One of my favorite front pages, the author Laurie Lee. This is the only ragged copy I have, rescued from a dear friends' dog basket before the puppies could eat or pee on it any more! The photograph was originally taken several years before the famed poet and author's death in 1999. It was published Oct 9th, 1999. I had been warned before I went to photograph Laurie Lee that he was known to be cantankerous and difficult to handle, so on a beautiful summer day I arrived and asked him where he would like to be photographed. 'You know, nobody has ever asked me that young man' he said wistfully, and advised that he would love to be photographed in his beloved Slad Valley in Gloucestershire.  I gathered the author’s fav fold up chair, lined with luxurious purple velvet and led him and his housekeeper to my car. We drove to the top of the valley where we found an unpadlocked gate and I drove Mr. Lee straight into the field where we set up his chair, his housekeeper fretting constantly. Upon finishing the photo shoot he invited me to his local pub for a pint of ale. By this stage his housekeeper was going completely spare. Mr. Lee was treated as a celebrity by all the locals and we whiled away the afternoon discussing his works including 'Cider With Rosie', a book which had been read to me by my sister and a friend imitating west country accents when I was extremely sick with a fever in Kashmir some years previously. Mr. Lee loved the tale of how and where I had read his book and we had a few more pints. By this stage my photo editors were going nuts, 'Where the hell are you?', 'Get back here immediately!' they screamed down the telephone. Needless to say the telephone was promptly switched off and Laurie Lee and I had a fabulous afternoon followed by tea and biscuits at his house - a huge relief to his by then excessively distressed housekeeper! may the great author rest in peace. What a great privilege it was to have met him. |
|
 This photograph appeared on the back page of The Times on September 26th, 1998. Hurricane Georges blasted through Miami Beach, blowing people off their feet. By the time Georges hit Miami, it had already claimed 300 lives throughout the Caribbean and Central America. Yet another summer storm in Florida. |
 This front page of the Times 2, Business Section appeared on December 21st 1994. The story concerned the dip in share prices for Wessex water. Managing Director Colin Skellett and Chairman Nicholas Wood had to be persuaded away from their lavish offices to pose beside the Bristol docks on a cold Winter’s day. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
| PC Guscott, the local Bobby who clipped a rebellious teenager round the ear was not only the 'Daily Star' Newspaper Bobby as claimed by them, but my photograph also appeared on the front page of 'The Times' Newspaper on June 15th, 1994. a great double birthday present! The contrast between British tabloid and broadsheet can be clearly seen in the way they have used the image and caption. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Royal picture exclusive. My photograph of Prince Andrew and Fergie back together again at a friend’s wedding sparked media speculation that the couple would give their marriage another go. Published on the front page of Britain’s sun newspaper, October 2nd, 1995, the world’s leading tabloid. as for Andrew and Fergie - the story continues. |
 Following a year long investigation in which I became known locally as the 'House of Horrors' expert, on New Year's Day 1995, mass murderer Fred West of 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, England was found hanged to death in prison as he awaited trial for the murders of 12 people. Amongst his victims were his first wife, her unborn child, her 9 year old daughter, his own 16 year old daughter and many other young women. all died hideous agonising deaths, sexually tortured, most cut into pieces where heads, arms and legs were separated from the torso in order that Fred need dig a smaller grave for his victims. construction worker Fred is likely to have killed many more in 3 decades of death. many unaccounted for young women disappeared in and around Gloucester, abducted from bus stops as they waited for late busses home, a known modus operandi for Fred West and his second wife Rose, currently serving life in prison for her part in the murders. I had been photographing a rugby match in Gloucester when I heard a man had been arrested on suspicion of murder just a year beforehand. one of my photo editors told me to ignore it, 'It's just a domestic' he said. Nevertheless, Cromwell Street was on my way home and I stopped by to see what all the fuss was about. driving into Cromwell Street it was obvious this was no domestic, police cars lined every inch of the street. I called my boss back, yet still he insisted, 'Leave it, come back to the office, it's nothing,' he said. I knocked on the door. a young man, Fred's son Stephen answered. I asked if I could go in. 'No' he said. 'Why not?' I enquired. 'Because my mum and dad have been arrested and I have 17 coppers in my kitchen!' he exclaimed. From that day on, myself and certain colleagues virtually lived outside Cromwell Street and the surrounding areas. (continues >>) |
 Fred took the easy coward’s way out. May Rose never get out to mock the victims of her and her late husband's evil reign of terror, for they have to live with the horrors of what Fred and Rose did to their daughters for the rest of their lives. |
|
