Here we are folks, running round again like a chicken with its head cut off. On air Friday 9th Oct at 9.45 am, BBC Radio Sheffield, talking about my South Yorkshire Steel Project. What's that I hear you say. I have, for some time, been dismayed at how Great Britain is not so great anymore. We seem to have lost alot of things that, in my mind, put the Great in Great Britain. One of these is our manufacturing base that seems to have been eroded to such an extent that it is no longer visible to the naked eye. Yes I know that the whole world, emerging countries and economies etc etc etc have taken their place in the scheme of things, some may say and rightly so but it still irks me that we seemed to have lost such alot of the things that put bread and butter on the table. What future is there for my kids? With the loss of income to the Government by way of taxes etc and the increased costs by way of benefits there must come a time when outgoings exceed incomings, read Charles Dickens, David Copperfield and Mr Macawber's statement. So, what's this rant leading to? I have begun to undertake a project that will photographically record what's left of the South Yorkshire Steel Industry and the engineering companies that provide employment before they disappear altogether. To this end, I have spoken on BBC Radio Sheffield in May of this year asking for ex and current workers to contact me with a view to me interviewing them about their experiences of working in the industry. These narrations will support an exhibition of photographic images displaying the past and present of the industry, the workers narration being directly linked to each site on display. There will be instances (more than I care to think about) where the industrial site is now a redeveloped shopping mall, Hatfields and Meadowhall to name but one. I have an idea to photograph ex-workers at the site where they used to work, even if it is now a car park or McDonalds or whatever. The exhibiton will take the form of past and present images juxtaposed with a narration explaining the scene spoken by the people who worked in the places shown. A second exhibition will take the form of an audio visual display along similar lines. A third outcome will be an interactive website where people can post their own stories and anecdotes, the fourth outcome will be a published book of images and text.

I have applied for lottery funding to help support the project but I feel that I may have better luck in gaining support if I was an MP claiming expenses. Staff at Magna, Rotherham have offered help, it's a fantastic place to visit, a couple of photos are shown above and Independent Forgings of Hillsboro have done the same. I'm still knocking on doors and trying to get Sheffield Council involved but it's a case of not what you know but who.....So if there are any other people out there who have similar sentiments to mine, then get in touch.