Frugal Film Project 2022 - October

As I return from a short hiatus after the death of my Dad, I wanted to get back on track and continue my commitment to the Frugal Film Project by getting out and shooting my October Roll of Ilford HP5. I loaded up my Pentax SP500 and decided to shoot it at 800 iso as it was a dark, wet, cold, dull and gloomy day in Wigan. I headed into town to further document the changes that are happening as the redevelopment of The Galleries has picked up its pace.

A wall has gone up around the site to protect workers and the public from harm. Building sites are dangerous places to work, the last thing you need is a member of the public getting hurt. A little thought has gone into the partition wall to help the public navigate around the site. There are also photos showing the history of the site.  

Prestigous royal visits are depicted side by side with Wiganers shopping in the old Market Hall and The Galleries through the years. There are also pictures that show what the site will look like once it is completed in a couple of years time. It hasn't stopped local residents commenting on the wasted money spent on the development as there was "nowt wrong wi' th' old un!" You've got to love Wiganers, they tell it like it is.

The work has begun in earnest to refurbish the Market Gate section of The Galleries in order to move the Market there. Market Gate was the first part of The Galleries to close when the financial crisis of 2008 began to decimate businesses and shops closed at an alarming rate. It never recovered and it's ironic that the section that has been empty the longest will be the only survivor of this once vibrant shopping destination.

The pain in the backside about the closure and redevelopment is the once busy route between the town center and the Market has been closed and shoppers have a long walk around the redevelopment to get to and from Wigan Market. It seems even longer when it's persisting down and I got very wet whilst wandering around to take photos.

I took shelter in one of the shops to try and dry off a bit and reappeared after the rain abated to finish my film off before heading home. I developed my roll of Ilford HP5 shot at 800 iso in Kodak HC-110 for 8 minutes at 20 celcius and hung it to dry in my bathroom. I scanned it with my trusty Ion Slides2PC 35mm scanner and cleaned up the spots and scratches with Affinity Photo.

Here are a few of my favourite shots from this months Frugal Film Project roll of HP5. The weather was crap, but I was glad to be getting out again after a short break. I have placed these and more in my Frugal Film Project 2022 album on Flickr that you can visit using the link below. I hope you enjoy them.

Frugal Film Project 2022