Project introduction/ Synopsis
This project was inspired by the lockdown of 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, when everyone was encouraged to stay within their own environment.
I discovered that I had just as many beauty spots on my doorstep within my urban surroundings, as could be found anywhere in the world…. I just needed to look.
By looking at my hometown with fresh eyes, I was able to find a new love and respect for what I had at my fingertips.
This series of landscape photographs focuses on the three lakes of South Norwood that are both beautiful and tranquil, and each serve a purpose to the community.
Through a series of landscape images taken through the changing seasons, I explored the countryside on the doorstep of an urban town.
“London’s Lake District”, is a project that was inspired by the lockdown of 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic when we were all encouraged to stay within our own surroundings. We were all encouraged by the government health officials to take regular exercise by walking, and this is how I was able to discover that my urban surroundings had a lot to offer in the way of beauty... I just needed to look.
I decided that I would treat the staycation as my annual vacation. I chose to
approach it as any other holiday and plan for it in the same way that I would
normally arrange a holiday. I wanted to try new things, make new discoveries, and
enjoy some down time relaxing whilst enjoying new adventures. This was when I
learned that South Norwood does in fact have a tourist board and this is where my
interest for this project was ignited. I discovered that at some point the board had
made a move to obtain the title of ‘The Lake District’ from Cumbria, arguing that
Cumbria has only one official lake, Bassenthwaite, while all the rest are meres, tarns,
and waters, whereas Norwood has three official lakes. Cumbria quickly came back
with the fact Norwood’s lakes are puddles in comparison and have not been
immortalised by poets such as Wordsworth and W.H. Auden. It was all done in a
very tongue- in -cheek way. However, South Norwood’s Tourist Board achieved its
aim of bringing much needed attention and appreciation of the none the less
beautiful and iconic lakes of Norwood.
South Norwood is lucky enough to have a vast number of green areas. We are also privileged to have three beautiful tranquil lakes housed within these parks and meadows. Each lake serves the community in different ways and are rich in history. South Norwood Lakes formally a reservoir, supplied water to the canal that linked Croydon market town to the Thames. It is now used for sailing and fishing. Brickfield Meadow, initially the site of Woodside Brickworks which after the clay run out was left to itself and became a natural lake, now used for fishing and as a recreation area. South Norwood Country Park is one of the largest green spaces in Croydon, originally allotments, wasteland, a refuge dump, and a sewage farm, is now a leading nature reserve that is widely used to study rare and unique wild birds.
After visiting all of these lakes and surroundings on a regular basis, I have got to know the regular sailors, anglers, twitters, dog walkers, (and all of the dogs’ names!), joggers and mothers walking their babies. I have really got to know the people within my community. I came to realise just how captivated people are by being near water, how they feel the pull towards nature and water and the solitude that it offers. I realised how being near water adds to, enhances, and expands our efforts to reach a calm and mindful state. I cannot count how many times people said to me, ‘I just love to be near the water’, I have learnt about the wildlife, the life cycle of fish and how being active in these magnificent surroundings has kept many people’s mental health on an even keel during a very challenging time in modern history. My photobook book of documentary style photos is of calming, peaceful landscapes which are a tribute to South Norwood. I will donate this book to the local library, along with a selection of postcards taken from images from the book to be sold for the profit of local charities. This book will be my gift to the community that I hope will awaken the enthusiasm of its people to want to visit the different lakes, to love and appreciate what is on their doorstep.
