Medway Then and Now - Ebb & Flow Festival

Thursday 20th May 2021 to
Saturday 22nd May 2021

Medway Then and Now - Ebb & Flow Festival

After recreating an aerial photo of Chatham Intra from 1920, writer and photographer Neil Thorne will present the two images together in a triptych with an account of his experience, exhibited in a High Street window.

“Some things change whilst others remain the same. Even within my lifetime, the towns I grew up in have changed dramatically and will no doubt continue to. It is the way of life, and however unfair it might sometimes be that certain landmarks we love and cherish fall by the wayside, it perhaps is the only way to make way for the future.

No more so did this become apparent when in roughly 2012, I came across an old photo showing the Intra area of Medway. Whilst in some regards it showed a familiar scene, it was very much different to what I knew, with sailing barges and paddle steamers on the river, the old covered Sun Pier and the built up, industrial Intra. Upon discovering it was taken in 1920 an idea popped into my head to take a second photo showing how the area had changed, one hundred years later.

It was something I had to wait eight years to achieve and due to the covid crisis nearly missed out, but taking off from Rochester Airport in October 2020, I finally got my chance. The experience of seeing my hometown from above will stay with me for the rest of my life and it is my hope that in another hundred years someone else might look upon my photo in wonder and wish to do the same…”

About the artist

As a writer and photographer, Neil Thorne feels privileged to be based in the Medway Towns. Being drawn to the stories in everything, he hopes to capture images that tell tales about what he sees. He has a fascination with taking candid photos of people going about their lives, from drinking tea to walking down the high street. Also, he loves shooting everything from the beautiful to the plain ordinary, showing the many faceted faces of these complex towns. It is his hope that in some small way he can capture the ever-changing landscape of Medway, preserving an insight of our time for future generations to look back upon and remember.”

Instagram @neilthornephotography
Facebook @neilthornephotography


Image credit: Neil Thorne, Medway Then and Now

When

Thursday 20th May 2021 to
Saturday 22nd May 2021
10:00 - 16:00

Where

The High Street, Chatham Intra,
Chatham
ME1 1DA

Previous Photography of the Victorian era - Ebb & Flow Festival
Sketching the Ebb & Flow Festival

Estuary Festival is supported by

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