City life in Belfast

Carrickfergus

When my father was a little boy his parents, my grand parents used to own a fruit shop in Carrickfergus. I always liked hearing the stories about the times when my father was a little boy and what times were like in the 80’s . Even though I never experience the 1980’s I really like hearing what my parents remember (Not mentioning the Troubles).

The fashion, films, how things used to before technology grew into popularity. Carrick has the aspects of things changing but aspects like the castle and the layout of the town stays the same. I feel the nostolgia that I never experenced. There’s something interesting about hearing my parents talk about when they were children to young adults like myself. I believe that some can relate that as one grows up your relationship with your parents change.

Larne

I grew up in the Larne area during my childhood. As I grown up I realised how much people disliked the Larne because of being infamously known for drugs and alchol addiction in the poorer areas of Larne. The bad image set from individual’s poor example of what Larne is made Larne less, and less appealing. I won’t argue, I understand why people dislike Larne so much. I believe my feelings for my hometown are complex. I agree in the eyes of many Larne is run down and ugly but I also want to challenge the idea of beauty because sometimes as I walk around the area it’s still my home .

Probably about fourty something years ago Larne would have been the place to live for families. Two small hospitals, two secondary schools, clothes shops for all ages and independent businesses. Now Larne is full of Charity and Kebab shops. Independent businesses closing and as well as the majority of Larne’s population is aging.

In honesty, there’s a strange sense of guilt I get when someone asks me where I’m from and I reply Larne because it’s probably the anti social behaviour that occurs which ultimatly twists peoples perspetions about me as an indiviual with no police record. I get that people outside of Larne like to make cruel jokes about me or anyone else living around the Larne area but I can’t help to feel guilt though it wasn’t my fault or anyone’s else fault but the one’s who give the town a bad name.

My aim for this photo project is finding beauty in town of Larne. Finding the beauty in the normal and mundane.

Anyone who says the very original line ‘Larne is a Shit hole’ I respond with as a joke with a jag ,‘It has potential’. I still believe that Larne can someday be seen as beautiful place for people to live.

These photographs is to enhance the character of Larne. I feel that Larne has the elements of an old indrustral world that is very slowly changing. The decisions on how individuals act shift the view of the area to outsiders. People is what truly create the vibe of an environment. Plants and building resemble a stillness and the sense of time moving on.