My second recent visit out at dawn took me to the area around Manchester Piccadilly Station. It’s a difficult area to photograph, being slightly chaotic in its layout. Looking at the departure board in a time when our travel is restricted I felt such a strong urge to visit places I’d not normally consider spending a day in. You can read the text, see images and listen to audio recorded whilst there by clicking this link
PICCADILLY STATION 04.22AM April 2020 LISTEN TO DAWN AUDIO FROM PICCADILLY Manchester Piccadilly comes into view not long after the London Road has bent under the Mancunian Way, on the way in from Ardwick. This terminus station was built high off the ground, the trains arriving and leaving by tracks laid on viaducts of tainted, red brick. The surrounding area sets the standard for Mancs, being a place of compromised promise, of bold ambitions impaired by the nagging ghosts of […]
I’ve added to the Galleries page, and also updated several of the existing selection of pictures. New galleries include ‘Construction’ and ‘Travel’. To see the Galleries click in the menu link.
GRANADA TV, QUAY ST, 07.58 The Art Deco clock has now been demolished to make way for the St. John’s development, and the Factory building.
In this show I talk at dawn with blind poet David Steele about sight loss. I also try taking a simple journey blindfolded to experience walking without vision. Music includes John Barry, The Trip and Faithless. LISTEN NOW PLAYLIST FOLLOW NQL MIXCLOUD TO LISTEN TO ALL SHOWS
CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE THE SLIDESHOW FULL SIZED When I began Not Quite Light in 2015, I spent quite a bit of time photographing in Ancoats, before a lot of the current regeneration had taken place. I was caused to revisit it recently, working for a client, and was somewhat taken aback at the amount of change that had taken place. There is still ‘old’ Manchester at the north eastern edge, but the streets towards the city have […]
In this episode I talk in the half light with poet and songwriter Mica Sinclair, as we walk long a cycle path in Levenshulme. We discuss where inspiration comes from, and what drives us to create. There is the usual eclectic mix of music that includes Yazmin Lacey, Bill Callahan, Faithless and Gary Numan. PLAYLIST LISTEN TO ALL THE NQL SHOWS ON REFORM RADIO, VIA MIXCLOUD
In this episode I talk at sunrise with artist Jane Samuels about the importance of retaining magic and folklore in our modern, urban age. Music includes Mark Hollis, Pumarosa, Joni Mitchell and and Cosmo Sheldrake. FULL PLAYLIST LISTEN TO ALL THE NQL SHOWS ON REFORM RADIO, VIA MIXCLOUD
NQL now has an hourly, monthly show on Manchester based station Reform Radio In this episode, I head to the hills as I try to regain my energies after the NQL Festival. I interview poet Dom Conlon at dawn in the shadow of Winter Hill, and ask the question what would ‘here’ look like from somewhere else. With music that includes songs from Pentangle, The Blue Nile, Inge Thomson and David Bowie. FULL PLAYLIST LISTEN TO ALL THE NQL SHOWS […]
NQL now has a monthly show on Manchester based station Reform Radio. In the March episode I explore memory, and how it shapes us and affects our lives. Ahead of the Not Quite Light Festival at the end of March in Salford, I interview playwright Joshua Val Martin, who will be premiering a specially commissioned work at the festival, called Beneath These Tarmac Cracks, co-written with Ellie Scanlan. With music by Johnny Cash, The Unthanks and Brian Eno, amongst others. […]