My Return To Wigan Park With A Roll Of Ilford HP5+ 400

With my first fifty films developed and documented I was looking forward to my next fifty and wanted to start that stage of my journey at my favourite photography location, Mesnes Park in Wigan. I shot my first film there back in February 2017 and as I am a creature of habit I thought why the heck not! My fiftieth film conicided with the easing of lockdown restrictions and mother nature challenged me with a rainy day, on my fifty first, mother nature blessed me with sunshine and clouds that made for some great images. Again my film of choice was Ilford HP5+ 400.
 
I freely admit to being an Ilford guy, my education with expired ilford film this year has taught me a lot about the capability of Ilford film to withstand some punishment. Hot temperatures here in the UK pose no problems for Ilford film, nor, it seems, does water damage. I managed to get images from some pretty messed up emulsions that gave them a vintage look despite being exposed only a few days before. Armed with the knowledge I learned through experience, I loaded a roll of Ilford HP5 into my Nikon F801 and headed off to the park.

Mesnes Park in Wigan is the jewel in the crown of the town and the easing of lockdown restrictions had brought folk back to the park to enjoy themseves and get some much nedded fresh air. I hadn't visited the park for four months and was glad to be back there to explore old compositions and just enjoy an hour or two in the sunshine. I am never afraid to revisit compositions and explore them further, each new image is a moment in time so no two images are ever truly the same.

The clouds that day gave the Boer War memorial and Pavillion some texture that adds to the composition. The Coalbrookdale Fountain was in full flow and providing a cool place to spend a few moments as folk sought a bit of repite from the sunshine as they enjoyed their afternoon. The statue of Sir Francis Sharp Powell looked happy to welcome the people back to once more rub his foot in the hope some good fortune would come thier way. An afternoon in the park was definitley lifting my spirits and I soon finished my roll of film and headed into town for a bit of shopping.

Lockdown was a tough time for everyone, but with care for our families and giving each other space, we have begun the road to getting back to normal. It may be a long time before we can truly be free from Covid 19, but the chance to spend some quality time in the park certainly boosted my spirits. I even managed a full roll of keepers which means I have to be more stringent in critiquing my images in future, but I will let you decide. I have placed them in an album on Flickr. Return To Wigan Park Here are some of the best ones from my return to the park, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.