Cityscapes

Sunday lunches were always special for me.

Besides the roast, the table cloth and placemats all appeared together.

The images on the mats were of course, scenes of Bristol.

The Centre, The Cabot Tower, The Wills Memorial Tower at the top of Park Street, The Suspension Bridge and I think a shot of the old Severn Bridge.

Anyway there were six or eight of these mats of a cork base with the typical 1960’s post card colour style picture where the sky was a perfect blue and the grass, a magnificent green all pre-Photoshop. The landmarks I saw on the mats were so familiar to me well before seeing them in real life.

Taking photographs over the years of holidays, still life and family portraits I neglected to image my home town.

So this year, with those placemats in mind I decided to photograph my definitive Bristol.

Now, since the mats were produced, a lot of development has occurred in our city. We have a new centre, modern buildings, an SS Great Britain and a new Severn Crossing.

But the heart and soul of Bristol, I believe has remained. There are some landmarks I have left out and may shoot them in a future extension to this project, but these images are a part of my past.

The school trips I went on to the zoo and being driven over the Suspension Bridge lit up at night. The first time I saw the Cabot Tower up close with my Father. Visiting the museum with my Mother and having an ice-cream afterwards.  Both Severn bridges as they are a part of the journey to Newport to visit relations at Christmas. There are more public houses than I would have liked, what can I say? I was young I needed the beer!

All of these images on show are a personal journey and I think it is important to record your changing surroundings as it illustrates to future generations the place you called home.

I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as enjoyed taking and making them.

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© Robert England Photography 2024.
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