photo essay
PARKED
A photographic journey of community and nostalgia in British holiday parks.
PERCEPTIONS
Over the last year, caravan parks have quickly become a second home to me. After starting a new job that required working away from home, living out of my converted van for a couple nights a week seemed like a daunting prospect. Although staycations have boomed in recent years and sites such as The Caravan and Camping Club market themselves as "The Friendly Club", growing up with family summer holidays in a caravan makes you viscerally aware of the challenges caravan living can have, especially when it rains. Despite my initial trepidation, it was all too clear that the sites I visited have blossomed, and the kind-hearted community of owners and fellow tourists I fondly remembered is still ever present.
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Caravan parks and the British summer holiday have been widely photographed, from the postcard perfection of John Hinde to Anna Fox’s documentation of Butlins resorts, but in this project, I wanted to explore their lighter side and focus on the connected feel of community these sites have. Was I setting out to create a nostalgic love letter to my holiday memories or was I trying to depict my own interpretation of contemporary campsite life? This was the question I faced as I packed up my camera and went out this summer to explore the subtle beauty of these tourist destinations.
PASTEL ROOF
June 2023
PASTEL PERFECTION
For those of us who spent their childhood summers in these seaside havens, the idea of a caravan site represents a nostalgic memory of those (occasionally) sunny holidays. These charming getaway destinations have a rich history of offering us all a friendly way to enjoy picturesque coastlines but, despite the seasonal tourist popularity, the social fabric of these communities is rich, with residents forming connections that go far beyond the temporary nature of their stay.
Although nostalgia plays a role as we view these parks through rose-tinted glasses, there is also a perception, often perpetuated by sensationalised photography and media, that the vibrant communities that thrive within these parks are a relic of the past but it is clear that these communities don't just still exist but go beyond that: they are thriving.
Pristine fences, spotless decking, and flowerbeds so immaculately cared for that even Alan Titchmarsh would blush. Walking around it feels impossible to focus on negative aspects when love and care is so clearly on display.
ENERGAS I
July2023
ENERGAS II
July2023
GAS CANISTER I
June 2023
GAS CANISTER III
August 2023
PINKS AND GREENS
July 2023
GARDEN
July 2023
COLOUR
It's at this point that I start to realise how quickly I have become a caravan park advocate. The hypnotic orange glow of the ever-present gas bottles has become a calming comfort. The soft, pastel colours gently reflect the warmth of long summer days. The carefully curated flower displays are bursting with life and colour. It's easy to see why holiday resort photographers have been drawn to the illuminating vibrancy of colour.
It would be disingenuous though to ignore the rougher elements that are in many of the sites I visited. The aim of this project isn't to show caravan parks as perfect paradises but to combat those stereotypes that only focus on areas that require improvement. An article earlier this year described one site as "a world largely forgotten to the past" yet the vibrant image to the left is from that park.
RUBBISH AND A BIN
July 2023
THREES A CROWD
July 2023
GAS CANISTER II
July 2023
the question
So did I figure out whether I created a love letter or documentation? I don't think Parked could be classed as either.
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It's easy for a project like Parked to fall into pre-existing stereotypes and categorise all sites as either a pastel-perfect paradise or the dingy depths of disrepair, but the reality is that nuance is needed to understand how these sites fit into contemporary British culture. This version of the Parked project is a starting point for something new: a documentation of seaside and holiday culture but also a creation of the antithesis to the melancholic negative stereotypes that surround these spaces.
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Although it's an end to this chapter, it's not a goodbye to these beautiful holiday homes. I will be back to immerse myself in more pastel vibrancy again soon.
