What a History Hangs

This series was made during the lockdown of 2021 around the Suffolk town of Leiston, on England's east coast. Often overlooked by visitors to its more glamorous neighbours Aldeburgh and Southwold, Leiston is an honest working-class community. A mix of locals and newcomers, attracted by affordable homes and job opportunities at nearby Sizewell power station. 

Unable to shoot my usual commissions, I began taking daily walks around town. The act of exploring the streets, following that inner voice that asks 'I wonder where that road leads?', introduced me to a side of Leiston I'd not seen before. The remains of a manufacturing past, small acts of personalisation we make to our shared spaces and moments of mundane beauty – discoveries brought into the conscious by having the time to look, see and appreciate.

Above all, this book is about our personal and shared histories. Its name comes from a sign found in the local museum, exhibited without explanation or a title. The starting point for a series of questions which these photographs explore and leave open to interpretation.