Josh Atkin

Living off Baker Street might evoke images of traffic jams or echoes of noise pollution. However, what makes this area such a fun place to live apart from the obvious perks of living in the city centre are the little mews dwellings that are just a turning off the busiest roads. Here a microcosm of community lives and breathes be it through the small pubs, familiar faces or the honest approach of the working man such as the decorator I have documented here.

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Location:London

Light - Enge

I asked my five year old lad to lay the table for Sunday dinner, we usually have candles and I had arranged them in a line, noticing the refracted light, he arranged them thus and took the photo while I was busy dishing up, I was surprised and yet humbled by his creativity. Anyway, here's his offering:


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Jonathan Edwards - Wrecsam, Wales - UK

This was taken in my favourite place in the world (Tokyo). I spotted this advert in Ikebukuro station and thought it would make an ideal Horizon shot. It was only when I got my photographs developed that I noticed the Japanese girl who had wandered into shot and stared directly into the camera. Sometimes you get your films developed and they disappoint, other times, as in this instance, they exceed your expectations completely.

(Please click on the image for the full photograph)

Christian Wynne - Denbigh, Wales - UK

These photos were taken on my trip from Darwin to Perth down the Western Coast of Australia. This stage was one of the most vivid memories of my entire year travelling, which is strange because it was one of the least photographed.

Enge Gray - London, UK

This was taken by my lad. He's 5 in 9 days and this was one of the results of him being given my digital point and shoot. I just love the captured innocence. Hope you do too.

Venus by Tony

The following pictures were taken by a friend of mine called Chris and show the movers and groovers of Nottingham in the early 90s. Taken at a nightclub in the city called Venus, which I had stumbled upon on my return to the East Midlands on the back of a year in the North West where I’d spent pretty much every Friday night at Nude Night in the Hacienda. Venus had a very cool crowd, into both their music and their fashion. At the same time, it never felt elitist. Looking back at myself as I was twenty years ago has been a strange, bittersweet experience. On the one hand, I wish I was that young again and living for the moment. On the other, it was a time of insecurity and naivety and one in which I had very little money. Still, we had the time of our lives.

(Please click on the photographs for full size images)

Rest

The realisation that a return to work was only a matter of days away, I decided a getaway was in order. I'd never travelled around the coast of North West Wales before so I headed in that direction. The first day involved enduring the company of the hedge fund, hooray Henry, boating jacket, pastel rugby shirt, 4x4 brigade in the colonised enclave of Abersoch. Fortunately, the next day I stumbled across one of the most beautiful and amazing places I've ever seen - Aberdaron. While walking down an almost entirely deserted stretch of beach, I spotted these two lying against a sea defence wall.

(Please click on the photo for the full image)

The Full English Ark

I've found myself in cafes a lot lately. Dirty ones on Saturday mornings mainly and they've become places I'm completely fascinated by. I love the honesty of them. The people, the conversations, the layout.

Chance Meeting

A few weeks ago, I was feeling restless so decided to jump on the train and head to Liverpool for the afternoon. Standing in the Walker Art Gallery looking at this painting, the back of the woman's head in the right hand side of this photo caught my eye. It was familiar. I edged sideways to get a glimpse of her face. To my surprise/horror it was a matronly native French woman whom I'd lost to in a crazy golf tournament in Nimes in June last year. A woman I'd never seen before or met since. With this revelation, and seeing her raise from her seat, I tiptoed backwards and hid behind an exhibit. She found me. We had an awkward conversation. About chance meetings and the world being small. I really need to be less antisocial.

Bad Marriage

The longest standing commitment a man ever makes is one decided on a schoolyard or a playing field when he chooses which football team he is going to support. It's a relationship like no other which spans decades, brings pain, joy, misery and frustration. A relationship that defies any sense of logic especially when involving midweek treks to far flung corners of the country to stand in wind and rain for a couple of hours.

A couple of weeks ago, on a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon, I sat in the stands watching yet another soul destroying performance. A second goal inside the first ten minutes proved too much for many and they began to leave, muttering under their breaths that enough was enough and that they wouldn't be back. Of course, in their heart of hearts, they knew they'd be back in those very same seats within days. In the closing minutes I took this photograph. It summed up the loyal, brutal, stoic and often heartbreaking nature of being a football supporter.

(Please click on the photograph to see the full image)

Submitted by JNReed (Glossop, England)

The Berlin Wall.

Submitted by JNReed (Glossop, England)

The execution yard of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp.

Lyme Park, Cheshire. The 'Cage' - a Grade II listed building that was once used to lock up poachers / bad peasants back in the day as they say. With Stockport and Greater Manchester in the background on a glorious day.

Subbuteo subs 'warming up'. They might actually be ballboys but subs sound cooler, coupled with a rare bit of snow.

Submitted by Mark Woodward (Grimsby, England)

I found this tape when I was messing with my camera using different objects to create abstract photos. This was the last tape I ever copied from one of my dearest friends. He used to come round to mine every so often with a new tape so I could copy it. It was also the last time we shared anything other than conversations. We seemed to take different paths in life shortly after. Unfortunately his path lead to his death. He was 26. 

RIP Christopher J Butterworth (1972-1999)

Submitted by Mark Woodward (Grimsby, England)

This picture tells the story of my life since I got made redundant. I walk down my stairs and 20 yards to the pub, pay £1.80 for a cup of tea. Although I have tea bags, it gives me an excuse to leave my flat, when I feel I need to escape.

Submitted by Dave Setter (Mold, Wales)

This is from the Ford production line during the 1970's-80's. All the parts are from the Ford Capri and the guys on the line used to knock em up when the supervisors weren't looking!

He official new mascot for DoodlePlanet -

http://www.compulsiveart.co.uk

Submitted by Giraffic (South London, England)

This is me coming down Snowdon after completing the 3 peaks challenge of climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours. Rates as one of the most stupid things I have done.

Submitted by Dan (Stockport, England)

I took this the other week in the garden on a rare sunny day, I've honestly not seen one since I was a kid, either I don't get out much at all, or I presumed they'd died off with white white dog shit, Spangles and Cannon and Ball!

Submitted by Bfc 1882 (Burnley, England)

Here's one of Barcelona's many 'characters'. Following one of his mates wandering into a group of pissed up England fans whilst wearing a Deuchsland vest, this bloke went and picked up one of the cans of San Miguel been thrown and started drinking it. So as you do, we gave him a bottle of Smirnoff - he was pretty pleased with his present it was fair to say.

Submitted by Oldnwetonheath (Manchester, England)

One of the many weird shops that have popped up in north Manchester!