From the series 'Yorkshire Baronets' celebrating the honour of baronetcy and portraying baronets in their ancestral homes.

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Sir James Bellingham Graham, is the 11th Baronet of Norton Conyers. Sir James is photographed on the stairway leading from the Great Hall at Norton Conyers, near Ripon, his ancestral home.

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The manor of Norton Conyers once belonged to Richard Norton who, with his sons, was executed for rebellion in 1569. After briefly belonging to the Musgraves it was acquired by Sir Richard Graham (c.1583–1654) in 1624 and, except for 20 years between 1862 and 1882, has remained in the Graham family ever since.

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Sir Richard Graham was a Royalist from Cumberland who was wounded in 1644 at the Battle of Marston Moor. The Graham Baronetcy of Norton Conyers in the County of York was created in the Baronetage of England on 17 November 1662 for Richard Graham (1636–1711), the second son of Sir Richard Graham (c.1583–1654), in recognition of his services to the Restoration of the Monarchy.

Pole dancing is a vibrant and evolving form of artistic expression and physical fitness. With its roots in traditional strip clubs, pole dancing has now transcended its stereotypes to become a respected art form and fitness activity. Performers are often members of organised clubs, run by qualified and experienced teachers, where performers can explore the sensual yet empowering movements of the genre.

 

This series of photographs, from 2022, documents the set-up and the performances at a pole dance event given by members of the Samantha Walsh Pole Fitness Studio at a private event in Padiham, Lancashire.

 

Photographs of the behind-the-scenes preparations are made in black-and-white, while the performances are made in colour.  I am grateful for the very kind permission and cooperation provided by Samantha and her team of pole dance performers that allowed me to make this series.

Thurcroft is a village in South Yorkshire, one kilometre east of the junction of the M1 and M18 motorways. The village name is first mentioned in 1319 but is derived from the anglo-norse ‘Thorscroft’ (Thorir’s farmstead). Formerly a tiny rural hamlet, Thurcroft Colliery was sunk in 1909 and by 1923 the population had grown to around 2,000 transforming the village into a thriving coal-mining community. 

 

When the collieries were established in the early 20th century, allotments were often provided by the mining companies or local councils to support miners and their families. These garden plots helped supplement household food supplies during hard times and encouraged self-sufficiency. 

 

Thurcroft’s ‘allotment association’ was formed in 1924 and an ‘annual show’ was the highlight of the gardening year. I made this series of photographs in early 1984, while at school locally.  The colliery closed in 1991 as part of the wider reduction of the British coal industry but the ‘allotment association’ continued to thrive.

Scooters have a rich and distinct history in England, tied closely to post-World War II industrial recovery, youth subcultures, and evolving urban mobility. Their rise to prominence can be traced through several key phases, reflecting broader social and cultural shifts in the country. Designed primarily for short to medium urban commutes, scooters offer a compact and economical alternative to cars or motorcycles. They have also become something of a cultural icon.

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The cultural legacy of scooters in England is deeply embedded in music, film, and fashion. Films like Quadrophenia helped immortalize the association between scooters and youth rebellion. The image of a sharp-dressed Mod on a Vespa remains iconic, and even in modern fashion, hints to the Mod style continue to appear.

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This series of photographs was made at the Scoot to the Waterfront scooter rally organised by Lincoln Knights Scooter Club in July 2019. I visited the rally with members of Harrogate Photographic Society. The series was subsequently published in f8 Documentary Magazine, Issue 22.

Irish traditional music sessions are vibrant gatherings deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of Ireland. Dating back centuries, these sessions have evolved from informal gatherings in kitchens and pubs to organised events that celebrate the rich musical heritage of the Emerald Isle.

 

De Barra’s Folk Club at 55 Pearse Street in the pretty West Cork town of Clonakilty is a famous example. A hundred years ago this was a grocery bar with a bakery and storehouse to the rear.  Today, it has become one of the most celebrated ‘Trad’ music venues in Ireland. The intimate interior is steeped in music history.  On the walls behind the musicians is a treasure trove of music memorabilia - including a Jimi Hendrix Experience platinum disk - providing the perfect backdrop to a session … all within reaching distance of the bar.

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Over four decades, musicians from all genres and generations have fed into De Barra’s magical history, with almost every performance seemingly woven into the stonework of its worn, familiar walls. The session pictured in this series of photographs took place on 21 November 2016 and the full set of photographs was included in a monograph published in 2017.

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society was established in 1837 by a group of "noblemen and gentry connected with agriculture in the county of Yorkshire" under the Presidency of John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer.  The following year, 1838, the Society hosted its first annual meeting and exhibition.  

 

Throughout the entire history of the Show, no photographer had ever been granted permission for a triple-A - 'Access All Areas' - pass to photograph behind the scenes and to photograph the Show itself.  In 2018, for the 160th Show, I was extremely fortunate to be granted a AAA pass.

 

My photographs from that Show were featured in The Yorkshire Post, YP Magazine, and many national newspapers, magazines and journals.  Over one hundred of the photographs were published in a commemorative book of the 160th Show, to which HRH The Princess Royal provided the Foreword and HG The Duke of Devonshire wrote the Preface. The photographs were exhibited in the Members' Pavilion at the 161st Show.

It was over forty years ago but I remember very distinctly the smell of the air at Newark Livestock Market. It was thick with the scent of sheep, cattle and damp earth, mingling with the sharp tang of fresh straw. Farmers in well-worn jackets gathered in little huddles, their voices a blend of deep-voiced bargains and knowing laughter as friendly banter masked a deep desire to strike a deal. A firm handshake sealed most deals, the kind of agreement that needed no paperwork - just trust, grit, and generations of trade.

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The market dates back to 1871 but in March 2020, due to substantial and longstanding rent arrears, Newark and Sherwood District Council terminated the market's lease. The following year, the site was demolished.

This series of photographs was made in 1983 - while a sixth form student at a local school - and by which time I had already formed a burning passion for documentary photography,