Closing down shops

No faking it in Brighton in August 1995 (image 2651-62)

It's Christmas in the high street again, but Santa arrives with an unpleasant present this year. The credit crunch looks set to put a dampener on the ringing tills and, come the New Year, a lot of shopkeepers are going to be in serious difficulties. The subject of this week's picture feature, therefore, is closing down, which is what many shops, especially small ones, could soon be doing. Of course we've been here before - 1991-94, 1982-85 and 1973-75. Boom and bust is as British as bangers and mash. Unfortunately.

Last week's feature looked at the life of dogs

Dog's life was the title of last week's picture set - ten images illustrating the wacky existence (and in one case demise) of the humble mutt. There used to be a slogan you'd see in car rear windscreens: "A Dog is for Life, not just for Christmas". It was a good slogan, reminding us that pet dogs are a long-term responsibility and not to be acquired on a whim. Man's "best friend" is often seen in an all too unfriendly light (take a look at the earlier set called beware of the dog). But, however well or badly treated they are, dogs have a charming way of just getting on with life. Rolling and sniffing, running and barking, eating the most repulsive things and then licking your face afterwards. Christmas comes just once a year, but dogs are up for it every single day of their funny old lives.

Bikers, locomotives and Brighton churches have been the subjects of recent sets

Bikers were the subject of the feature a fortnight ago. Rockers and Hells Angels may be the biker archetypes, but people who like riding motorcycles come in fact from a far wider range. From small boys in display teams to old men (and some women) on vintage machines, there's a great variety of bikers on and off the road. Some of the best can be seen at the many rallies that end up on Brighton seafront every year. This library has a good choice of pictures from these events - check the events page on this site to have a look at the Ace Cafe rallies and Pioneer Runs.

St Pancras station has recently re-opened as the new London base for Eurostar trains to the Continent. By all accounts, the renovation is a triumph, housing 21st century trains in one of the finest 19th century railway stations. It's appropriate, therefore, that the picture feature three weeks ago should have been about locomotives, the engines that power the railways. Most of the pictures are of old steam engines, several on the preserved Bluebell Line in Sussex. Old engines are just a lot more loveable and photogenic than modern ones. But then maybe one day there'll be a preservation society for the Eurostars. Everybody, apart from Margaret Thatcher and Jeremy Clarkson, loves trains. You might like also to see the previous sets on the Bluebell Railway and rail travel in England.

The picture set four weeks ago took a look at Brighton churches. This is a subject needing lots of sets to cover at all adequately, so the pictures here, taken between 1991 and 2004, are just a taster, showing details from ten of the many churches in the city. Considering that Brighton is such a godless place, devoted as it is to so many secular pleasures, it is surprisingly blessed with a fantastic variety of fine church buildings. With just two per cent of the local population now reported to go to church at all, several of these buildings are no longer places of worship and many more are facing closure by the Church of England. St Peter's, designed by Charles Barry and Brighton's most prominent church, is likely to be shut within a year and its future use is unknown. Churches without churchgoers cannot carry on as they did, but it is still a great shame to see them close their doors. Such closures can easily become yet another erosion of the public realm, the communally shared space essential to civilised urban society. Brighton's churches are great public spaces, so visit them while you can.

Over 50000 pictures now available

The picture library offers more than 50000 images and they can all be keyword searched from the picture search page. New or updated subjects include shop closures, dogs, bikers, railways, Brighton churches and rubbish and Wakehurst Place. The site has several ways to help make relevant and fruitful searches, including index pages for both subjects and events & places.  There is also a useful search guide and information page.

A good showcase of the type and range of photography available can be explored in the pictures of the week series. Published on the site since December 2001, this now totals over 2800 images. Each week brings a set of ten pictures about a particular place, event or theme. Almost all the library's pictures are available for personal or commercial reproduction. Digital files can be delivered by email or CD, prices start from as little as £8 and there is further information on the prices and terms & conditions pages. You can also contact David Gray for quotations and availability for new photography commissions.

John Betjeman statue at St Pancras station in December 2007 (image 2747-37)