Two more portraits from the Land Girls series from summer, 2011.
Jane Perrone - Gardening Editor, The Guardian
Bunny Guinness - Broadcaster, author and garden designer, with Beetle
Land Girls – Jane Perrone and Bunny Guinness
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Monthly Archives: October 2011
Urban Gardens and fruit pickers
Some more recent portraits, this time urban fruit pickers. Michael, Zhenghan and Brian Deighton, artist, volunteer….and tree owner!
Zhenghan Hao, volunteer fruit picker
Brian Deighton, artist and volunteer fruit picker
Michael, fruit picking volunteer and organizer
V1 and V2 bomb sites from WW2
With my fascination with anything from WW1 or WW2, I was quite pleased to have stumbled across the site of a V1 flying bomb on Saturday. I was taking photographs of woodland in Kent, and the owner pointed out a large round hole in the ground. At first, it was difficult to see clearly, as there was fairly dense tree growth. But with an expert eye, he pointed out the raised edge around the hole, indicating the soil had been thrown up in a blast. This is different from ancient mines or quarries which are generally level and also haphazard in shape. It was difficult to estimate the size, but significant damage would have been caused to an urban area.
Apparently many V1 bombs fell short, either being shot down or having flawed guidance. British news reports concentrated on the bombs that fell north of London, and combined with counter intelligence, the Germans reduced the range of these missiles, believing they were overshooting. They meant they would often fall in less densely populated areas south of the capital.
WW2 V1 flying bomb crater in Kent
WW2 V1 flying bomb crater in Kent - you can see the rim to the left.
A couple of weeks ago I was cycling along Staveley Road, Chiswick, and I noticed this memorial. It is on the site of the first V2 rocket to land in the UK on 8th September 1944. I’ve driven past the site hundreds of times on my rat runs, and never noticed it before. The houses have been rebuilt, though it is sobering to see photographs of the damage.
WW2 V2 rocket memorial in Staveley Road, Chiswick
Urban and Guerrilla gardening
A gallery of a few folk I have photographed over the last 18 months. Guerrilla gardeners, urban gardeners and plot holders.
Michael - allotment holder
Sarah - designer and urban garden volunteer
Anna - gardener and urban garden volunteer
Heather - Landscape architect, urban gardener/ environmentalist
Jason with his 1959 El Camino urban garden
Les - working on the restoration of the grounds and landscaping at Fulham Palace
Lewis - urban garden volunteer and organiser
Richard Reynolds - guerrilla gardener with his Austin Maxi
Stephen - garden volunteer
Nate - guerrilla gardener
Land Girls
During the autumn of 2010 I started photographing a few people I knew for a personal project, initially inspired by a Land Girls poster from WW2. Like the Gardeners’ Hands project from a couple of years ago, it gathered momentum, slowly at first, but by word of mouth it has grown from the original six portraits taken last year, to a surprising 30 portraits. And I only seem to have scratched the surface!
Not a literal interpretation of the original poster, the connection with everyone is that they grow edible plants or plants for cropping in some form – whether in a few pots on a balcony, in an allotment or in a vast garden and who are actively involved in writing, blogging, broadcasting or campaigning.
I plan to put up some of the images on the blog, maybe on a weekly or fortnightly basis, now I have a wide selection of folk. So a few recent portraits, in no particular order!
Beth Chatto, author and one of the UK's most respected plantswomen.
Jekka McVicar, plantswoman, organic expert and author, in her herb nursery
Alice Bowe, garden designer and author, making a start on her new veg plot.
Helen Babbs, author, on her balcony in Central London
The Coast of Light – August 2011
A few more shots from Andalucia, August 2011, with a couple slipped in from the Semana Santa, or Holy Week.
Semana Santa, Conil, Spain. Young Penitentes.
Religious shop, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain, with robes worn by Los Penitentes or penitents during Holy Week
Bullfight crowd at El Puerto de Santa Maria, demanding a higher accolade for the torero.
Bullfight, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain
Playa Cala del Aceite, near Conil, Spain
Fog on the beach, Conil. Not much will keep the Spanish off the beach in August.
More clay covered bathers with little prospect of sun. Showing my age, but the guy in the middle looks like Mike from the Young Ones.
McDonalds car park, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain
Pool, Conil
Cigarette packet, Conil
Flamenco dress shop, Sevilla
Sinister looking dolls in a shop in Cadiz
The Olympic Stadium, Stratford
I’ve been to the Olympic Park a couple of times recently, photographing some the grounds and landscaping set out by Nigel Dunnett. After one of these visits, I was allowed to stroll through the stadium itself. I just wonder if the red notice is a warning to Mr Rooney! It was interesting to see though. The football pitch seemed dwarfed by the bank of seats, and without the track in place, looked no bigger than a tennis court!
The Olympic stadium during construction
Eradicating ecocide mock trial
Polly Higgins interviewed outside Supreme Court, which staged the Ecocide mock trial, 30-9-11
The concept of ecocide, or crimes against the planet, has been brought into the consciousness of many people by the barrister and author, Polly Higgins. She has been campaigning for several years, negotiating with the UN, and governments around the world, asking for ecocide to be adopted as the 5th crime against peace. Her book, ‘Eradicating Ecocide‘, highlights the problems and why it is necessary for large corporations be environmentally responsible and accountable for their actions.
Polly Higgins at Ecocide mock trial press conference, Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
On Friday a mock trial was held at the Supreme Court in London, where the proposed new law was tested. Two company CEO’s (played by actors) were put on ‘trial’ using evidence from real events. Standard court procedures were used with Michael Mansfield QC leading the prosecution team and Christopher Parker QC leading the defence.
Michael Mansfield QC at Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Christopher Parker QC at Ecocide mock trial, Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Each member of the jury was sworn in and real expert witnesses were called to give evidence too. In reality, a trial such as this would last several months, so the time constraints of a day could only give a very brief insight in what would really happen. But the message was clear – there is an appetite for such a law.
And the verdict – guilty.
Ecocide mock trial photo gallery
juror, ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
The defendants, Mr Tench and Mr Bannerman, played by Nicholas Deal and Robert Hilder at Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Presiding Judge, Michael Norman, at Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Christopher Parker QC at Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Michael Mansfield QC, with Christopher Parker QC in background, at Ecocide mock trial, Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Michael Mansfield QC, at Ecocide mock trial, Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Steven Powles from Doughty Street Chambers, at Ecocide mock trial, Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Jane Russell from Tooks Chambers, Peter Robinson, Expert witness and Michael Mansfield QC, at Ecocide mock trial, Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Adam Hiddleston, from 3BP Chambers, at Ecocide mock trial, Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Michael Mansfield QC at Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
Judge Michael Norman summing up at Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
The jury leaving to decide on the verdict, Ecocide mock trial at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11
The defendants, Mr Tench and Mr Bannerman, played by Nicholas Deal and Robert Hilder after the ecocide mock trial verdict at Supreme Court, London, 30-9-11