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One of my biggest failings is starting too many projects and not focusing on them. The bigger the project the smaller the likelihood of completion. This is one that sort of evolved, then fizzled out, took a new turn then got neglected but which I think might need resurrecting.
Fishing tackle shops are still predominantly family run businesses, but things are changing as throughout retail in general. However, these bricks and mortar stores do stock one item that on-line enterprises find difficult to supply - fresh maggots (although they are available through the post). There is also the social side to these shops. Some provide stools for customers to while away hours on, often accompanied by a cup of tea either from a machine or a kettle. This aspect of tackle shops is long standing. In 1929 Arthur Ransome wrote: “For there are two distinct kinds of visit to tackle-shops, the visit to buy tackle and the visit which may be described as Platonic when, being for some reason unable to fish, we look for an excuse to go in and waste a tackle-dealer's time. Of this the tackle-dealer is well aware. He knows, at once, as one of us comes through the door what kind of visit is intended.” And “The one that has come because he is going fishing. The other is there because, alas, he is not. The one wants tackle, the other a course of mental treatment. Such is the noble nature of tackle-dealers that in most cases he gets it.” It's still like that.
Back in 2010 I started annoying the staff and customers in the local fishing tackle shop where a friend of mine works part time by taking photographs. I've worked in the tackle trade myself for over 25 years, starting out as a part time shop assistant mostly as a self employed rod builder. What's got me thinking that I ought to get on with this was reading today that one local tackle retailer is in danger of being kicked out of his unit on an industrial estate should Aldi get planning permission to build a new store on the site.
To me there are two main things that need to be documented. The bricks and mortar shops and their owners, staff and customers, and perhaps premises which are no longer tackle shops. This to illustrate the changing face and breadth of the sector. The second thing is the life of a family run tackle shop and it's customers. There is a lot more to record such as the way even small retailers are using the internet to supplement their turnover, particularly through the 'lean winter months' as my former boss called them. Then there are older artefacts from earlier days like bait tubs branded by long defunct regional wholesalers - who couldn't compete with the economies of scale of the large national wholesalers. These regional wholesalers offered a more personal service, including weekly deliveries and the opportunity to collect small orders in person. There were other one-man-band wholesalers who operated out of a van in the way a mobile greengrocer does (did?). Times have changed and much of this is probably scantily recorded, if at all.
I don't think this project could be done with photographs alone. There would need to be a fair amount of explanatory text. My big issue is whether I have the commitment and drive to do this as I'm easily distracted and I'm not great at seeing things through (I've not dumped the poultry project though). The main thing I have going for me with this is that I have plenty of contacts. What I'm not sure of is how to structure things or what to do with it all if it gets completed. I'd feel a lot more confident if I could say to people "I'm doing this and it's going to end up as that." If it had a definite, concrete, conclusion. Instead of being a pie in the sky 'project' some idiot with a camera is doing for a lark which might be a couple of copies of a Blurb book or a box of prints, or more likely a stack of files languishing on a hard drive. If that makes sense.
Something makes me feel that this is important in some way, but at the same time all a bit pointless unless there is an outlet for it. Which probably means it'll continue to trickle along getting nowhere. Or maybe I should just write an essay about the tackle trade and illustrate it with some snaps!
Enough waffle. This is a Blurb book I did of some pics from the local shop - http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/7041119-t-h-e-t-a-c-k-l-e-s-h-o-p The pictures are in black and white to cover up a multitude of technical sins in order to give a uniform look across the whole from using unsuitable cameras at times. I'd do it all in colour if I was to go ahead as per this random selection - http://tackleshopping.blogspot.co.uk/
Some from the book:
Some colour stuff from when I thought of documenting shops:
Fishing tackle shops are still predominantly family run businesses, but things are changing as throughout retail in general. However, these bricks and mortar stores do stock one item that on-line enterprises find difficult to supply - fresh maggots (although they are available through the post). There is also the social side to these shops. Some provide stools for customers to while away hours on, often accompanied by a cup of tea either from a machine or a kettle. This aspect of tackle shops is long standing. In 1929 Arthur Ransome wrote: “For there are two distinct kinds of visit to tackle-shops, the visit to buy tackle and the visit which may be described as Platonic when, being for some reason unable to fish, we look for an excuse to go in and waste a tackle-dealer's time. Of this the tackle-dealer is well aware. He knows, at once, as one of us comes through the door what kind of visit is intended.” And “The one that has come because he is going fishing. The other is there because, alas, he is not. The one wants tackle, the other a course of mental treatment. Such is the noble nature of tackle-dealers that in most cases he gets it.” It's still like that.
Back in 2010 I started annoying the staff and customers in the local fishing tackle shop where a friend of mine works part time by taking photographs. I've worked in the tackle trade myself for over 25 years, starting out as a part time shop assistant mostly as a self employed rod builder. What's got me thinking that I ought to get on with this was reading today that one local tackle retailer is in danger of being kicked out of his unit on an industrial estate should Aldi get planning permission to build a new store on the site.
To me there are two main things that need to be documented. The bricks and mortar shops and their owners, staff and customers, and perhaps premises which are no longer tackle shops. This to illustrate the changing face and breadth of the sector. The second thing is the life of a family run tackle shop and it's customers. There is a lot more to record such as the way even small retailers are using the internet to supplement their turnover, particularly through the 'lean winter months' as my former boss called them. Then there are older artefacts from earlier days like bait tubs branded by long defunct regional wholesalers - who couldn't compete with the economies of scale of the large national wholesalers. These regional wholesalers offered a more personal service, including weekly deliveries and the opportunity to collect small orders in person. There were other one-man-band wholesalers who operated out of a van in the way a mobile greengrocer does (did?). Times have changed and much of this is probably scantily recorded, if at all.
I don't think this project could be done with photographs alone. There would need to be a fair amount of explanatory text. My big issue is whether I have the commitment and drive to do this as I'm easily distracted and I'm not great at seeing things through (I've not dumped the poultry project though). The main thing I have going for me with this is that I have plenty of contacts. What I'm not sure of is how to structure things or what to do with it all if it gets completed. I'd feel a lot more confident if I could say to people "I'm doing this and it's going to end up as that." If it had a definite, concrete, conclusion. Instead of being a pie in the sky 'project' some idiot with a camera is doing for a lark which might be a couple of copies of a Blurb book or a box of prints, or more likely a stack of files languishing on a hard drive. If that makes sense.
Something makes me feel that this is important in some way, but at the same time all a bit pointless unless there is an outlet for it. Which probably means it'll continue to trickle along getting nowhere. Or maybe I should just write an essay about the tackle trade and illustrate it with some snaps!
Enough waffle. This is a Blurb book I did of some pics from the local shop - http://www.blurb.co.uk/b/7041119-t-h-e-t-a-c-k-l-e-s-h-o-p The pictures are in black and white to cover up a multitude of technical sins in order to give a uniform look across the whole from using unsuitable cameras at times. I'd do it all in colour if I was to go ahead as per this random selection - http://tackleshopping.blogspot.co.uk/
Some from the book:
Some colour stuff from when I thought of documenting shops: