‘To Ipswich with Roy [Hammans] and Dave [Runnacles]. Street photography nearly got me into trouble. First. A woman took exception to me photographing her on Westgate Street – I didn’t respond and just kept on walking. Second, after taking pictures of the War Memorial in Christchurch Park, I was stopped later in the town centre by two WPCs, who said someone had called in saying that I was photographing them and they were suspicious. My guess is the complaint was from the man sitting with his daughter on the Memorial. The fact that I was well away from the Park by the time I was stopped raises the question of how they found me – picked up and followed on CCTV almost certainly. I showed them the pictures and they seemed happy enough (an unexpected benefit of digital photography?). What if I had stood up for my rights and refused? A lot more complications, almost certainly. There is a case for saying that if I want to intrude on people in public places they have right to challenge what I’m doing; and if they perceive any possible threat the police have a duty to investigate.’ Friday 20th April 2012
This picture shows the Memorial (1924, by E Adams) in its setting. Others were taken much closer and the father and child are recognisable.
Photo: War Memorial, Christchurch Park, Ipswich, April 2012