 In yet another British Royal exclusive my photograph of Prince Charles’s then much malligned lover Camilla Parker Bowles appears on the front page of The Sun on September 10th, 1996. Over the years I photographed British Royals and those associated with them, Mrs. Parker Bowles and I would often meet at public events in the west country in England. The British press at the time were having their love-in with Diana and Mrs. Parker Bowles continued to take the flak as the press looked to cast her as the 'other woman', blaming her for the break up of the 'fairy tale' Royal marriage of Charles and Diana. On the occasion when this photograph was taken I stopped Mrs. Parker Bowles in the street and asked her if I could please take her photograph. Perfectly charming, Mrs. Parker Bowles stopped, turned to look at me and said 'Do you know, you’re the only photographer to have ever said please!' She went on to add that yes I could take the photograph, simply because I had said please, but I could take only one picture. I shot three frames, Camilla laughed and repeated her 'only one frame' request and went on her way. Good luck to Charles and Camilla, may they be very happy together. It should be interesting to see how accurate The Sun's front page of that day may be? |
 (continued) Of the exclusive photographs published in The Sun on January 3rd, 1995, over 50% are pictures I uncovered in the run up to one of the most anticipated murder trials at the end of the last century. When Fred was hanged, the pictures started to appear everywhere in print and on television all around the world. All the black and white photographs of Fred as a child and young man I had found by chance with a nephew of Fred's who lived close to a field where Fred had buried his first 3 victims. the young man's parents were under an exclusive contract to 2 newspapers, their son wasn't. stored in his attic was a rusted old sweet tin. Inside was every original negative and only prints from Fred's yesteryear. It was quite a find at the time. one that gave rise to a car chase as I headed back to the newsagency, pursued by hacks from one of Britain's less desirable Sunday papers. The images were then sold to 'The Sun,' much to the annoyance of the Sunday publication. Fred West and his wife Rose are indeed evil people. Between them, many young women, including their own children died at their hands, only to be recovered from their cellar, garden and local fields many years later. The 'House of Horrors', No. 25, Cromwell Street has thankfully been destroyed, preventing it from drawing ghoulish crowds as it did when still standing. Tourists used to ask me if I could take their photographs in front of the house, a request I used to decline rudely. Two years after I joined south west news agency, I photographed the trial of Fred's wife Rose. My career at the agency started with the arrest of this heinous couple. It ended when they jailed Rose West for life in prison. Cases like this take their toll on the individuals who cover them and I found myself increasingly disturbed by the evidence we uncovered. (<<continues) |
|
 Exclusive Royal photos as they appeared in The Sun on october 2nd, 1995. Prince Andrew and Fergie, the story continues to this day. |
|
|
|
 The Mirror's front page of January 28th, 2000 tells the tragic tale of Peter and Terri Croft. Peter And Terri came to Florida to marry and enjoy a honeymoon just a week before this photograph was taken. The testicular cancer that had been troubling Peter was stabilizing, or so the doctors in England had told Peter before he was due to fly to Florida. The English doctors advised Peter he was safe to travel and would be fine. On the morning of their wedding,  Peter collapsed and was rushed to hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The doctors there advised him that not only had he not been fit enough to travel, he had in fact only days to live with the cancer taking hold in his stomach. With this devastating news, Peter and Terri decided to go ahead and were married in hospital, with him lying terminally ill in bed. The sweethearts managed to put on the bravest of faces and with help from The Mirror, Peter's final wish to die at home surrounded by friends and relatives was realised. Peter flew home 2 days after the photograph was taken. He died within days of arriving back home in Britain, surrounded by friends and family. Peter And Terri had the most remarkable wisdom well beyond their youth. A strength and inspiration to others. I do not know if Terri went on to have Peter's baby. What an amazing, courageous couple. |
|
 The Mirror newspaper in England published this shocking report by their U.S. Bureau Chief Andy Lines on March 13th, 2000. Andy and I traveled extensively throughout the Usa visiting some of the poorest neighbourhoods where we discovered shocking poverty in the world's richest nation. In ghettos and feeding programs we witnessed people struggling to survive on handouts from church groups and meagre government aid. Some of the scenes we witnessed could have been taken anywhere in the so called third world (a term I personally hate - we all live on the same planet on the same world). America, despite her many riches, does little to help those at the lower end of the social scale. as Andy wrote, 'We could be in wartime Kosovo, Afghanistan or Bosnia. In some wretched corner of Africa. But we are not.' We are in the Usa, where for some, the American dream has become their worst nightmare. |
 In an exclusive report published for 'The Mirror’s’ Life section, this front page photograph appeared of 2 year old Oliver Bilyard. A most remarkable child, Oliver had been born with his right foot facing backwards. Instead of opting for years of painful and not necessarily successful treatment to correct the birth defect, his parents took the agonising decision to have Oliver's right foot amputated to save him from years of torturous surgical agony. Fitted with an artificial leg just below the knee, the happy, smiling tot and I played football in his back garden in 1994. Oliver had no idea he might be different to the other kids playing in his garden, to them, and to him, football was all they cared about. long may it remain that way.
