Cancelled ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After seven years of retirement, I've grown used to a life without clients - worrying about getting their bookings, getting my name 'out' to them, doing a good job for them and trying to ensure I got further work from the little darlings. Last night I dipped my toe back into that world again, after agreeing to photograph the new members of a village council. And what happened? The job got cancelled .. a mere ten minutes before I was due to leave the house! Oh, how it took me back to all the fun and games of 'working for a living' ..

Anyway, unashamed plug time. Rob Bremner, a well-respected documentary photographer, has got his sticky mitts on my Café Royal book and felt moved to say he thought it was "up there with the best Café have done". Thanks so much for that, Rob. Really appreciated. (I still have a few available - signed - for just £10 in the UK if you're interested!)..

Another of my favourite Christmas photographs for you today. Taken at least forty years ago. I mean, where would you see a waitress now with a fag in her gob? I love the lady approaching from the right. Looks like she's ready to give her a right b*llocking. I wonder if her job got cancelled ..

It's all about me ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the risk of becoming boring, can I point you to a nice little article about me that's just appeared in the Manchester Evening News ..

That's it. End of blog ..

On yer bike ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I should be out on my bike right now, cycling with friends to our traditional Saturday morning coffee in a nearby town square. Instead I'm indoors, looking at the rain through the window. Although it's fantastic for our garden (and for that I'm secretly delighted), the summer continues to be a wash-out. I think the cover of my new Café Royal book sums it up nicely ..

Speaking of cafés, my Mum was enjoying a meal with friends the other day when the owner came out from the kitchen to put up a new sign by the counter. Folks, it was his Christmas menu. On yer bike, mate. Let's have a summer first ..

Cereal blogger ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two young lads dress as Honey Monsters for a fancy-dress event in the late 1970s. You remember the Honey Monster, don't you? A gruff, (cuddly?) character dreamt up to advertise Sugar Puffs in the 1970s? Well, this is just one of the memories in a new collection of my photographs published today by Café Royal Books ..

To mark the launch of Eccles, Salford, Manchester 1970s-1980s I have a special offer to tell you about. I have a Limited Edition of just 40 of the books - which I will send with a 7x5 inch print of one of the images from the book - for just £20 each. (Plus P+P.) Email me here and pick a number between one and twenty-six. I'll send you the signed booklet and whichever image that corresponds with ..

I'm thrilled to be a part of the amazing CRB collection, joining such renowned photographers as Shirley Baker and Daniel Meadows and finally getting my work to a wider audience. Interesting, too, to have my work edited by a third party and see what they consider a workable set of images ..

And so, as the Honey Monster never said .. 'Tell 'em about the book, Martin'!

  

 

 

 

Keep your eyes peeled ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep your eyes peeled, because a selection of my photographs is about to be published by Café Royal Books. Based in the north of England and run by a chap called Craig Atkinson, CRB is "an award-winning publisher of documentary photography, committed to producing high-quality, limited edition, affordable books." My little addition is entitled 'Eccles, Salford, Manchester 1970s 1980s' and I'm delighted it'll be seen in the company of some really great names in photography. To mark the occasion I'm offering a limited edition of forty of the books, available numbered, signed and with a 7"x5" ink-jet print of one of the images, for just £20 each (Plus that pesky P+P). There are 26 images in the book. Email your interest and pick a number between one and 26. I'll then print and sign whichever photograph that corresponds to in the book. A bit of lucky-dip for ya ..

News just in ..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a lot going on in the world at the moment. Elections in the UK and France, Putin chumming up with Kimmy, China ramping up its stockpiling of nuclear weapons, extreme weather conditions across the globe and .. wait, what's this .. there's a new book of photographs by Martin O'Neill? Now there's reason to be cheerful amongst all the global gloom and doom ..

I'm delighted to say I've been 'picked up' by Café Royal Books, the distinguished publisher of photography in the UK, and will have a collection of my pictures in one of their iconic photo-books from mid-July. I say 'delighted' because it means my work will now be available along with such renowned names as, among many others, Shirley Baker, Daniel Meadows and Chris Killip ..

It's the first time any of my work has been compiled by anyone other than myself, and fascinating to see what the editor considers to be an interesting selection from my archive. Perhaps you'll buy the book and let me know your thoughts? (It's called Eccles, Salford, Manchester 1970s-1980s, by the way, and I'll be offering a limited edition of signed copies of the book complete with a print of one of the photographs in the collection. Details to follow, as they say!) ..

And now, over to the sports desk ..