James’ grandad was a cutler in Sheffield. His apprenticeship in his late teens taught him every stage of the craft, from forging to finishing. Even after Brian lost an eye at work his skill as a craftsman wasn’t compromised, nor his ability as a fisherman, a champion darts player or a good drinker of beer. In the early 60s the Queen was to visit Sheffield, Brian was asked to produce a pair of knives for her. He created two delicate penknives inlaid with mother of pearl. A few days before the Queen’s arrival her footman came to collect them. Brian let him know the cost but was informed that the Queen was not expected to pay so Brian refused to hand them over and instead gave them to his grandson James.
22 Jul 2012
Aunty Jean wasn’t Carl’s Aunty, she was a friend of his grandmother. They were neighbours on Kingsland Road in East London. His grandma was a seamstress who was ‘pushing fabric through a machine 24/7’, so Jean adopted some motherly and grandmotherly duties. She spoilt Carl’s mum, Emel and later Carl and his two brothers, Kieron and Cavan. When she moved out of London to Chelsfield the boys would spend a couple of weeks in the summer holidaying with her. She’d make them elaborate Knickerbocker Glories, served in large German Pils glasses shaped like boots. Doing this thrilled her, an almost teenage glee came over her as she watched them eat. In her late 70s she developed dementia, mild at first, but progressively more severe until finally she bore little resemblance to the generous, energetic woman they had grown up with. A few years later Jean died, Carl gave a eulogy at her memorial. He recounted Jean making the ice cream sundaes. Weeks later her house was being cleared, Carl found the Pils glasses and took them as a memento, it had been 30 years since he’d seen them, they had shrunk to just a few inches high.
15 Jul 2012
It was frightening at first, Jonathan’s house master was a dour ex naval officer, the school even had it’s own parade ground. Jonathan’s need to escape this regimen was palpable, he’d claim he was off for a run but was actually hiding in the art school. Here he found solace. He discovered Cartier-Bresson and bought a camera, he sculpted in plaster and wood and started throwing pots. In 1973 he began a degree at Cambridge, not far from his college was a gallery selling ceramics. This was Henry Rothschild’s ‘Primavera’, in its window was a pot, a Hans Coper. On a student grant of £7 a week it took Jonathan 7 weeks to pay for it. Since then it’s twice fallen off the mantlepiece and he’s caught it. It’s as tough and as un-pretty and as enthralling to him as it was nearly 40 years ago through the narrow windows of a small gallery in the high street.
08 Jul 2012
It was a good divorce. They still liked each other but inspite of this Pilar was concerned that her father Felipe would find it hard to adjust to a new man in his daughter’s life. To protect him Pilar’s own daughter, just a teen at the time, would get up early, pour barely a sip of coffee into a cup and gently swill it around the sides. Seeing the dregs of coffee Felipe would then assume that Pilar had already had breakfast and left for work when she had actually spent the night at Armando’s. These photographs are of Alicia’s parents, Pilar and César, when they see them they invariably comment on how lovely their ex looks. They each went on to have happier second marriages but this, in part, has been due to the fact that they have never lost this generosity towards one another.
01 Jul 2012
Lucy’s kids had left home and she’d long since parted from their dad. She moved into a smaller place, a cottage in a Dorset village with a stream running at the end of the garden. She spent hours digging the dark, rich alluvial soil, planting daisies, roses and Hellebores. She regularly dug up little artifacts, two George III coins from the late 1700s and the occasional less exciting sardine tin. It was a sunny day in late May 2002 when her spade hit something metallic, she fully expected to uncover another sardine tin but as she brushed away the dirt a brass heart was revealed. A week later she had a meeting in Bath. She’d been listening to The Guardian personals ads and had finally heard a voice that interested her. The voice was Keith’s. They met outside the abbey, she identified him by The Guardian newspaper that he carried under his arm. A year later they were married.
24 Jun 2012
George was a racehorse trainer and owner. This lamp was awarded to him at Kukerin races, south east of Perth in western Australia. It always lived on his bedside table. Nearly four decades later, Tahlee, his grandaughter moved to London. George had since died and Tahlee’s grandmother gave her the lamp. Since her childhood it had been her favourite thing. It lives on her bedside table, she says it’s nuzzling pair of horses remind her of her grandparents’ happy marriage.
17 Jun 2012
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