Association with Geoffrey Beattie, Psychologist and Writer. 1990-1999
Geoff Beattie is an academic psychologist, writer and broadcaster. During my collaboration with Geoff he was the Head of the Department of Psychology at Manchester University, he is currently Professor of Psychology at Edge Hill University.
I was introduced to him by Ken Philip my photography tutor at Sheffield Hallam University. Geoff was looking for a photographer to illustrate and interpret his stories. He was particularly interested in how people survive psychologically through economic hard times and unemployment. His subjects were boxers, nightclub doormen, pawn brokers, WMC day trippers, dominoes champions, and many more. His stories were perceptive, insightful and humorous, always describing the unseen side of human nature and behaviour.
These illustrated stories were mainly published by the Weekend Guardian and Independent Magazine usually as double page spreads. These stories together with many others were published in Hard Lines: Voices from Deep Within a Recession. Mandolin (1998). Other photographs were published in England After Dark. Weidenfeld & Nicholson. (1990). On the Ropes: Boxing as a Way of Life. Victor Golllancz. (1996). The Corner Boys. Victor Gollancz. (1999).
A small selection of published photographs from these stories are featured here.
[GB 01] ‘Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide‘. Featuring Lloyd ‘Lloydie’ Stewart (l) and Mick Quirke. Both are members of Sheffield’s body building, boxing and gym community. Lloyd is a past holder of UK, European and World Body Building titles. Mick is a gym owner and trainer. From a double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on a fraternity of doormen and nightclub bouncers who train together each Saturday at St Thomas’ Boys and Girls Club, Wincobank, Sheffield. Published 15-16/09/1990. #1
[GB 02] ‘Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide‘. 15-16/09/1990. #2
[GB 03] ‘Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide‘. 15-16/09/1990. #3
[GB 04] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. Double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on a Working Men’s Club trip from Sheffield to Skegness on a typical wet and windy mid-summer’s day. Published 20-21/06/1991. #1
[GB 05] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #2
[GB 06] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #3
[GB 07] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #4
[GB 08] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #5
[GB 09] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #6
[GB 10] ‘Dominoes Champs‘. A double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on the Sheffield United Dominoes Club, photographed at Sheffield and District Afro-Caribbean Association, The Wicker, Sheffield. The club had recently surprised everyone by beating the reigning champions from Jamaican to become the World Dominoes Champions. Published 04/1993.#1
[GB 11] ‘Dominoes Champs‘.#2
[GB 12] ‘Aliens over Gleadless‘. This story featured in Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession. Tom and Jean with a drawing they have made of an alien space craft and its crew they witnessed flying over Gleadless, Sheffield. 04/1995.#1
[GB 13] ‘Aliens over Gleadless‘. This story featured in Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession. Tom and Jean point into the night sky where the aliens space craft was seen flying low over Gleadless, Sheffield. 04/1995.#2
[GB 14] ‘Always on the Go Go‘. A double page feature for the Weekend Guardian. The Shearer triplets Joy, Julie and Joanne were well known in Sheffield during the late 1970’s and early 80’s for their glamour and promotion work, part-time modelling and go-go dancing. The story is of these three sisters making the most of their life opportunities during a prolonged recession. Published 22-23/09/1990. #1
[GB 15] ‘Always on the Go Go‘. A double page feature for the Weekend Guardian. The Shearer triplets pose with Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham after his win on points over Kenny Bristol. Photographed at the Club Tiberius, Sheffield in 1981. #2
[GB 16] ‘Too Much Money Business‘. Double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on Keith Laycock’s family business of pawnbrokers during a protracted recession. Photographed at Spital Hill, Sheffield. Published 28-29/12/1991. #1
[GB 17] ‘Too Much Money Business‘. Double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on a family business of pawnbrokers. Sarah who works at the shop, demonstrates a woman’s gold plated knuckleduster from the 1920’s that was pawned but not redeemed. 28-29/12/1991. #2
[GB 18] British European and Commonwealth boxing champion Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham and his son Oliver. Oliver narrowly survived a targeted assassination attempt in 2009, during a suspected gangland feud. 08/1995. Portrait for On the Ropes: Boxing as a Way of Life. (1996).#1
[GB 19] British European and Commonwealth boxing champion Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham and his son Oliver. Oliver narrowly survived a targeted assassination attempt in 2009, during a suspected gangland feud. 08/1995. Portrait for On the Ropes: Boxing as a Way of Life. (1996).#2
[GB 20] The Wind of Change. Adelle and Alistair originally from Sheffield were huge pop stars in apartheid South Africa during the 1980’s with their band ‘The Helicopters’. However, once apartheid was repealed in 1991, international musicians returned to play in South Africa and bands such as ‘The Helicopters’ struggled to get bookings. They therefore have returned to Sheffield and now perform at WMC’s thought the north of England. Photographed in their bedroom at Wincobank, Sheffield in 1995. From : Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession .
[GB 21] Ernest ‘Butcher’ Gascoigne, (1917-1997). His story featured in Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession . He was a professional middleweight boxer, noted for beating the infamous boxer Freddie Mills in 1939. Photographed at City Road Working Mens Club, Sheffield. 02/1995. #1
[GB 22] Ernest ‘Butcher’ Gascoigne, (1917-1997). His story features in Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession. 02/1995. #2
[GB 23] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed. Photographed after a training session at St Thomas’ Boys and Girls Club, Wincobank, Sheffield, March 1996. This full page photograph was used in the Independent Magazine. ‘Naz’ Hamed held multiple world championships at featherweight and is ranked the 3rd best featherweight boxer of all time, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.
