A portrait of British youth culture in the 1980s
- Text by Huck
- Photography by Gavin Watson
When photographer Gavin Watson was a kid, he came to the decision that he wanted a pair of binoculars – in order to look at the moon. So, after receiving his Christmas money one year, he ventured down to the local Woolworths to buy them.
When he got there, next to the £20 binoculars (they were on sale) was a small camera. Up until then, the idea of taking photos had never really occurred to Watson. But in that moment, he knew that there was only really one option. “I looked at the camera,” he remembers, “and I thought, ‘Alright, I think I’ll get that instead.’”
That decision, made on a whim (though today, Watson believes fate might have been at play) kick-started a life dedicated to capturing the world around him. In his latest book, titled Oh! What Fun We Had, the focus falls on those early years: with Gavin as a young lad – a skinhead – having a laugh with his friends on the Wycombe council estate they grew up on.
“I loved being a skinhead, I loved Madness, I loved being with my mates. And I liked photography, so it happened like that. These pictures, I thought they were just useless photos of my mates that no one else [would be] interested in.”
The book, which Watson describes as a series about a “mob of people” who came together through a shared love of ska and punk, capture a simpler time: where kids could get into an innocent kind of trouble, and come away with a few scrapes at worst.
And, given that he was embedded in the group, Oh! What We Fun operates as a fly-on-the-wall account: the book operates as an intimate portrait of British youth culture in the ’80s, captured from the inside. “When I look at the pictures, I see a world without any form of technology. It could be another world,” he says. “We had more freedom back then. We’d go and play over the railway tracks, go have a tear up and it not be too serious. There weren’t cameras on your arse everywhere you fucking went.”
Oh! What Fun We Had is available now from Damiani.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
In photos: Black Texas life since emancipation
Kinship & Community — A new photobook and exhibition showcases the rich culture, history and community of African American folks in the Lone Star State, whose existence in the region predates colonial Britain.
Written by: Miss Rosen
American Football: The One With The Feelings
Many moons — The Midwest emo architects transformed a college experiment into a coming-of-age soundtrack. 25 years on, their latest iteration sees them bottle the same magic for the ups and downs of middle life.
Written by: Tracy Kawalik
London’s largest indoor skatepark to be demolished for padel courts
Better Extreme — The Barking skatepark’s fate follows that of similar indoor spaces in recent years, with operators GLL citing falling visitor numbers as the reason behind the decision.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Youthful joy & end-of-era poignancy at a London school prom
Leavers — For several years, Lewis Khan documented young people as they celebrated the last of their school days and the completion of their exams. The series is now collated in a new self-published photobook and short film.
Written by: Zoe Whitfield
Harry Gruyaert’s vintage, kaleidoscopic scenes of New York
A Sense of Place — For 50 years, the Belgian photographer and Magnum Photos member has been capturing NYC’s colourful chaos. A new photobook and exhibition showcase his unique, technicolour view of the city.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In the pit at one of the UK’s last stock car & banger speedways
Stock Car Racing Isn’t Dead — Photographer Liam McCarthy spent time in and around the Arlington Raceway’s circuit, capturing the diehard community that keeps the sport alive.
Written by: Isaac Muk
