Seacoalers
The Community of Seacoal gatherers at Lynemouth, Northumberland.
"I took these photographs between 1981 and 1983. My cousin Trevor Critchlow was working as a seacoaler and he told me that the rights to the beach had been sold to a private contractor, who was blocking the route the seacoalers had traditionally taken with concrete blocks. I went down to Lynemouth with Trevor to photograph the concrete blocks as evidence against the private contractor. I had a firm relationship with the seacoalers from then on. I was taking photographs in and around the camp as my relationship with the seacoalers developed. In many ways as a photographer I was in a privileged position because anyone else with a camera down there would be chased off the beach, the seacoalers were suspicious that anyone with a camera was gathering evidence against them for the Social Security. I was given total freedom and allowed to photograph as and when I required. I visited the seacoalers camp two or three times a year for over two years."
The concrete barriers remained. The seacoalers had to find their own way round. The contractor got excavation rights for the sand, as well.
During this work, Amber Films/Side Gallery got involved. After showing my initial work print set from Lynemouth Beach to Side Gallery in Newcastle I introduced Murray Martin of Amber Films who later contacted and forged a relationship with Trevor and Amber began working on their award winning feature film 'Seacoal' for Channel 4's "Film On 4",
It was shortly afterwards that Chris Killip began his photographic project 'Seacoal' for Side Gallery.
"I took these photographs between 1981 and 1983. My cousin Trevor Critchlow was working as a seacoaler and he told me that the rights to the beach had been sold to a private contractor, who was blocking the route the seacoalers had traditionally taken with concrete blocks. I went down to Lynemouth with Trevor to photograph the concrete blocks as evidence against the private contractor. I had a firm relationship with the seacoalers from then on. I was taking photographs in and around the camp as my relationship with the seacoalers developed. In many ways as a photographer I was in a privileged position because anyone else with a camera down there would be chased off the beach, the seacoalers were suspicious that anyone with a camera was gathering evidence against them for the Social Security. I was given total freedom and allowed to photograph as and when I required. I visited the seacoalers camp two or three times a year for over two years."
The concrete barriers remained. The seacoalers had to find their own way round. The contractor got excavation rights for the sand, as well.
During this work, Amber Films/Side Gallery got involved. After showing my initial work print set from Lynemouth Beach to Side Gallery in Newcastle I introduced Murray Martin of Amber Films who later contacted and forged a relationship with Trevor and Amber began working on their award winning feature film 'Seacoal' for Channel 4's "Film On 4",
It was shortly afterwards that Chris Killip began his photographic project 'Seacoal' for Side Gallery.