To be fair, I couldn’t have picked a more miserable day to visit the Poultry and Game Market that took place in the town of Brigg, Lincolnshire sometime during November 1981. The cold, wet and very overcast conditions were, on the face of it, far from ideal for photography. Once I had taken a good look around and got a feel for what was going on – it was a busy day and the auctioneer wasn’t hanging about as he guided his entourage of interested customers through the many lots on offer – I realised that I would have to work quickly if I was going to get anything worthwhile from the trip.

The combination of speedy reactions, slow shutter speeds, the use of a long lens as well as my preferred wide angle, produced photographs often with movement and suspect focus; the ‘pushed’ film gave a very ‘gritty’ look. On reflection these factors conspired to form, for me, a fairly accurate idea of how I experienced the scenes and an interesting series of images. I discovered the negatives – stored away in my brother’s garage – in 2016. Up to then I hadn’t used the photographs; many have never been printed up.

The market, run by the Stennet family, was characterful with a fabulous mix of local townspeople, country folk, farmers, market traders, shopkeepers, smallholders, the old, the young and the curious. Whilst the hares and the pheasants were clearly dead, much of the poultry was very much alive and occasionally frisky. Comedy and drama….

It was a grand day out and for me an eye-opener. Although I attended the Grammar School, as a boarder, in Brigg from 1966 to 1973 I had never visited this market. My personal project, ‘Notes in Passing: Lincolnshire’ was started in 1980 and presently continues; this visit ranks among the many highlights both in terms of both my photography and my personal experience of this fascinating world we live in.

For the tech-minded, the photographs were made using an Olympus OM1 and Zuiko lenses. The film was Kodak Tri-x Pan.

Photographs taken during the 1981/2 season at the Old Showground, once home to Scunthorpe United Football Club

It has to be said that I was, and still am, a fan of Scunthorpe United’s arch-rivals, Grimsby Town. However, I was living in Scunthorpe at the time – generally twiddling my thumbs – and thinking about a subject for my first real photographic project. I was three years out of college with a degree in photography under my belt, had failed to find a way of actually supporting myself as a photographer and needed a challenge. To this day, with many projects under my belt and never a day passing without my camera at hand, I never did become professional. What I do have is a visual diary of my life so far and this project is a part of that.

I remember the day I walked into the manager’s office with my proposal; Ron Ashman was a man one felt comfortable with immediately and he offered some encouraging remarks as I floundered through a rehearsed proposal. I was given ‘carte blanche’ to make photographs at the ground, which was more than I had hoped for. I made a photograph of him at the end of that meeting and, although I made many others over the course of the season, it remains my favourite (above). I didn’t know it at the time but this was to be Ron’s final season in football management and, on hindsight, I think that the empty boxes by his desk lend a certain poignancy to the portrait.

Mrs Louth, the club secretary, was one of few women working at that level in the English Football League at the time. She was one of the many people I met during the project who accepted me with warmth and genuine interest in what I was doing. She was usually kept busy and was just about to dash off when I managed this photograph of her (above).

I visited the ground on several occasions ‘out of hours’ and particularly enjoyed chatting with the groundsman, Ron Barnes (above). I never saw him without a suit and tie and can remember the pride he had in keeping the pitch in good shape. Not a big club, the ‘Iron’ were nestled in the bottom third of the league’s lowest tier – Division Four in those days – throughout the 1981/2 season, but Ron Barnes treated it as if it were a big club and his attention to detail was remarkable.

A promotional department was a new development for the club; I don’t remember the names of the two guys employed to make it happen (above, left) or of the girls who worked with them on match days (above, right). I remember a prize draw was one of the tactics used to add to the club’s coffers.

Charlie Strong, the club physiotherapist (above), allowed me considerable time in his treatment room. He was fascinating to talk to, was on top of his game and had a sympathetic and encouraging manner when dealing with players concerned about the effect an injury would have on their ability to get out and play.

It never really occurred to me just how grand a job the St John Ambulance, a volunteer-led and charitable organisation, do at events like football matches. This young fan was lucky to have them around (above).

As well as the above mentioned I met many others: fans, players, match officials and auxillary staff. I even got to travel on the team coach once for an away match at Wigan. I am still sorting through old negatives which only came to light when I discovered a box full in a relative’s garage three years ago. I hope you have enjoyed this modest selection; for those who are technically minded the camera used was an Olympus OM1, the lenses were Zuiko and the film of choice was Kodak Tri-X Pan.

Good to have you here