The Last Porters Of Billingsgate Market
I am giving my last lecture about the astonishing East End photography of David Hoffman this Sunday 8th December at 2:45pm as the finale of the Bloomsbury Jamboree at the Art Workers’ Guild.
In the week after the City of London Corporation voted to close Smithfield and Billingsgate Markets for good, we publish Claudia Lesinger‘s portraits of the last porters of Billingsgate who were abolished in 2013.
John Schofield, porter for thirty years
The fish porters of Billingsgate Market were abolished a decade ago and now the market itself is to be closed. On 28th April of 2013, one centuries-old way of life came to an end as the porters who had been in existence since Billingsgate started trading in 1699 had their licences withdrawn by the City of London Corporation. Long-established rights and working practises – and a vibrant culture possessing its own language and code of behaviour handed down for generations – were all swept away overnight to be replaced by cheaper casual labour.
Thus, a cut in economic cost was achieved through an increase in human cost by degrading the workforce at the market. The City recognised the potential value of the land occupied by the Billingsgate fish market at the foot of the Canary Wharf towers, and the abolition of the porters was their first step towards moving it out and redeveloping the site.
While the news media all passed this story by, photographer Claudia Leisinger took the brave initiative herself to be down at the market continuously throughout the last winter, documenting the last days of this historic endeavour, and taking these tender portraits of the porters in the dawn, which record the plain human dignity they have shown as their livelihood and identity were taken from them .
“My interest in the Billingsgate porters’ story stems from a fascination with the disappearance of manual labour, work generally considered menial by our society, yet carried out with a great deal of pride and passion by those small communities involved.” Claudia told me, and it is to her credit that in a moment of such vulnerability these men trusted her to be their witness for posterity.
Bradley Holmes, porter for twenty years.
Nick Wilson, porter for twelve years.
Micky Durrell, porter for forty-five years.
Jeff Willis, porter for twenty-five years.
Gary Simmons, porter for thirty-three years.
Dave Bates, porter for twenty-two years.
Conor Olroyd, apprentice porter.
Three generations – Edwin Singers, porter for fifty-three years, with his son, Leigh Singers, porter, and grandson, Brett Singers, porter.
Steven Black, porter for twenty years.
Tony Mitchell & Steve Martin, both porters for over thirty-two years.
Martin Bicker, porter for twenty-four years.
Andy Clarke, porter for two years.
Laurie Bellamy, porter for thirty-one years.
Alfie Sands, shopboy.
Gary Durden, porter for thirty-one years.
Jack Preston, porter for two years.
Dicky Barrott, porter for twenty years.
Alan Downing, porter for forty-five years, with his grandson Sam who comes down on Saturdays.
Dave Auldis, porter for six years.
Colin Walker, porter for forty-six years.
Brett Singers, shopboy for three years.
Bobby Jones, porter for thirty years.
Basil Wraite, porter for thirty-one years.
Steve Sheet, porter for fifteen years.
Steve Jones, porter for thirty years.
Greg Jacobs, porter for thirty-two years.
Chris Gill, porter for thirty-two years.
Photographs copyright © Claudia Leisinger
See more of Claudia Leisinger’s Billingsgate pictures and hear the voices of the porters by clicking here
You may like to read these other Billingsgate stories
There’s dignity in the bleakness of these portraits. They say it’s ‘progress’ when all it is is ‘greed’, the destruction of culture, tradition and a way of life that has been in place for hundreds of years. The destruction of heritage whichever way we turn, digital imagery and the written word our only means of knowing it ever existed.
Claudia is right, these were proud men. Apparently we are doomed to live in cities were nothing is real any more. Magnificent photographs. Thank you, dear G.A.
I wish I could know where these men are now. I hope they landed on their feet.
Each person deserves to be seen. Each story matters. These life lessons are on-view in every
post from the Gentle Author. Today’s post just brought me to a full stop. Maybe I am the
proverbial cock-eyed optimist, but I think these men look so tenacious and capable, and I trust they have gone on to other worthy endeavors. They look like the kind of people that anyone would welcome as a worker, a colleague, a friend, and a citizen. Gentlemen — wishing you all well.
Thank you, GA, for shining a light. And kudos to Ms. Leisinger. Wonderful evocative portraits!
I wonder whether the city or federal government compensated these workers with a protective severance package as would be just and fair. Getting fired is so brutal and can result in financial, social, and psychological damage, so having extra income can at least help. I hope that each has found a new endeavor, a new place in the system. I hope each will never have to withstand another kick in the teeth.
Things change but the loss of such longstanding manual trades like fish porter is sad, especially when there was clearly a market for fish. Land prices trump tradition. And now both Billingsgate and Smithfield are go entirely and not be rellocated like the old veg markets, which operated in Spitalfields and Covent Garden.
I just hope we see a ressurgance in fishmonger’s and butcher’s shops in East London. But where will they get the wholesale produce from? Won’t there be a gap in the market?
My goodness. That’s some service, many sounding like their entire working lives spent there. Now that’s dedication