Last orders at the bar
Photographer Chris Etchells has been working on a project called Last Orders At The Bar: The Demise Of The Great British Pub.
According to the British Beer and Pub Association, 52 pubs are closing each week and the figures for the first six months of 2009 show the rate of pub closure increased by a third, so Chris' photographic project is timely.
Chris feels that:
"Hidden amongst the demolition and dereliction are some architectural gems. Remember, just because something is broken doesn't mean it isn't beautiful. These photos are not an obituary for the British public house, but a petition against their decline written with homage to their lost charm."
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The project is ongoing and Chris hopes to exhibit the work and perhaps produce a book; for now, he's still gathering pictures and looking at the background to the closures.
Chris said:
"It's too easy too simply blame this decline on the recent credit crunch and ignore the other factors at work, the change in society for a start. The pub used to be the bastion of the working man.
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"People socialise differently these days. The internet and social networking sites keep people in touch and up-to-date with their friend's daily news and gossip in a way that used to be served by socialising in the pub night after night.
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"So are things really that bad? Is the glass half empty or half full? Not all licensed premises are faring so badly. Pubs that have diversified into offering food are able to buck the trend, being able to act more like restaurants with the added social aspect a pub brings. City centre bars seem to be prospering too, as are the ubiquitous chain pubs for obvious economic reasons."
I wish Chris well in his project: it's well-conceived and has a strong visual pull, so the final set should be engaging.
My ongoing photo a day project on Kodachrome continues, and this week's picture is a street photo taken in London. A simple enough shot. The red/orange stripes in the window caught my eye and then I was lucky enough to spot this woman with red hair passing through the frame. You can read more about the project in my post from a few weeks ago.
As before, I'd love to hear from anyone who is shooting their own project, whatever the subject or format, digital or film, and I'll mention some of them as we go along. So if you'd like to be featured, send me an e-mail.
My next picture will be published here next Wednesday; in the meantime .
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