INFORMATION

General Information

During the year 2000 D J Clark built a visual record of the Lancaster & Morecambe district using photographs and information submitted by those that feature in the pictures. The project was conducted in association with Lancaster Museum and has been archived for future generations to look back at the district at the turn of the new Millennium. For more information on the project visit the information page. If you find a caption is wrong or there is a fault with the page please e-mail D J Clark.

Date: November 4th, 5th, 2000
Location: Various locations

Photographer's Diary

Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th November - Guy Fawkes

Sunday was the official day, but the City Council had a tradition of mounting the biggest show in town on the nearest Saturday. I had thought about this shot the longest. The previous year I had driven to Salt Ayre to test an idea I had, shooting across the river and including the castle, Priory and Memorial all together. It hadn't worked. I had switched my attention to the bridge. This was to be my main opportunity to capture the new bridge in all it's glory, but things had gone wrong and it was still in the process of being built.

I thought about the Ashton Memorial and then the Priory itself, but kept coming back to the bridge. I set off early and walked around to find the best spot. I was surprised to find quite a crowd gathered on the other side of the river. As they started I shot, never sure if I had the picture. The bridge remained in darkness and my only hope was that the fireworks would light it up. I will have to wait for the results.
The next day, the real day, I gate crashed a street party on Yealand drive. Two wheel barrows and a garage full of food was the basis of a wet but successful flurry of rockets, bangers and Catherine wheels. I kept thinking how dangerous it was just watching in the crowd, and then one firework fell over and shot off sideways. One man brought a keg of home brewed beer. It tasted horrible, as did the marshmallow covered gingernuts and other child bakery delights. I drank the ale and ate the biscuits in between the odd photograph.

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