Gardeners’ Hands

In December 2008 I started a project which evolved into set of images called 43 Gardeners’ Hands. This was exhibited at Kew through the summer of 2009. Four more photographs were taken just after the exhibition deadline, and as a result were never exhibited. So, clockwise from top left: Dan Hinckley, Tim Richardson, Rosemary Alexander and Will Giles.

Gardeners' hands, Dan Hinckley, Rosemary Alexander, Tim Richardson, Will Giles

Gardeners' hands, clockwise from top left: Dan Hinckley, Tim Richardson, Rosemary Alexander and Will Giles

Somme Valley

After  photographing the Fromelles WW1 cemetery for a job last June, I had an all too brief visit to the Somme Valley region. This was quite rushed, and I was keen to revisit the area to spend more time at significant sites. The opportunity arose a couple of weeks ago, after a trip to Monet’s garden at Giverny. There’s not a great deal I can add to the history, but here is a gallery of some of the photographs I took.

Mouquet Farm, or Moo Cow Farm, Somme Valley

Mouquet Farm, or Moo Cow Farm, Somme Valley

A fairly small memorial commemorates the fighting that took place here at Mouquet Farm, where in all, around 7000 Australians were killed trying to advance up the hill towards the trees in the centre of the frame. This was originally where the farm stood before being virtually wiped of the map.

Mouquet Farm, or Moo Cow Farm, Somme Valley

Mouquet Farm, or Moo Cow Farm, Somme Valley

Turning your back on the memorial gives a view of the position the allies advanced from.

Mouquet Farm, or Moo Cow Farm, Somme Valley

View from Mouquet Farm memorial, Somme Valley

Delville Wood, or Devil Wood as it became known, was the scene of more fierce fighting, this time with South African troops. There is a graveyard at the site, but far more men lay undiscovered in the wooded area, which was completely replanted as a memorial after the war.

Delville Wood, Somme Valley

Delville Wood, or Devil's Wood in the Somme Valley

The Last Tree is apparently the only surviving tree from the war – a Hawthorn, with visible shrapnel.

The Last Tree, Delville Wood, Somme Valley

The Last Tree, Delville Wood, Somme Valley

remains of trenches, Delville Wood, Somme Valley

remains of trenches, Delville Wood, Somme Valley

The Canadian Army also fought in the Somme. There is a large monument at Beaumont-Hamel called Newfoundland Memorial Park, with preserved trenches, and a petrified tree, known as the danger tree. Reputedly it was the only landmark left for soldiers to use as a guide back to their own lines. Any soldier near this tree was in the range of German machine gunners.

The Danger Tree, at Beaumont-Hamel Canadian memorial

The Danger Tree, at Beaumont-Hamel Canadian memorial

Near the town of Albert, there is a huge crater, known as the Lochnavar Crater. British troops dug a tunnel under the German lines and set off a huge mine, consisting of 27,000kg of high explosive. Apparently this was the loudest man made sound in history.

Lochnavar Crater

Lochnavar Crater, Somme Valley

I have seen few German WW1 cemeteries, but I stumbled upon one at Bray Sur Somme. It was sad to see Jewish and Christian burials side-by-side, something inconceivable 20 years later.

Bray Sur Somme, German WW1 war cemetery, Christian and Jewish burial side-by-side

Bray Sur Somme, German WW1 war cemetery, Christian and Jewish burial side-by-side

An alternate view

These are experimental shots I’ve taken over the last few days, and are tests for a project I’m currently researching. They happen to be taken in my back garden. As I haven’t done any gardening since mid-summer, most things appear to be dead – even the things you would expect to be alive. I suppose this style of gardening is best described as non-interventionist – but it leads to some great photographic opportunities!

inside a small watering can

inside a small watering can

unharvested red chilli pepper

unharvested red chilli pepper

moss trapped between layers in greenhouse glass

moss trapped between layers in greenhouse glass

unharvested chilli peppers

unharvested chilli peppers

dead corkscrew Hazel

dead corkscrew Hazel

rose

rose

lilac bud

lilac bud

cut branch on dead orange tree

cut branch on dead orange tree

olive tree leaves on ground

olive tree leaves on ground