film photography Archives - Blackpool Social Club

14 Aug

Photo Exhibition Review: HIVEArts PhotoPool 25 – Paul Berriff OBE and Albert Cooper

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblackpool arts scene, film photography, photographic exhibition, rock photography, sports photography

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""] Following the build up to PhotoPool 2025 coordinated by the HIVEArts team, David Simper caught the service 61 bus to see what was on offer on opening night. On entering the gallery, I find the entry walls covered in large framed prints of very young looking rock and pop stars of early 1960s vintage, from the Rolleiflex of Paul Berriff OBE. Further into the gallery and on the gallery's window sills, are prints from Albert Cooper's library of sport photographs, including figures such as Jack Charlton, Alex Ferguson and Mohammed Ali. The gallery is full of exuberant people…

19 May

Photo Essay: Blackpool’s public art

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, film photography, public art, street photography

Always keen for a themed photo project, David Simper, took his twin lens reflex film camera down to the town centre to see what he could make of Blackpool's public art collection. Even among local people, Blackpool might not project as a centre for public art, but there's more than you might think and plenty to occupy a twelve frame film on a bright morning. I caught the service 3 bus and disembarked at Church Street outside the school, to start the exercise with the Fancie Bench in Kings Square outside Stanley Buildings. From there to St John's Square and…

16 May

Photo Walk: Town centre sights

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsfilm photography, medium format photography, photowalk, street photography

Time flies and another Tea Amantes-based photowalk hoved into view. David Simper selected his trusty twin lens reflex film camera and caught the service 61 bus to the cafe to endezvous with the posse. Here's a few results for your delectation. Part of the Tea Amantes photowalk ritual is that Stan asks you to draw a theme for the day. This time mine was '3'. So, you can choose from three posts on the Prom... Or three people having a fag break outside Subway. For those interested, I used my Yashica 635 twin lens reflex…

12 May

Photo Walk: South Shore on film

David Simper0 CommentsLocal Newsblack and white photography, blackpool community darkroom, film photography, photowalk

David Simper is known for his love of a photo walk, and blasting off some film in general, so it was with pleasure that he travelled down to the Solaris Centre on 3rd May 2025, to take part in this event, focused on the sights of South Shore. I arrived at the Solaris Centre muster point in good time and to find several Blackpool Community Darkroom friends indulging in elevenses. After that repast, we sallied forth across the South Promenade road, stopping only to distribute and load film. I think most, if not all, were using analogue kit, but I'll…

14 Mar

Retro photo gallery: a walk on the south prom

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblackpool art scene, blackpool photowalk, film photography, monochrome photography, photo gallery

David Simper takes a creative look back to January 2024. Lured out of his domestic fastness by bright January sun, he took his film camera for a bracing walk from Starr Gate to central Blackpool. 26 January 2024 was my post-Yuletide leave day and I wanted to use it to do something creative. Waking to sun, a photo walk was the obvious choice and some useful exercise too. Picking up my 35mm Yashica Electro 35, with its excellent 45mm lens, and loading it with a favourite Kentmere 400 black and white film, I headed down to catch the service 18…

13 Apr

Gallery: Stanley Park Photo Walk

David Simper0 CommentsLocal NewsBlackpool, blackpool community darkroom, film photography, photo walk, photography

The morning dawned bright as David Simper loaded a film camera with his favourite Kentmere 400, before strolling down for a refreshing photo walk round Stanley Park with the Blackpool Community Darkroom posse. There are definitely worse ways to spend a Sunday morning. The team at Blackpool Community Darkroom had set 24th March 2024 as the day for the next photo walk and Stanley Park as the location. As the park is walking distance from my house, this was ideal. I selected the Leica CL for the job, a camera designed in Germany and manufactured in Japan; I fitted a…

20 Mar

Gallery: Heritage Action Zone with Blackpool Community Darkroom

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblackpool arts scene, community photography, film photography, photowalk

Never one to let a photographic opportunity pass him by, David Simper took his twin lens reflex film camera down to the Aunty Social building to join Blackpool Community Darkroom and explore the surrounding Heritage Action Zone. I got to Aunty Social on Topping Street reasonably early due to Sunday bus times and the need to load the camera, however there were already plenty of friends and new faces already there. Aunty Social created a community darkroom space for people to share, learn and refine their photography skills. Run by a collective of local photographers, it launched at the start…

23 Aug

Hive Photo Walk: a communal photographic event

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & ExhibitionsBlackpool, blackpool arts scene, film photography, ilford, photogaphy

As part of HIVEArts' Photo North collaboration, a Photo Walk event supported by the Ilford photo products company had been organised. Representives from the rejuvenated Polaroid company and the Analogue Wonderland retail company were also present. When I arrived at HIVE the team were preparing to tuck into a substantial breakfast. People moved to the upstairs gallery space as the time for the presentations approached. There was time to look at the exhibition and generally fraternise before he event kicked off proper. Chatting to the woman from Ilford I mentioned that the last time I had printed a black and…

17 Jun

Gallery: a stroll out with a black and white film

David Simper0 CommentsVisual Arts & Exhibitionsblack and white photography, Blackpool, film photography, street photography

I'd set off to be at the Abingdon Street market's opening on the 27th May 2023 equipped with my digital camera for stills and video, which hopefully worked well. In my rucksack I also had my Leica CL 35mm rangefinder camera, carrying its 50mm Soviet made Jupiter lens and loaded with a 36 exposure roll of 400iso Kentmere black and white film. My intention was to stroll down the Promenade after covering the market opening. I did do that, but a whole load of other shots got taken as well. I hope these are the best of the three dozen.…

23 Apr

Photo Essay: a Good Friday stroll round Heron’s Reach

David Simper0 CommentsEnvironment and Natureblack and white photography, Blackpool, countryside, film photography, heron's reach, Stanley Park

Here's a cheeky little piece based on my Easter constitutional round Heron's Reach and my black and white snaps in the chill but bright Spring light. This area was partly a war time airfield and some of that infrastructure is still used as part of Blackpool Zoo. Other areas were used for landfill for many years. When that finished, the area was left to grow and paths were put in to make a country park. This is one of Blackpool's green lungs. There's a lot of biodiversity. The area leads to the Marton Mere site of special scientific interest (SSSI)…