Johnson's Butchers - trading for 33 years
Trove Cafe - trading for 18 months
Carl Ross Fireplaces - trading for 21 years
Each individual was photographed and interviewed.
Johnson's Butchers
In business for 33 years
Owned by Monica Johnson and Craig Johnson (Mother and Son) for 28 years
Employed up to 10 members of staff at one point, now 5 in total
Monica
Craig
Trove
In business for 18 months
Owned by Marcus and Katy (Levenshulme residents for 3 years, with a 6 month old daughter)
Carl Ross Fireplaces
Noel (photographed) employed for 10 years "on and off"
I enjoyed talking to the different traders about their experiences of Levenshulme, and getting a variety of views about the area. It was interesting to see it through the eyes of people who relied on the area for their livelihoods.
I am finding this area of the project very difficult, as I am anxious about photographing people - wary of taking up their time, worried about not appearing professional enough, concerned they will dislike their portrayal - however, it is also pushing me as a photographer and giving me an opportunity to get to know people. I will also experiment with different ways of incorporating the text I have transcribed from discussions, and am interested in recording people talking about their experiences.