The Park Street Annex was an old NAAFI building, just off the High Street in Lincoln. It had a career service, several classrooms and a large common room that had once been the refectory. It was in the common room that I did most of my photography. The economy was not good, people were doing the best they could. These were mostly younger people, almost all still in their teens, who came to the annex to take courses they had missed out on, or previously failed. Smoking was allowed. Drinking was limited to coffee, tea and hot chocolate. The pubs all accepted us, though.

I took photographs in black and white, because I could process it myself. I 'pushed' the film, often increasing the sensitivity to 3200 ASA, hence many images are quite grainy. Most of these images have been seen by the people that are seen, though 20 some years ago.

The sad thing about looking at these images is that I don't recall who many of these people are anymore. Some faces and names are etched into my mind, but some faces are just nameless. Maybe someone will see them and send me the names.

The page is long, the images are fairly small. Be patient

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Alistair. January 2000.

Update

Back in 2004, I was in Lincoln, I walked into the little street that lead to the old Park Street Annex to be met by the sight of construction. The old building was gone, demolished, a large hole taking its place. I guess it just makes the pictures more poignant, that these images record a group of people with a past now common to a diminishing number of yellow bellies.

Alistair. September 2005.

They loved me, really

One of the saddest bits of doing this was realising I had forgotten the names. Thankfully, I noticed I wrote Tracy's name on the negative sleeve. I think I dated her once.

Sarah There were various people I could not help photographing. Sarah was one. A Lincolnshire farmers daughter, she was HOT.

Monica Monica now lives in Yorkshire and had purple hair for a time. I love her dearly.

Justin I played pool with him for a year. He loved to be in vogue. He partied hard.

Colin The first openly Gay person I knew, I never knew his partner till looking at the negatives 20 years later.

Ruth and Liz K Sisters. So very different. Liz serious, Ruth couldn't be.

The Common Room Crowd So many people, so few names.

Entertainment Committee Neil W. kind of ran this, the rest of us were there to make it look OK.

Various friends I think I have these names off pat...