Barry Island, South Wales, November 2015. From ‘Miner’s Fortnight’.
This is the site of what used to be Butlin’s Barry Island; a thriving resort for holidays and tourism, frequented by many mining families up until the collapse of the industry in the 70s and 80s. A site famed for its bright colours and an enormous variety of activities on-site, lasting 30 years from 1966-1996 when it was demolished. In place of it; a large car park with access to the beach and walks.
Now, the town’s modern heritage is built on it being a backdrop for BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey, the relics of its tourist heyday fading into greyness and obsolescence. ‘Miner’s Fortnight’ depicts found imagery from the era of the thriving beach resort next to the after-effects of the fallout of de-industrialisation, portraying a melancholy longing for the past and an uncertainty for the future.