The Photographer Writes – Chris TREGENZA

NEU Strike Day March & Rally

The latest strike day in the NEU on-going dispute with the Government over pay and conditions saw a march and rally in Nottingham. Starting on the Forest Fields rec and heading into town down Mansfield Road the event got a lot of attention. The teachers were loud and buoyant and full of energy.
Novotel Long Eaton Racists & Counter-Demo 2023-02-25

The Novotel Long Eaton, halfway between Nottingham and Derby, is being used to house migrants and has become a target in the recent wave of anti-migrant protests. The event was promoted by Yorkshire Rose, a prominent racist YouTuber. Local pro-refugee groups along with trade unions and other campaigners formed an counter-protest. Around 150 counter-protesters turned…
Ukraine 1 Year Vigil 2023-02-24

On a cold Friday night, around 200 Ukrainian people and supporters gathered to remember the 20,000 Ukrainian troops and civilians who have died in the 12 months since the invasion. It was a bitter-sweet event for around twenty of us who had gathered the year before, on the night of the invasion. As the war…
Pic(s) of the Week 2023-02-23

A busy week with around 250 photos taken on Friday, 1200 photos taken on Saturday and the usual opportunistic shots as I wander around. Such as the featured image above. A couple of young cyclists were practicing their tricks in the Market Square. The light was good so I stopped and spoke to them before…
Brianna Ghey Vigil, Nottingham 2023-02-17

A sad event, in memory of Brianna Ghey who was brutally murdered. It was an event that touched the trans community deeply with all of them thinking “that could of been me”. I covered the event for Open Nottingham and the it was a challenging situation for photography, partly due to the poor lighting in…
Racists In Rotherham

February 18th 2023. Manvers, Rotherham. Fascist organisation Patriotic Alternative called for a demonstration outside the Holiday Express hotel which was housing a number of refugees. This was following from a small protest in Mansfield and a large, violent protest in Knowsley in the preceding week. A counter protest was organised by Rotherham TUC and the…
Jubilee Sunset

By chance I was walking through the Jubilee Campus, Nottingham, just as there was a glorious sunset. I’ve always loved the innovative buildings of that campus, though they have taken a lot of flak from architects and locals alike. However, the light was catching the buildings in a way I’ve not seen before and I…
Pic(s) of the Week 2023-02-16

A relatively quiet week photographically with just two events to cover which had limited scope creative image making. This week’s featured photo (above) is not the best photo I’ve taken but it is certainly the most wildly seen. My images from Mansfield picked up for an article in the Byline Times which and this image…
UCU Strike Day & March

As part of their on-going action, members of the UCU at Nottingham University held a loud march around the campus just as perspective students were visiting with their parents. Full write-up on Open Nottingham.
Mansfield Anti-Racism 2023-02-11

After a gang of far-right thugs harassed refugees in a Mansfield hotel, local anti-racism campaigners gather in the town’s Market Place to show that the fascists do not speak for the majority of the residents. The response from the people of Mansfield was amazing with a constant stream of shoppers stopping to sign petitions and…
Pic(s) of the Week 2023-02-09

A mixed bag this week as I had no specific events to photograph or projects to work on other than Nottingham’s Light Night which was a bit of bust. The photo featured image is one of the Ningbo Lions at Nottingham University, a venue which features in several of this week images. Walking back through…
Bennerley Viaduct

At the start of January I was planning to visit Ilkeston and call in at the nearby viaduct on my way home but when I opened the curtains that morning the sun was out. Not wanting to miss the light I changed my plans and headed straight to Bennerley. It was the right call as…
Nottingham Light Night 2023

A shots from Nottingham’s Light Night, February 3rd & 4th 2023. Not a hugely successful night from a photography point of view. In part down to the events success which pulled in a large numbers of people which made getting good shots difficult but mostly because I wasn’t on top form and nothing really clicked…
Ukraine 1 Year Rally 2023-02-25

Following on from the vigil the night before, the Nottingham Ukraine Solidarity campaign organised a march and rally through Nottingham City Centre. Over 500 people turned out to hear speeches from Lilian Greenwood MP, council leader David Mellen and others.