|
|
 In yet another shocking report published by 'The Mirror' in London on November 5th, 1999, U.S. Bureau Chief Andy Lines and I visited Alabama's Limestone Prison, quite possibly one of the most terrifying places on earth. Prison Minister James Henderson administers perhaps the only hour of sanity each week to a handful of men willing to permit God into their lives amidst the depravity of notorious dorm 16, otherwise known as the 'leper colony' ro other inmates at limestone. here, all 220 inmates are hiv positive. they receive no aids medication, the cost being too great for the state to bear. All the men in the photograph, with the exception of Reverend Henderson, will be dead within 5 years. homosexual rape is the norm for 'new boys', gang rape is common. A book is taken on the first night of a newcomer’s arrival, the winners predict accurately how many times the new inmate will be sodomised before breakfast. Rapists, murderers, child molesters, monsters and the mentally ill are thrown together in the same room with petty criminals. One large razor wire surrounded bunker, a prison within a prison with bunk beds end to end, 3 feet apart. There is no privacy here, if you scream, everyone hears. the dangerously understaffed guards face an impossible task with regular urine, blood, faeces and spit hurled at them, but they do their best. Many prisoners do not know they are HIV positive until they are tested by the prison system. This is where they will be sent, like it or not. As Andy wrote, 'If there is a hell on earth, this is it!' |
|
The Daily Express and Sunday Express
|
 My first national front page photograph appeared on The Daily Express in Britain on Feb 25th, 1994. with just a glimpse of the snatched baby visible, days old Charlie Whelan was returned unhurt to his mother at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England. It had been a hectic day where no one had much of an idea of anything that was going on. Myself and a colleague from South West News Agency were so new on the patch, we didn't even know how to find the hospital!
|
|
 My front page photograph of the marriage of mass murderer Fred West's son Stephen to new bride Andrea Davis came as Stephen's father faced multiple murder charges for the story that became known as the 'House of Horror'. The Sunday Express photo ran on July 24th 1994, infuriating rival newspaper 'The News Of The World' who had allegedly paid Stephen # 100,000 (sterling) for his exclusive life story, including pictures of his marriage. avoiding 'News Of The Screws' heavies, who were paid to attempt to keep rival publications from getting any shots, myself and a west country rival had agreed to team up and, hiding behind gravestones in the churchyard, we sprang up at the right moment, squeezed off a couple of frames each as the couple walked out of the church. we then ran like hell to escape the clutches of the exceedingly angry 'News Of The World' minders. |
|
|
|
 As well as having my photographs appear on front pages, occasionally I have been known to appear on a front page myself as in this photograph taken by Steve Benbow for The Daily Telegraph's Travel Section on April 25th, 1998. Much to the merriment of photographer and photo editor friends and colleagues, this photograph prompted comments of 'spot the monkey?' - a monkey being one of the many endearing terms given to press photographers in London. the story features Disney World's latest attraction at the time, The Animal Kingdom. |
|
 A sad front page from June 24th, 2000. the tragic death of Joshua Compston, hailed as the 'anarchic guiding spirit of early britart' has had a profound affect on my life, my moves to and from the United States and Great Britain, my well being, my relationships and many other as yet unknown aspects of life. his death in March 1996 will continue to confound for many, many years to come. in the photograph his artist friends Gavin Turk, (by coincidence an old schoolfriend of mine) and Gary Hume hold the coffin in which Joshua is buried. Gavin's son Curtis checks out the flowers. May Joshua find considerably more peace in death than he did in life. The photograph also appears in Jeremy Cooper's book 'No Fun Without You', a biography of Joshua and his world of 'factual nonsense'. |
|
The Independent
 This front page of The Independent appeared on October 18th, 1999 following a weekend when hurricane Irene blasted ashore on Miami Beach. Five people were killed in the flooding when power lines crashed into lakes of water deposited in the wake of the storm. Just one of the many hurricanes covered from Miami, the world's favorite holiday spot for the storms! |
|
BBC's Ariel Magazine
 This front page appeared on Ariel Magazine's September 1994 edition. the photograph is of Roger Bennett, veteran DJ from Radio Bristol's morning show. Ariel is the BBC'S in house magazine read throughout the BBC worldwide. |
|
|
|
 World exclusive for the very tabloid 'Here' Magazine who asked me if I could find out about Kevin Costner's secret love child. It's a secret I told them, what the hell am I supposed to find out? Nevertheless, I was flat broke at the time and really needed the money. I set off from Miami and ended up in West Palm Beach after a week of intensive investigation. I found out where his now incredibly expensive ex fling lived (allegedly costing Costner $15 million) and proceeded to set up for a long lens shoot, having been told to 'f..k off' when I attempted the polite approach. On arrival in West Palm Beach, the snooty enclave of the rich on Florida's East Coast, I was promptly told to move on by a cop within minutes of parking. 'You can't park that piece of crap here' he told me in no uncertain terms. Admittedly, the houses all around me cost in excess of $4 million and they don't like beaten up vans parked on their streets. I later  discovered the family had their own pew in the local church and decided perhaps the best place to sit would be with a long lens view on the church on Sunday. I said my prayers and remarkably the 'secret' love child appeared with his mother for a spot of Sunday reverence. So what? Great, the shots worked, Costner's secret love child was no longer a secret, and as my friends pointed out at the time, I will probably go to hell for staking out a mother and child outside a church. This was the last long lens paparazzi type shoot I ever did. It appeared in the February 1997 edition of 'Here' Magazine, as well as American Globe and various other tacky tabloid publications around the world. An interesting experience, well paid indeed, but one I shall never, ever repeat! I'll leave this stuff up to the guys who actually enjoy paparazzi. Quite how they live with themselves at the end of each day, I'll never know? |
|
|
|
|
|
