Day one of my Newcastle Common Residency could not have begun on a more optimistic note. A walk down from Penkhull in the sunshine, passing through Hartshill where I grew up as a child with my two sisters. Iron Market was at its best in the sunshine – and the feeling that winter and hopefully lockdown too are coming to a close was definitely in the air.
The welcome from the market traders was as warm as the weather. It’s wonderful to see a community pulling together, sharing jokes and laughter – albeit all conducted at a safe and social distance.
I captured some of these familiar faces and locations in the spring sun this week:
Lunch was a bag full of fresh fruit from Len, washed down with a fine cup of coffee from Jonathan. The best of this countries produce was everywhere, kippers from Whitby and the Isle of Man. Braces of pheasants strung over large trays of fresh eggs. Trestle tables adorned with pyramids of glistening oranges, apples and plums. A chance meeting with Nick Moore of Newcastle Council took us up Brunswick Street to photograph the newly uncovered Butterworth ghost-sign (more on that here https://www.patreon.com/posts/48069836), a stones throw form the house of another Staffs artist Alston Emery https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/news/walking-footsteps-local-artist prompting a little oil sketch of Marsh Parade (pictured below).
Many thanks to Len, Alex, Liam, Jonathan, Nick and all my new friends on the market, including Martin at Stone & Son Fish, Aneta & Anna at Smakolyk, and Chris, Liam & Oliver at Tony Price Quality Butcher.
~ Ian Mood
