‘Up North 2’ – The lost photozine

Some time ago I wrote a little bit about Paul Schofield’s photozine ‘up north 1’. Then some time later Paul sent me his second photozine mysteriously entitled ‘up north 2 55545.5’. A short time later I misplaced ‘up north 2 55545.5’. A little too embarrassed to admit that I’d lost it to Paul before I’d had a chance to give it a few words here on 35mmc, I just hoped it would turn up. And then I forgot about it. Until today, when I found it on the bookshelf next to ‘up north 1’. Who ever would have thought to put it there … .. So anyway, I thought that since until this point I have basically been rude and ignored the fact that Paul sent me the ‘zine, I would drum up a blog post on it this evening.

I actually spent quite a bit of time digesting this book before it was lost. Like the first it followed me around for a while as I tried to gather my thoughts on what I was looking at. The first zine felt bleak to me, and that word could still be used to describe this one. Though there does feel like there is a little more depth to the intended narrative in the second one.

There is also a much wider range of images from a wider range of locations in this ‘zine. Images like the lined up caravans that feels like it could have been in the first book feel like they work just as well as a next to images of derelict buildings and train station roofs. To my mind this ‘zine is a little more ‘dark’ than the first. But maybe I’m wrong.

One way or another, I would definitely recommend getting hold of a copy to gather your own thoughts. And indeed get your head around the couple of little mysteries the book poses … The first being the code 55545.5, which having worked it out, had me stumped for an embarrassing amount of time!

Paul seems to have disappeared, or at least his blog has. Maybe it will reappear…

He is on twitter here, though he doesn’t use it much.

Thanks for reading, and if this finds you Paul, sorry for the delay! 🙂

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