Week 23:I do like to be beside the seaside

There was no update for week 21 or 22 as I have been away.  Also a change this week from the usual Holga update.  So this week the update is from when I was away and it is with my usual format of film 35mm.  The film used is Fujifilm Provia 400x (a slide film) but it has been cross processed in c41.

I was in Ayr, Scotland which is a seaside town on the West Coast of Scotland.  All over the UK are typical seaside towns that were once the mainstay of tourism in the UK.

In the last couple of decades these seaside towns have faded and fallen out of favour.  Low cost budget airlines have opened up Europe as a preferred destination of a short-break.

Where once a Bank-Holiday destination was the nearest seaside you could drive too, now its more exotic destinations such as the various European capital cities.

Yet there is still a charm to these towns and with the world becoming a smaller place due to security concerns and the financial crisis there is a movement back to them.

There is also a warmth to these towns.  Change is everywhere and affects all of us, sometimes this constant change can be overwhelming and all-encompassing.  Thus we long to remember how things were when we were children and going back to the seaside brings back some of these memories.

Remembering the times when the biggest decision was what flavour ice-cream to have or is it Hot Dogs or Fish & Chips for dinner.

With our busy lives, mortgages, bills there is a fondness in remembering ‘the good old days’ as kids when our impression was that life was simpler.  Perhaps for us as kids it was but I’ll bet our parents went through similar stresses and strains that we do now

I know at times I look back fondly at my childhood and the memories from those times and think maybe the world was a simpler place then, but the world has moved on and for those of us that are parents its our job to ensure that we protect our kids so that they can also enjoy their times and look back fondly when they are older

The other charm of the seaside town is that (weather permitting in the UK!) fun is easy, there is nothing better than sitting on the beach, building sandcastles and paddling in the usually freezing cold water.

Although a little run down in places these towns are a link to what we once were and how we used to enjoy times with out the need for apps or wi-fi.  For me there is a real satisfaction going to the seaside that can’t be recreated anywhere else.  It is Britain and it is a real, warts and all, representation of us.

I also believe this is why I am so drawn to film photography.  There is a realness to the images and a true grainyness (Is that a word) that represents what you see warts and all.

With film photography there is also a process to follow and the results aren’t immediate or artificial.  The look reminds me of times past, good and bad and the process reminds me that sometimes instant gratification and the immediacy in our lives today isn’t always for the best.

So don’t forget your local seaside town, go and enjoy building a sandcastle, eating fish & chips and maybe treat yourself to a doughnut or two

But most of all remember that when you look back on the past and think of simpler times, it probably was for you as a child, we can’t go back to escape our reality but we can do something positive and real and that is to remember to stop, take time and enjoy what is around us.

I hope you found this interesting and look forward to hearing if you have any comments