Southport is a seaside town about 20 miles north of Liverpool on the Lancashire coast. Unlike many of the other resorts in the region it has managed to keep some semblance of its former glory as the tourist numbers have decreased. In particular the coastal area to the south of the town is prosperous, especially as you near the golf course at Birkdale. Or Royal Birkdale to give it its full title.
Main
Bowls is a very genteel game, played mainly by the elderly but no doubt with an undercurrent of ruthlessness that belies its well mannered surface.
M8, Noctilux
Alternatives
Comfortable as it is Southport shares a certain degree of shabbiness with its neighbours. Even if not to the same extent.
M8, Noctilux
M8, Noctilux
South of Southport, on the coast near Crosby, there’s an art installation by the artist Anthony Gormley. This consists of scores of life-sized casts of Gormley’s naked body positioned in the tidal area. Today was very windy and some people were struggling to battle their way back to the shoreline against the wind.
M8, 35mm ASPH Summicron
Ainsdale lies just south of Southport and has a huge sandy beach. My parents used to take me there when I was a child. In addition to the beach there is also a large cemetery on the main road from Southport and it was that was where I took this photograph. As in so many places the prosperity of a town can be gauged from the quality of the memorials found in its cemetery.
M8, 35mm ASPH Summicron
That first shot of the folk playing bowls is excellent. It could only have been taken with a Noctilux. I like mine, too!
Comment by Paul Hart — November 29, 2007 @ 11:32 pm
very interesting.
i’m adding in RSS Reader
Comment by music — January 7, 2008 @ 9:57 am
Hello,
I love black and white photography to begin with and these photos gave me a bit of insight into the area where my ancestors lived around 1860-80. David Murray’s death certificate says he was residing at 51 Cemetery Road, Southport when he died in 1873 and I Googled the address which led me to your site. I was thinking it may have been a hospital. I live in Australia now and there’s a huge difference between beaches here and your photo of the Southport beach. I remember holidays as a child, the bracing wind and walking for what seemed like miles,to reach the sea. Great photos!!! Bye from Lyn
Comment by Lyn — March 1, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
anymore pics of the cementry drove past and was gobsmacked looked very scary
Comment by colin — May 13, 2008 @ 7:35 am