England
Count Binface: “Nigel, who said he didn’t want to be humiliated, maybe has been”
“I’m just getting started” — The novelty political candidate, created by Jonathan David Harvey, came second in the Clacton by-election after winning 9,455 votes and more than a quarter of the votes.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Chivalry isn’t dead: Inside the world of modern jousting
The Obsessives — The extreme sport, which sees competitors charge full speed on a horse towards an opponent while armed with a lance, stretches back centuries. Ginnia Cheng takes a trip to Arundel, the ‘Wimbledon of Jousting’, to find out why people travel across the world in search of crashing hits.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
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
Tish Murtha’s searing documentation of broken Britain
Vandalism on a Grand Scale — Capturing youth unemployment and poverty in north-east England during the ’80s, the photographer never lived to see her work published. A new photobook by British Culture Archive brings her eye-opening work to light.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Sophie Green’s maximalist, technicolour vision of Britain’s fringes
Tangerine Dreams — The photographer has spent over a decade documenting the rituals, subcultures and social gatherings that form the collaged fabric of the UK’s society. A new exhibition at the Martin Parr Foundation celebrates her work and the communities she captures.
Written by: Roxana Diba
War & Pieces: The race to become the world’s fastest jigsaw puzzler
The Obsessives — The UK Jigsaw Puzzle Championships see contestants turn a cosy pastime into a high stakes battleground, as they race to complete 500-piece puzzles in as little time as possible. It’s as much a feat of athleticism as cognitive quickness, reports Ginnia Cheng.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
New documentary spotlights UK Right to Roam movement
OUR LAND — Directed by Orban Wallace, it asks questions about the meaning of land ownership, environmental protection and access to nature.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The future of greyhound racing is murky. Can it survive?
A night at the dogs — With roots in ancient civilisations, the sport has traditionally been a pastime of Britain’s working classes. But falling betting revenues, changing habits and animal welfare concerns is seeing it face an existential battle for survival.
Written by: Nick Harland
Dredging and drifting with the last wild oyster fishermen of the River Fal
Cornish pearls — Using only the power of the wind and centuries-old traditional techniques, harvesting oysters in the last wild fishery in England is a sustainable, yet dying, practice. Jack Burke goes trawling with Jason, one of the few keeping it alive, to find out more.
Written by: Jack Burke
The story of World Headquarters, the beating heart of Newcastle’s underground
Refuge & ruckus — Sprouting from free party roots, the nightclub institution has been an inclusive pillar of the North East’s music scene since the early ’90s. Olivia Fee dives into its long history, evolution, and ongoing importance.
Written by: Olivia Fee
The enduring transgression of Sophy Rickett’s infamous ‘Pissing Women’
Doing the business — Conceived while working a 9-to-5 office job at the Financial Times, the photographer’s work challenged the gendered codes of corporate London. Now, three decades later, she revisits the series in a new book and exhibitions.
Written by: Zoe Whitfield
Don McCullin’s painterly still life photographs
The Stillness of Life — While known predominantly for his war photography and depictions of urban life, the legendary photographer also crafted quieter scenes and captured them with his camera. A new photobook explores his archive.
Written by: Miss Rosen
