Ashton Moss

2 I changed the film and took another photo of this track, I think I must have moved the tripod slightly because the bushes on the left are more prominent in this shot.

3 - 6 If I'm interested in something I will often return to it and re-photograph it time and time again - I become obsessed by it. I think this has become the case with this field, and the shed and radio mast at the bottom of it. I suppose the same can be said of the "NO SHOOTING" sign, and the track leading to Albert Hulme's.

The principle reason I took these photographs was because the sun was slightly higher than when I photographed the area on 16 December 1988 (c7/1/4) so there are no heavy shadows encroaching in the foreground. I don't know what the black object, that looks like a witch, is on the right-hand side of neg. no.3.

7 - 10 I suppose these negatives are counter points to the first photographs I took on Ashton Moss (c7/1/1/16 and c7/1/1/17). These photographs of Rayner Lane were taken close to the junction with Moss Lane looking towards Ashton Cricket Club.

It was whilst I was taking these photographs that a lad stopped me and asked me the time. I said ten past eleven. He was dressed in a combat jacket jeans and wellies, and held a plastic carrier bag which looked as though it contained a thermos flask. He nodded in the direction of a shed and said "He's late". He'd apparently agreed to meet his step-father by the shed, and help him out on his estate. They'd agreed to meet at eleven, but the step-father hadn't shown up.

I explained what I was doing. He seemed fairly interested, said he'd done a bit of photography at school and suggested I have a word with his step-father if I wanted to photograph his estate. He said he didn't think he'd mind. Why not, he suggested, come back in June when the crops are being picked. I asked him if they employed casual labour to do this. He hesitated and then said, "yes, but most of the people are unemployed." I don't think they would welcome me photographing them, nor would I feel comfortable doing so.

A car rumbled down the lane "here he is" the lad said, as he wandered off. I walked a little way down the lane towards Albert Hulme's, when I turned round, in the distance, I could see two figures piling rubbish on a fire.

12 - 17 Back to Albert Hulme's. His estate is very open and exposed. It was very cold and windy, and my nose began to run uncontrollably. I made my way into his estate via the drainage ditch, I couldn't find the plank over it, but it was easy to cross. I made my way to the track which led to the buildings and set up my camera. The wind roared around me and my tripod, which I feared would be blown over if I didn't steady it with my hand. I then cautiously advanced down the track and made these images. Even though Mr. Hulme had given me permission to go on his land I still felt as though I was trespassing.

3.5F camera.

Agfapan 100 (80 ASA) Rodinal 1:60. 10 mins at 68°F.

<span class="wrapper"><p>Work Prints</p> <p>Negative c7/1/6/6</p> <p>Work Print c7/3/6/6</p> <p>CH : 520 mm</p> <p>Exposure : F22 at 20s</p> <p>Paper : Gr2 (G)</p> <p>Comments : Virtually an identical viewpoint to working print c7/3/4/9. Lighting less harsh, early morning opposed to late afternoon - no long shadows in the foreground. The crop in the field looked to me like a form of lettuce. (Subsequently found out it was spinach). Straight print.</p> <p>Negative c7/1/6/13</p> <p>Work Print c7/3/6/13</p> <p>CH : 515 mm</p> <p>Exposure : F22 at 22s</p> <p>Paper : Gr2 (G)</p> <p>Comments : Again this print can be closely compared with a previous working print (c7/3/4/4), the only significant difference is that I've wandered a bit further down the track on this one. A slightly softer print than the one above, again as a result of the differing times of day when the images were made.</p> <p>Telegraph poles and wires have an uncanny knack of creeping into my photographs. This is another straight print.</p></span>