I decided to start the new year differently in 2010. Almost every year this millennium I’ve made a start with the London Parade, a rather curious annual event that started almost 25 years ago, and at least in the early years that I photographed it was made up almost entirely of US teenagers either marching in uniformed bands or jumping up and down to music waving pom-poms. Here’s one I took in the previous century:
London Parade, 1999
When I first photographed it, quite a while ago, it was called the Westminster Parade, involving only one of London’s three cities but it has since broadened to include not only the other two cities (the City of London and Southwark, south of the river) but also the Greater London boroughs, a number of which now have floats or groups in the parade, along with various other organisations from around the country. But although 9/11, the London bombings have resulted in rather fewer US kids flying in, others have taken their place to give a more varied event.
It’s also become increasingly controlled, and arranged more for the benefit of a worldwide TV audience than for those watching on the streets, and I’ve found it less interesting to photograph. One of the things that helped to retain some interest was that the parade assembled around Westminster, giving some nice backgrounds for pictures – such as these Morris Men from the London Borough of Harrow:
Merrydowners Morris from the London Borough of Harrow, 2008
But this year the procession was to go around the route in the opposite direction – apparently the TV companies had pressed for the change as they had decided it allowed them to show some of London’s landmarks better in their coverage. So rather than starting at Westminster it would be starting on Piccadilly.
Perhaps I’ll photograph it again another year, but once TV gets to call the tune I’m not sure it is worth bothering. I’ve felt that the last few years, though I’ve taken a few pictures I like, the only thing that has kept me going back is that it has become a little bit of a social occasion for some of my photographer friends, where we meet up and go to the pub as the last of the parade moves to the start line. And I was sorry to miss that, though I imagine there will be a few opportunities later in 2010.
Westminster, 2009
My best wishes to all for 2010. No long list of resolutions for me, but I’m going to try and do things a bit differently to 2009. Time for a change.