In early December I spent a few hours over the course of a couple of days attempting to take shots inside Greenwich Market. As the result of a comment to my last post asking if it was still there I had a vague idea of putting together a Five Frames about it. The photographic muse was not with me on either occasion and I came away expecting to be disappointed with the results.
In 1977 I was working on secondment at an office on Euston Road in London. I had recently upgraded to a Minolta SRT 303b and happening to see an invitation for entries to a photo competition sponsored by Camden Council I decided to have a go. I can’t remember exactly what the subject of the competition was but I’m guessing that it was something to do with what it was like to live in the council’s area. The closing date was only a few days away so I spent the next lunchtime exploring the streets nearest the office to the south of Euston Road, taking a few shots and then rapidly developing and printing them for submission.
One of my childhood memories is of family days out discovering different parts of London by bus in the late fifties and early sixties. Sometimes my father had a particular destination in mind, other times we would just see where the buses would take us. Those were the days when an Oyster was something slippery downed by the dozen by people with more disposable income than we had and a Freedom Pass might have been a song by Pete Seeger. What there was, however, was a Red Rover Ticket which gave unlimited travel for a day on London’s red buses.
Greeenwich, that is the original one in London, home to the Meridian Line and Greenwich Mean Time, has featured several times in 35mmc. Bob Janes has used aspects of it to illustrate his informative articles, Michael Elliott did a Five Frames of the beach and, dare I say it, I’ve even attempted it myself. As …
5 Frames With a Minolta XG1 in Not so Touristy Greenwich – By Peter Roberts Read More
I know it’s a naff way to start but I didn’t intend to buy this camera. Apart from a couple of favourites that I use on a regular basis I’ve got a waiting list of more than enough cameras sitting in the display cabinet to be tried out at least once. But an extra lens or two is a different matter. So it was while browsing you know where for Rokkor lenses that I came across it. At a very reasonable buy it now price and described as in good condition with all functions working I started to make excuses. I like Minoltas, I haven’t got a Hi-Matic of any sort, it might be useful for my partner if she’s serious about taking up film as mentioned in my last article.
