This short film was inspired by joining a late summer group walk up Sharpitor on Dartmoor, hosted by writer Kirsteen McNish. We were a small group, and we took time to listen and observe as we made our way up to the summit of the Torr. Kirsteen read for us once we reached our destination. John Howell, from the Dartmoor Preservation Association, was with us to advise on the history and topography of the land around us. I returned on […]
TWILIGHT PHOTOWALK ANGEL MEADOW & IRK VALLEY 5.45pm – 7.30pm SUNSET 5.50PM Join me at dusk for a magical walk, on the weekend when the clocks go back, taking us into the long, dark nights of winter. Angel Meadow holds a special place in the mythology of Manchester, as the city evolved from a small, buccolic town to place of industrial power, bringing with it power, wealth, poverty and misery. I often say that the area around Angel Meadow is a […]
TWILIGHT PHOTOWALK THE MEADOW & PEEL PARK, SALFORD THURSDAY SEPT 25TH 6.45pm ( sunset is at 6.59pm ) Join me for what will be a magical twilight photowalk around the Meadow and Peel Park, as the sun sets across this beautiful green space in the city. Although in the heart of the city, it’s possible to feel apart from it here, surrounded by nature. The Irwell weir can be heard, and birds fill the nearby trees with their eveming songs. […]
PHOTOWALK CAMPFIELD CAMPUS MORNING 10.15AM – 11.45AM AFTERNOON 3PM – 4.30PM Join me for a relaxed photowalk, setting off from the fantstic brand new Campfield Campus in Manchester to explore the surrounding streets. Photowalks are a wonderful way of engaging with your surroundings, giving you permission to slow down and notice the amazing scenes and details that surround us in the city. Once you really begin to observe, the city rewards you with rich layers of history and architecture, and […]
ARDWICK, MANCHESTER 2.43AM Watch the short film, featuring the stills and my text read out loud, along with the field recordings. A fox was the first thing I noticed, skilfully moving through the streets, foraging for some unseen reward. I wondered where it lived, where it came from, and how it survived in the city. As soon as it sensed me, it sped away through the railings of a gate, and disappeared into the twilight. I looked to the east. […]
This month I take you out at dawn, but via Memory Lane, to the early days of Not Quite Light, when Manchester looked very different. Listen to my readings, field recordings and a selection of delicious music, featuring tracks by Laurie Spiegel, Shida Shahabi and Daniel Lanois. LISTEN HERE PLAYLIST
This month I take you out at dawn, to listen to the sounds of the city and my encounters. With delicious music that features tracks by Nine Horses, Kenji Kihara and Clariloops. LISTEN HERE PLAYLIST
HOLT TOWN, MANCHESTER 3.10AM Watch the short film, containing my reading of the text, sounds from the dawn and extra photographs. I was woken not by my alarm, but by the sound of wind screaming through gaps in my door. And then, on leaving for Holt Town, I nearly forgot my keys, which would have meant I’d have been locked out on my return after sunrise. This caused me to feel unsettled, a sense further enhanced when, after parking on […]
RETRO BAR, SACKVILLE STREET MANCHESTER, 3.29 AM Watch the film, with narrative and field recordings. Some mornings the sound of birdsong fills the still air. Other times there is a tense silence, and I’m caused to strain to hear the first notes of the blackbird’s delicious melody, signalling the end of darkness. On this particular breezeless morning in May, as I patrolled the area near Retro Bar, still too deep in shadow to be photographed, the main sound was of […]
CHEETHAM HILL, MANCHESTER 3.57AM Still images from the dawn visit, the text below read out and mixed with field recordings from the time spent there. “We’re told the Earth is spinning at some ludicrous speed, imperceptibly whirling us through the days and nights of our lives. I am most aware of this extraordinary phenomenon when photographing a fixed point, such as a building, with the sun or moon nearby. With each long exposure I can see the planets shifting, never […]