street photography

Old Town charm

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English seaside resort Margate fared poorly in yesterday’s post – a neglected town of graffiti and misery.

But go past the tawdry amusement arcades and you come to the Old Town, which is small in area but bristling with handsome, sturdy old buildings. There are places to eat, little shops to browse in, and even galleries. It has a feeling of regeneration and life. And a place that has a bustling cupcake shop has really come of age.

It’s a place to explore and led to another discovery. Margate’s most famous daughter is artist Tracey Emin, and a wall is adorned with a piece of street art in homage to her. This leads neatly into the next part of this town’s story, to be published here in the coming days.

Walking by the sea

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A man takes a walk by the sea. It’s a warm day, hot when the sun shows itself. I didn’t really notice him – at the time I was more absorbed in taking shots of the barrier between the walkway and the shore. But he veered into the frame and I made use of his presence. He was unaware of this.

I took the photograph on a trip to Margate, a seaside resort in Kent, south-east England. It’s a town of contrasts and many interests for the photographer. There will be more from Margate in the upcoming days.

In the Olympic Stadium’s shadow

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The opening ceremony has taken place and the Olympic competition is under way at London 2012.

A few days earlier, I made an attempt to get close to the Olympic Park in east London, but with no ticket nor accreditation, it was a failed mission. So I went to an area just to the west of Stratford called Hackney Wick, which sits near the stadium. The massive centrepiece of the games was just on the other side of the canal, but the path was heavily guarded.

This corner of east London is very urban, filled with light industry and warehouses. There are some canalside residences and a surprising number of cafes and restaurants, not to mention a lot of colourful wall murals brightening up the inner city brickwork. It’s not swish, it isn’t sleek, but I sensed that life was carrying on regardless of the massive global event brewing in the neighbourhood.

People were still going about their business in small factories and yards, and there was even a model being photographed, glamorous against the painted bricks.

I’m sure the residents could hear every beat of Friday night’s impressive opening ceremony, but maybe it’s simply business as usual next to the Olympic Stadium.

Click on the images to enlarge