17-06-18
Looking through some old negative files I realised that some of them are becoming vintage, a bit like me. One of the sheets had some negatives from 1984, the camera I had at that time was a Zenith EM, with a 50mm Helios and a 30mm wide angle Pentacon lens.
1984
Red phone boxes, with a 3 wheeler Reliant parked beside them. There’s even a bank pre ATM days. The chemist was offering 24hr photographic developing and printing.
2018 (last Thursday)
The bank has gone along with the red phone boxes. Now it’s mainly bars coffee/beer and charity shops, but the chemist has survived.
The negatives also had some images from a trip to Lincoln.
Lincoln St Marks Station
The track and most of the station buildings have now gone.
Lincoln, Medieval City Gates
Woolworths no longer exist and Littlewoods have very few stores nowadays.
On the same roll a trip to Malvern, Worcestershire.
View Over Malvern
Old Benches
These were on the walk up the Malvern Hills.
Photography was relatively expensive back in the 1980’s so you had to be a bit more careful with the amount of shots you took, well I did as I wasn’t on a very big salary. Wish I still had that Pentacon lens, its pretty sharp even on the Fuji 400 of the day.
Lovely, especially the last bench. And that comparison is quite telling.
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I wonder if the benches are still there.
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Woolworth, thats is what is magic with photography a moment of two seconds kept for eternity. Bravo nice collection by the way.
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Thank you, so glad I kept the the negs.
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Aaah if only I could go back to ‘84 and still remember all I know now…
Is it old age creeping up on me or was life really better in those days?
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Me too, maybe a bit of looking through Rose tinted glasses, but I liked the simplicity of life back then.
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Definitely simpler, perhaps not easier but less choices, less clutter.
I sometimes play with the idea of radically downsizing all I have (not that it’s that much…). Just the essentials
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I have too much clutter, but I find it hard to chuck things out especially photographic gear.
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Same here, not only photographic stuff. That I got sorted out a bit those last months.
A bit of a hoarder!
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Besides camera stuff it’s books and vinyl records for me, determined to make an effort this year and de clutter at least a little bit, they say it’s good for the soul.
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Like detox for the body.
But really, a smartphone is the ultimate decluttering device! Replaced the books, music collection, camera gear, computer… and what not!
But it takes away our connection to physical stuff.
Tough choice!
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I still can’t gel with taking photo’s on my phone, at least with film the negatives should last for years, not that anyone will be interested I guess, and Vinyl records sound more natural to me, it is tough.
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That’s right, the iPhone just doesn’t seem right as a camera. Just as vinyl sounds better to me. But as I moved a lot in my life and will probably continue, the more you own the more moving is terrible. Last time I totaled about 15 boxes of books and 2 of vinyls… plus the rest
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Queens Road. I remember Hinds Chemist! Vintage.
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It’s my nearest proper shopping area.
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I sure love to see then-and-now photography, especially when both the then and the now are from the same photographer.
It really is surprising to think back on how expensive photography was 30-40 years ago. Shooting film truly is a bargain today compared to then.
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I have a couple of other shots that I can then & now, will have a go next week. It’s great that its more affordable now, and the colour emulsions are so good nowadays.
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Love them 🙂 its so interesting to see now and then photos, the world changes so fast.
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Thank you, it certainly does.
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What a marvelous little stroll down memory lane! I was revisiting some of my own photos recently and had a couple of thoughts, which your post has revived: Isn’t it stunning to realize how long ago the 1980s were? And also, isn’t it incredible how much photography has evolved since then? I still remember saving up to have a roll of film developed, and the sense of expectation I felt when I finally had enough money to go pick it and see my photos. Glad YOU took the time to capture some of your local haunts, though … it’s fascinating to see how things have changed (and that some really haven’t).
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It’s scary, sometimes it seems like just a few years, I can’t believe it was 34 years ago, can’t believe how much my life has changed since then. Yes I had to save up to get films developed, but it was really exciting to open the photo wallet and see what came out or didn’t ! I’m going to try a few more before and afters when I can.
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Sometimes nostalgia also takes me, in fact… but also a bit of anger because most of the time things change drastically in urban areas. I look at the mountain on which I live, overlooking Lake Maggiore: the buildings of the last 20 years are horrendous wounds that break the green of the wooded area. I do not know, I understand that it is evolution and then making room for the demographic increase… but then, why are 70% of these new buildings empty? Rental prices (but most are apartments for sale) are exorbitant…
My dear, this is the insanity of our future… and for the future generations, there will be a lot of troubles.
By the way, I love especially the green benches! I saw few of them couple years ago during a trip to Scotland, beside the lochs!
🙂 claudine
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It’s the same here, lots of new housing development spreading into the countryside and apartment blocks being built all over the city, I’m sure they will never be fully occupied. Yes sadly it will be the future generations that have to deal with it. I would like to go back to Malvern to see if those benches are still there and see what the place looks like now.
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Ahhh the Malvern Priory.. thank you!
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You are welcome 🙂
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It’s my home town actually. I sang my first solo in Malvern Priory at the age of 9! Fond memories. Was the picture taken from The Rosebank Gardens above the Ivy Clad Abbey Hotel by any chance? It was on my daily run!
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Lovely town, must pay another visit. Yes it was, run !!!!!
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Take the Wells Road (right, from that shot) and keep going til you get to the British Camp. You’ll find the Malvern Hills Hotel there on the Worcestershire and Herefordshire border. Lovely place to stop for a drink and a people-watch! 😂
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