‘A pack of cards’

Off to see the parade

Even the pig watched the parade

On to the serious subject of ironic humour. Here is a short series of photographs taken in and around London in the 1970’s. Now in the collection of the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.

The Imbeciles Asylum Leavesden, for quiet and harmless lunatics or insane paupers was founded by the London Metropolitan Asylum Board near Watford Hertfordshire in 1870. By the end of the year it contained 739 male and 899 female patients. In 1972 the number of patients had reduced and the hospital closed in 1995. The annual fete had been a regular event since at least the 1930’s. It is a strange fact that some days you can create a wealth of images, making it difficult to edit down to your favourite. ‘A pack of cards’ as I call it is one of my favourite photographs of all time. There are others which I will place on the blog in time. It was a fancy dress parade with floats. Here a group dressed as a pack of cards and dominos wait for the start and in every pack you have the joker.

For more information about the history of Leavesden Hospital see http://www.workhouses.org.uk/MAB-Leavesden/

I hope you enjoy this and many more to come,

Bernard Mitchell

Looking back to the 1970’s, unlike today’s riots of looting and arson, it was a period of politically motivated demonstrations for a well defined cause. Anti-apartheid. Anti-Vietnam War, Ban the bomb, animal rights, and don’t forget the Irish problem. Violence was often the end result of what should have been a peaceful protest. I seemed to be always there; perhaps the picture desk was trying to give me a message? In February 1970, a mass of anti –apartheid protesters had managed to occupy the end stand at what was to become the last Springbok game in London at the time. Massed ranks of uniformed police tipped protesters trying to get onto the pitch back into the crowd, where plain clothed police made the situation worse, particularly for myself.

Bernard Mitchell

An original Chelsea smile from a fan in 1970. At the time of the Watford v Chelsea match at Vicarage Road, there was great media interest. Four photographers were sent to cover the match from the Evening Echo. One for each goal, one on the halfway line and myself as the junior member of the team, outside the ground to cover what the crowds got up to in Watford town centre after the match, which I never saw. Today with Swansea City FC in the Premier league, I am told that lip tattoos are back in fashion.

Bernard Mitchell

Sir Cliff , or as he was known then Harry Webb , was born in India in 1940.The family moved to England where he was brought up in Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. They were a Christian family, with both his mother and father attending church regularly. However, it wasn’t until after his father’s death that he began to search for a deeper meaning to life. By 1966 he had become a converted Christian and was invited to appear at the Billy Graham Rally at Earl’s Court and declare his belief in the Christian faith. This brave public statement at the height of his singing career created great interest in the media. My photograph was taken  in 1971  at a meeting held at an evangelical church near Watford in Hertfordshire. Waiting to speak he  sits on the rostrum looking through the out of focus lectern.

Bernard Mitchell.

After leaving the Berkshire College of Art, Reading, I joined Thomson Regional Newspapers on the Watford Evening Echo at Hemel Hempstead in 1967 first as a darkroom assistant and then as an indentured photographer.

I met Max Boyce for the first time in August 1975, a rare working visit to Wales as a freelance taking photographs for the Saturday Arts page of the Guardian. I photographed him outside the modest terraced house where he lived in Glyn Neath. At the time he had completed the memorable ‘ Live at Treorchy’ album. Max was packing out the halls and clubs across South Wales, and as he would say, in his own words, ‘I was there ‘ when he filled the Albert Hall in London. Coaches in lines from the Valleys confirmed his meteoric rise ,he was the bard of the South Wales miners. Nothing can replace the magic when Wales are beating England at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the Welsh crowd start singing his iconic song ‘Hymns and Arias’. He performs with joy and humour, enough to warm the cockles of any proud Welshman’s heart.

Max is my first entry in a series of pictures taken from the late 1960’s through the 1970’s while I worked for the Evening Echo, under the guidance of both Haydn Jones and Mike Dellow as chief photographers .I was given the privilege to create with a freedom not seen on regional newspapers. We covered no dramatic wars but concentrated on the more difficult day to day happening of ordinary life. From the start of my photographic career I have always had a fascination with people and their interrelations. During this time however I developed a style which I have come to call ironic humour.

In 1978, I moved from Hemel Hempstead, and joined the North Wales Newspaper Company, based in Oswestry Shropshire as Chief Photographer on the Border Counties Advertizer. After some time I unpacked the last tea chest, which was full of prints from my days in Hemel Hempstead. To my regret today, I destroyed what I then considered not worthy of keeping on a bonfire. However not all were destroyed and the survivors now reside in the collection of The National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth for safe keeping. The National Library of Wales (www.llgc.org.uk) has collected photographs both historic and modern since their founding in 1911. They now hold one of the finest collections in the country. In 2007 I was asked to speak at the annual Lens conference at the Library entitled People and Portraits .Lens is an opportunity for professional and amateur photographers, archivists and collectors historians and journalists to discuss photography in Wales and to learn more about the wealth of Welsh documentary photography held at the National Library of Wales through its extensive and unique collection. They chose this picture of Max Boyce in concert for their poster and leaflet. So this is the first of many from the 1970’s that I am going to talk about. I hope you enjoy them. Do pass this on and tell your friends.

Best wishes

Bernard Mitchell.

To see my contact details click Contact in the menu on the left.

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