Club Meeting, Derelict & Abandoned Challenge - Tuesday 29th January 2019.

                      

On Tuesday 29th January 2019, Vice Chairman, John Barnes revealed the members’ responses to his second challenge of
the season. For this challenge John had asked members to go out into the world of decay and abandonment and capture
images of places and buildings that had been neglected and fallen to the ravages of time. Those participating were asked
to submit up to four images of everyday places which showed dereliction, but which also transmitted a feeling of despair
and ‘forgotteness’. Photographs of ruined churches, monuments or castles were to be avoided, as that would have been
too easy. After giving an introduction John proceeded to show the images from himself and the 11 other members that
had responded to his challenge, calling on the authors to talk about their images.

As most of the projected photographs featured neglected buildings and other structures in the Morpeth area many of the
images stimulated discussion about the buildings/ structures themselves as well as some questions and comments relating
to aspects of the pictorial quality and techniques adopted by the authors in producing the images.

                      

Where two or more members had chosen to photograph the same subject matter, the final images usually differed markedly,
with some authors focusing on whole structures and others on specific aspects such as broken/ decaying windows, doors and
roofs. Some members also produced composite images using two or more photos of different parts of a building to show the
extent of the decay and dereliction in one picture. Some also used techniques such as converting the images to black & white,
or adjusting the appearance of colours, to help emphasise the extent and feeling of abandonment, dereliction and decay.

Derelict structures in and around Morpeth that attracted the interest more than one member included: The roof girders and
other remains of the former Benfield Garage near Castle Square. This had been partially demolished and is currently awaiting development, although no one knew what was likely to happen to the site. General and close-up views of the Willows and
Beechfield House - two previously grand Victorian houses built near the river in Gashouse Lane. These council owned buildings
had (between them) been used for many purposes over the years; including a centre for the unemployed, a first aid centre
and air raid precautions headquarters during World War II, County Library headquarters and a care home. They had now
become derelict following several years of neglect.

                      

Photos of some old rusting petrol pumps on the site of an old petrol station at Fairmoor on the northern outskirts of Morpeth.
From these images it appears that the pumps were last used when petrol cost just 41.1 pence per litre (approx. 1984).There
were also images of doors and windows of the former Karva Woodcraft furniture factory that occupied old colliery buildings
near Widdrington Station. Pictures of an old saw mill building with its collapsing roof, by the bridge crossing the river Wansbeck
at Bothal, which has become increasingly unsafe and derelict over the last few years.

Many of the other photos shown during the evening featured dilapidated sheds and outbuildings in gardens and on allotments,
some becoming derelict because of neglect or structural defects and others suffering from vandalism. Other images included
views of empty and abandoned shops in Ashington and Morpeth, an old fisherman’s hut in Beadnell, Morpeth’s old police station
(behind Morpeth Court) and an old boat at Amble.

At the end of the evening the vice chairman, John Barnes, thanked all of those that had participated in this challenge and the discussions during the evening. Club chairman, Mark Harrison, then thanked John for organising and presenting this successful challenge. Camera club members can now look forward to participating in the next and final challenge of the season.

Glyn Trueman.