Sarah Solemani

This shoot with Sarah Solemani took place just around the corner from where I live.  Although Sarah is now based in LA, she grew up in Hackney, London.  The backdrop for this shoot was Ridley Road Market, now a bustling culturally diverse market - but once the battleground for the 62 Group, a collection of anti-fascists who stood up against the rising Neo-Nazi movement in Britain after WW2.  This conflict was the basis of Sara Solemani’s BBC drama, based on the book Ridley Road by Jo Bloom.  

The film deals with a part of history that I did not know about before Sarah told me about it.  What is now such a culturally diverse community and market is miles away from the Neo-Nazi conflict of post war Britain.  

This shoot was more a matter of walking through the market with Sarah, searching for backdrops that I felt would be suitable as we went along.  Sarah, nice and relaxed in what is an environment she is used to from her younger days, easily chatted to me and the people in the market alike.  One man proposed to her and I got invited to hang out in LA with her! - no doubt in my mind that Sarah is as nice as they come.  

Shot for Observer New Review

Refugee Community Kitchen - Calais

Last time I found myself at the refugee and migrant camp in Calais, then commonly know as  ‘Calais Jungle’, I was taken to the camp and the community kitchen.  The camp has now been shut down by the French authorities but the kitchen still stands.  Due to numerous attempts by the French government to shut this kitchen down they have had to make massive improvements to make it into a professional kitchen.  The operation is run by Steve Bedlam, Sam Jones, Janie Macintyre and Paula Gallardo.  The kitchen has fed 2.5 million refugees in 3 years and is 100% reliant on volunteer work and charitable contributions.  They provide healthy food for all refugees as well as the community.  Respect to everyone involved!

Shot for the Observer Food Monthly