Portraits of Cheltenham
Portraits of Cheltenham
NEWS photographers get to meet some fascinating people and Michael Charity, whose work often features in Farmlife, is no exception. He has photographed the rich and famous, the quaint and quirky, villains and sportsmen, pop stars and politicians and just about everyone in between.
Just published is a collection of his black-and-white photographs* taken in Cheltenham, Glos, where he is based, which give a far from parochial view on life in the 60s – 80s.
The Beatles are pictured on stage at the local Odeon in 1963 and studies of girls in the audience show the effects of Beatlemania. When this screaming horde hit the stage during the final encore – it wasnt just the Beatles who had to run for their lives, Michael and fellow snappers had to run too. In the general confusion they were bundled into a blacked out van that sped them across town and it was only when they climbed out of the dark vehicle that he realised they had been travelling in the company of John, George, Paul and Ringo.
The pictures are well captioned and this book will appeal to anyone interested in the era, whether they live in Gloucestershire or not. Its hard to pick a favourite picture but for me it has to be former Tory minister Michael Heseltine captured in 1980 in a halo of lights. He looks like the "chosen one" – and indeed many people thought he would one day lead the Conservative Party – but it was not to be. TG
*Cheltenham People and Places 1960s to 1980s, by Michael Charity, Tempus, £12.99.
FW readers can order the book, post free and at the discount price of £11.99 from Tempus Publishing, The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Glos GL5 2QG.