The Decline Of My Home Town. Part1.

Hooper · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 174 Location: N.W UK

I have lived in Leyland all my life. I went for a walk this morning and had the urge to visit the places I knew and visited when I was a kid. It seemed like half the town used to be taken up by the once mighty Leyland Motors (also British Leyland, Leyland Trucks, etc,which used to be the 5th largest vehicle manufacturer in the world) and other engineering firms, and although some of them are still (just) existing, I feel its only a matter of time.

I then looked at the bigger picture. What once was a town that was filled with tradition and character is now slowly becoming another town filled with take-aways, litter, scabby yobs and supermarkets. I decided over the next 12 months to spend time photographing what (in my opinion) are the good (yes there are some!) and bad things about the town.

My first outing consisted primarily of close-ups of the area around the near the old Leyland Motors and Iddon Brothers works. (No infinity focus so stuck with close-ups until my 50mm Nikkor arrives!)

All shots taken with D40X, Pentacon 50mm @f1.8 and at 1/1000 ISO200;

#1. No Entry To The Test Track.

#2. Left To Rot.

#3. Fenced In.

#4. No Parking here.

#5. Dumped On The South Works Site.

Thanks for looking

Borges · Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 646 Location: Moers, Germany

Richard_D · Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2378 Location: Faversham Kent UK

I particularly like the last two.

I'm glad you're documenting the town - have you considered contacting your local history society to see if they're interested in archiving the images? I submit photos for a local project aiming to make a photographic record of my town and the local history society were really keen to maintain a copy.

hacksawbob · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 1293 Location: LANCS UK

Good on you, great idea to document an area old photographs are always worth revisiting in 10 or 20 years time to see what has changed (remember to name your images with a sensible name so you can find them in 20 years, and back up onto high Quality CD!)

I have the occassion to visit Leyland. Its just up the road from me in Horwich, OK mabe about 15miles I go to Leyland homebrew in the centre of the town, it has the feeling of a place that has had its best. When a large industry falls out of an area it is felt for many generations. I must admit I dont stay long after I have discarded my burger wrapper on the pavement! Smile

Hooper · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 174 Location: N.W UK

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

I can fully understand your project. I also have photos of historical parts of my town and surroundings, that don't exist anymore.
Good luck with the task, memory is always an important thing. Even the photos that do not seemto have much meaning today, will become much important tomorrow.

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

This is always an important project. And well done!

ChrisLilley · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1767 Location: Nice, France

As others have said, this is a nice and worthwhile project and I hope you do get the photos archived and made available to a wide audience.

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

I suspect the change is coming over the entire world one way or another and has always been that way. How many books are there documenting the past for us using pictures taken by people who did not consciously realize they were documenting a passing phase? We should all be sensitive to this issue when we are out with those funny machines we spend so much time cosseting. Smile

patrickh

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

Very nice pentacon samples
nice debate for decline...
On the other hand those abandoned place are a paradise for photographers
If everything was clean and new, no more artistic photography (specially b&w)

Juanma · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 257 Location: Cambrils, Spain

We cannot stop change, only document it. Confused

It's a nice project. The good thing is that it never ends, because our surrondings never stop changing. Show us more pictures. I like 2 & 5 from the 1st batch.

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

Very cool project! My town has SOME history, but of course usually in England, and other parts of Europe the history goes back a long ways!

Not only is it a good idea, but this first batch of images are impeccable - really some nice compositional thought went into those.

Jesito · Expire: 2015-01-07

Hi Hopper!

I last visited my father's village some 40 years ago. My brother went there a couple of years ago and came back deceived. All the memories from our youth were gone...
So I prefered not come back anymore and keep the memories, and recall them by the pictures we took then.
So I think it's a nice initiative.

Regards,
Jes.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Hooper · Joined: 06 Dec 2007 Posts: 174 Location: N.W UK

I must say a big thanks to you all for your encouragement and kind words! Smile

What has been said by a few of you is quite correct....these days it is inevitable that this is going to happen. Times change. The modern world seems to be in too much of a rush, which can be seen by the amount of supermarkets and fast food outlets, although as these are also a part of the towns modern history they should be documented too!!!

I will try and get out this week and get some more!! (although i may not have time as our first baby is due to be here any day!!! Shocked

)

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

Laurence
the last place I lived in (in SoCal) was very loudly and proudly celebrating its 50th year of incorporation! My high school just celebrated its 150th year in its second home. Last year it celebrated its 450th anniversary. Europe just got settled first that's all Very Happy

patrickh