crop. Cold Feet actor John Thompson tells the MEN that he is living a new healthy lifestyle and has lost loads of weight. Pictured later at the bar after the Manchester Food and Drink Awards fag in hand, looking flushed. He hated the MEN for those pics- said they made him look fat. Finally, a fun portrait from Vogue Bar on Halloween for the Oldham Advertiser. One of the most appreciated pics of the year by by visitors to my site.

Controversial Michelin Starred chef Paul Kitching wins Chef of the Year at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards. Finally, floodlit bowling during a successful attempt at the World record for a continual bowls game.

November

November is always a month of contrasts, at the beginning there's Bonfire Night, followed by Remembrance Sunday, then at the end there's the Christmas light switch on at various towns.

Bonfire Night involved a semi naked man from the Manchester Company of Extreme Largeness' performing inside a blazing gyroscope. Oldham's Yorkshire Street provided a visual surprise in the form of two pole dancers leaving a club, who I persuaded to perform around a lamp post. Unpublished, but I understand that it made it to a few desktops as wallpaper. I thought Poland was cold- perhaps they were not Polish after all? The Community Stars event required a colourful picture, produced using my favourite slow shutter and flash technique. I was the sole MEN photographer on the Manchester Lights Switch On, yet another fireworks picture to be given Manchester Online's pic of the week. Remembrance Sunday in Manchester was thought provoking, especially the two Nuclear Test Veterans. The pilot of one of the planes used in the test had seen 30% of these human guinea pigs die before they were 50. He was himself suffering with several terminal cancers.

December

After the annual Search for a Star competition at the Willows in Salford was over I thought that late nights in social clubs at talent contests were over. I was wrong, I hadn't banked on Taylor's Social Club in Eccles. The club was a low smoke filled barn, with fittings straight from Peter Kay's TV programme Phoenix Nights and an atmosphere from the Wheeltappers and Shunters of the 1970s. Most of the contestants were refugees from the MEN sponsored event, with the winner being a Willows Search for a Star heat winner- Matt Baker. Matt, based in Somerset, and with a suitable yokel accent tours the country scooping up talent contest wins. As Matt was presented with his prize by Bill Jolly of the club (Jolly by name, jolly by nature) a cascade of metal foil was released from above the stage, which stuck to everyone's sweaty faces. I don't know how I kept a straight face.

The Boxing Day Hunt at Rivington was a bit more hairy than usual. Tempers flared as a car tried to break through a line of protesters. Why do only 76% of foxes want hunting banned?

Sculptor Jason Minsky tried to bring former mill town, Radcliffe back to life with a collection of cardboard tubes and fairy lights in a temporary 'light work'. This picture produced the most outspoken comment of the year to my 'Pic of the Week pages.

You didn't actually call him a Pratt; Jason can speak for himself without saying a word is my guess . My initial feel when I saw your shots was the gift you and all real artists have, the ability to raise the mundane to something approaching art. I'd guess the event was quite dull for you and you needed to spice up what you actually witnessed. I can just feel your incredulity as you peered in the view finder. Sadly Jason, and his opus seemed to me, without seeing his stuff , just his smug face, to be completely mediocre and in need of your artistic flare to make him just a tad interesting. An impossible brief given that material !

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