5 October 2021
Tuesday 8pm, £3
The Pig, 37 White Rock, Hastings TN34 1JL
John Cole. Generations: Hastings Fishing Families
“I first came down from London in 1991 to document the Hastings fishing community. Four of those portraits now hang in the Hastings Fishermen’s Museum and were published in the book Hastings Today. Little did I realise then that eight years later we would move down to Hastings.
“Since moving to Hastings, I’ve been working closely with the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society (HFPS), updating my earlier images, with the emphasis on the family connections. I have also documented the women within the fishing community, who are rarely recognised for their tireless work on shore, work that helps keep the Hastings fishing industry alive and thriving.
“Fishing is a family business in Hastings. This beach-launched fishing fleet has been here for almost a thousand years. But the industry that has been the mainstay of this East Sussex coastal town may possibly come to an end. A combination of severe economic, political and environmental reasons may possibly claim its existence. Another reason that now is the time to publish this book.
“For me, documenting the Hastings fishing community has always been a labour of true photographic love. Even when Fishing for Generations is published, I will continue taking photos forever – if not longer. As a Thank You to the fishing community for allowing me to take their photos and as a commitment to helping this beleaguered industry, I will make a contribution from the profits of the sale Fishing for Generations to HFPS.”
Image Credit: Robert ‘Podgy’ Ball, 2017 ©John Cole
Information: John Cole
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