He was trained by Brendan Ingle before an acrimonious split in 1997. Despite Naz’s reputation for ‘being difficult’, I found him agreeable and cooperative to photograph. However, he always had to take ‘control’ which meant despite having an appointment, he would make me wait 1-2 hours before we could start to taking photographs. #1
[GB 24] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #2
[GB 25] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #3
[GB 26] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #4
[GB 27] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #5
[GB 28] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #6
[GB 29] Book Cover from Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession by Geoffrey Beattie including 57 B/W photographs. Published in 1998 by Mandolin.
[GB 01] ‘Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide‘. Featuring Lloyd ‘Lloydie’ Stewart (l) and Mick Quirke. Both are members of Sheffield’s body building, boxing and gym community. Lloyd is a past holder of UK, European and World Body Building titles. Mick is a gym owner and trainer. From a double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on a fraternity of doormen and nightclub bouncers who train together each Saturday at St Thomas’ Boys and Girls Club, Wincobank, Sheffield. Published 15-16/09/1990. #1
[GB 02] ‘Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide‘. 15-16/09/1990. #2
[GB 03] ‘Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide‘. 15-16/09/1990. #3
[GB 04] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. Double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on a Working Men’s Club trip from Sheffield to Skegness on a typical wet and windy mid-summer’s day. Published 20-21/06/1991. #1
[GB 05] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #2
[GB 06] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #3
[GB 07] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #4
[GB 08] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #5
[GB 09] ‘She was a Day Tripper‘. #6
[GB 10] ‘Dominoes Champs‘. A double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on the Sheffield United Dominoes Club, photographed at Sheffield and District Afro-Caribbean Association, The Wicker, Sheffield. The club had recently surprised everyone by beating the reigning champions from Jamaican to become the World Dominoes Champions. Published 04/1993.#1
[GB 11] ‘Dominoes Champs‘.#2
[GB 12] ‘Aliens over Gleadless‘. This story featured in Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession. Tom and Jean with a drawing they have made of an alien space craft and its crew they witnessed flying over Gleadless, Sheffield. 04/1995.#1
[GB 13] ‘Aliens over Gleadless‘. This story featured in Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession. Tom and Jean point into the night sky where the aliens space craft was seen flying low over Gleadless, Sheffield. 04/1995.#2
[GB 14] ‘Always on the Go Go‘. A double page feature for the Weekend Guardian. The Shearer triplets Joy, Julie and Joanne were well known in Sheffield during the late 1970’s and early 80’s for their glamour and promotion work, part-time modelling and go-go dancing. The story is of these three sisters making the most of their life opportunities during a prolonged recession. Published 22-23/09/1990. #1
[GB 15] ‘Always on the Go Go‘. A double page feature for the Weekend Guardian. The Shearer triplets pose with Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham after his win on points over Kenny Bristol. Photographed at the Club Tiberius, Sheffield in 1981. #2
[GB 16] ‘Too Much Money Business‘. Double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on Keith Laycock’s family business of pawnbrokers during a protracted recession. Photographed at Spital Hill, Sheffield. Published 28-29/12/1991. #1
[GB 17] ‘Too Much Money Business‘. Double page feature for the Weekend Guardian on a family business of pawnbrokers. Sarah who works at the shop, demonstrates a woman’s gold plated knuckleduster from the 1920’s that was pawned but not redeemed. 28-29/12/1991. #2
[GB 18] British European and Commonwealth boxing champion Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham and his son Oliver. Oliver narrowly survived a targeted assassination attempt in 2009, during a suspected gangland feud. 08/1995. Portrait for On the Ropes: Boxing as a Way of Life. (1996).#1
[GB 19] British European and Commonwealth boxing champion Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham and his son Oliver. Oliver narrowly survived a targeted assassination attempt in 2009, during a suspected gangland feud. 08/1995. Portrait for On the Ropes: Boxing as a Way of Life. (1996).#2
[GB 20] The Wind of Change. Adelle and Alistair originally from Sheffield were huge pop stars in apartheid South Africa during the 1980’s with their band ‘The Helicopters’. However, once apartheid was repealed in 1991, international musicians returned to play in South Africa and bands such as ‘The Helicopters’ struggled to get bookings. They therefore have returned to Sheffield and now perform at WMC’s thought the north of England. Photographed in their bedroom at Wincobank, Sheffield in 1995. From : Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession .
[GB 21] Ernest ‘Butcher’ Gascoigne, (1917-1997). His story featured in Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession . He was a professional middleweight boxer, noted for beating the infamous boxer Freddie Mills in 1939. Photographed at City Road Working Mens Club, Sheffield. 02/1995. #1
[GB 22] Ernest ‘Butcher’ Gascoigne, (1917-1997). His story features in Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession. 02/1995. #2
[GB 23] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed. Photographed after a training session at St Thomas’ Boys and Girls Club, Wincobank, Sheffield, March 1996. This full page photograph was used in the Independent Magazine. ‘Naz’ Hamed held multiple world championships at featherweight and is ranked the 3rd best featherweight boxer of all time, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015.
He was trained by Brendan Ingle before an acrimonious split in 1997. Despite Naz’s reputation for ‘being difficult’, I found him agreeable and cooperative to photograph. However, he always had to take ‘control’ which meant despite having an appointment, he would make me wait 1-2 hours before we could start to taking photographs. #1
[GB 24] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #2
[GB 25] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #3
[GB 26] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #4
[GB 27] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #5
[GB 28] ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed for the Independent Magazine. 03/1996. #6
[GB 29] Book Cover from Hardlines: Voices from Deep in a Recession by Geoffrey Beattie including 57 B/W photographs. Published in 1998 by Mandolin.
All images are Strictly Copyright © Bill Stephenson All Rights Reserved