I joined the Amber Film & Photography Collective in 1983. Amber’s aim was to capture working-class life in north-east England, and over nearly 30 years I amassed a body of work documenting life in the upper Durham Dales – a project I later called People of the Hills. In 1994, I moved with my young family into a derelict plumber’s workshop and yard in Stanhope, Weardale. Living there over the next six years meant I met people in all kinds of circumstances – I got to know and photograph many local owners of smallholdings because my kids befriended theirs at school.
The members of the Stanhope Silver Band, seen in this photograph, were well known in the village. One was a joiner who paid us five quid a month to use our outbuildings as workshop space. I don’t know how many of those in the picture are still in the band – a fair few, I’ll bet.
Every second weekend in September, there’s an agricultural show in Stanhope which takes place on the south side of the River Wear – the village is largely on the north side. The band always meet in the village marketplace and then walk to the show via Stanhope Ford, where they cross the river over a series of stepping stones.
In 1996 I was still in the early days of my colour photography career. The band all wore bright red jumpers, and the river could turn bluer on a sunny day. In September, there’s still plenty of foliage in Weardale too, so it seemed a good opportunity to get something that would use the colour medium to its fullest.
I realised it could be an interesting shot for me, because I’m usually up close to people. I have a background in sociology, so there was always an element of “participant observation” in my work. The Silver Band image was a rare example of being able to concentrate on every small detail. This was truly a visual play, unfolding before me on an open air stage.
The stepping stones were always a fun challenge with my kids and their friends. You can see on the picture that there’s only room for one person on each stone, and at least a foot between them. When you’ve got more than 20 members of a band, it’s a very delicate operation to get across. It’s a bit like ducklings following their mother.
By the time I took this, I’d photographed the band in other situations and when they saw me standing in the middle of the river, I think they just thought: “Here he goes again.” I’d visited the spot a day or two before to find the best place to stand – there were some spots where the river was maybe a foot deep but others where the water would definitely have gone over the top of my welly boots. I was looking west and it was morning, so the stones were nicely lit.
You can look at each individual and see whether they’re looking back, looking forward, waiting or stretching across to the next stone. So the picture also has a kind of celebratory feel, which was always a part of Amber’s philosophy – to celebrate working-class culture.
Richard Grassick’s Stanhope Silver Band is available in Side’s 50×50 charity print sale. Every purchase supports Side’s work and the AmberSide Collection
Richard Grassick’s CV
Born: Edinburgh, 1953
Trained: Social Science graduate, followed by on the job training as a freelance in the 1970s
Influences: “Too many to mention, but especially the many documentary photographers I worked with at Side, and of course the other members of the Amber collective. I was certainly influenced by Robert Capa, and later by Eugene Richards and Jindrich Streit.”
High point: “Joining Amber.”
Low point: “The closure of Darlington Arts Centre in 2012. It hosted Darlington Media Workshop, a great place for aspiring photographers.”
Top tip: “Immerse yourself totally in what lies on the other side of the lens.”
