Comments on: Ron McCormick At Southend

By: Frances Bevan

Frances Bevan — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 09:12:49 +0000

We were regular visitors to South End. I was hoping we might have appeared in one of Ron’s photos. ?

By: Homer Sykes

Homer Sykes — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 17:03:31 +0000

Excellent.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 16:07:01 +0000

Wonderful images. We went to Southend once or twice on Sunday School outings so I looked very carefully in case I saw one of us – to no avail

By: Paul Loften

Paul Loften — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 17:23:32 +0000

My mum and dad moved to Southend from Stoke Newington in 1980 after he retired . He died there. To be honest it was a bad move . I went down there to visit and took a walk in the town centre with my dad and saw a skinhead sitting on bench dressed in the full Nazi Brownshirt uniform with a swastika armband proudly displayed. He spent a good portion of his life doing his best to rid the world of this and there it was in the town centre . It put me off the place for life

By: Cherub

Cherub — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 13:47:21 +0000

When we lived in Upminster we used to always take a trip out to Southend on Boxing Day. My husband used to say it was “to blow the cobwebs out” before New Year came along.

By: Ron McCormick

Ron McCormick — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 12:31:41 +0000

Well – THANK YOU all, – it was pleasure to revisit this work which following the original showing at Southend in 1973 has been stored away in the archive and largely unseen, only a few images have been published until its current resurrection by the Beecroft Art Gallery.
I have been recently re-editing the photographs (over 1500) and plan to make a wider selection available – Café Royal books have also published a selection from the original show which you can purchase from the Beecroft Art Gallery, Southend on Sea – or directly from the publisher at
https://www.caferoyalbooks.com/england/ron-mccormick-southend-on-sea-1972?rq=Southend%20on%20sea

Ron

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:59:32 +0000

My rational mind tells me that I have no real authentic knowledge of these people. (Heck, if it wasn’t for Spitalfields Life I would not even be aware of the word “beano”. ) And yet this totally cinematic group of photos has lured me into the scene, and each image makes me want to
interact, overhear, join in, sing along, and book a sea cruise to “all the interesting spots”. I want to squeeze onto the long bench near the pier, with those older gals, and just LISTEN. I need to know what happened to those two little scampish girls outside the Borough Hotel. And I want to guffaw along with all those gents, at the “Test of Strength” venue. Wow, just look at those smiles! Men together.
I want to catch the eye of the gal, looking at her (distorted) reflection in the slot machine. She looks so suddenly alone, far away, lost in worries. Perhaps she passed by the Pentacostal preacher, as she headed for her homeward bus, and heard an uplifting phrase?

Captured moments and fleeting stories. What an amazing overview of humanity.
These are remarkable photos. Thank you, GA.

By: Joan Johnson

Joan Johnson — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:40:12 +0000

A wonderful collection of photographs. Very evocative. Although my seaside holidays during the 1950s/60s were spent at Clacton on Sea there was the occasional day trip to Southend. I have good good memories of several visits to east coast resorts from many years ago.

By: achim

achim — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 11:08:03 +0000

Incredible pictures — what wonderful times those were 50 years ago. And the best part about it is: we ALL actually lived through those years! Crazy.

Love & Peace
ACHIM

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 10:21:48 +0000

Wonderful pictures, capturing the spirit of people enjoying themselves. Reminiscent of the great Tony Ray Jones and his seaside portraits. A treat.