Chris Gravett

 

 

I need to produce some prints depicting Circles and Curves by the end of the month. I was talking with a friend and mentioned I wanted to shoot a spiral staircase leadng up to a skylight. My friend told me she knew of just a staircase in the Queens House Greewich, she assured me entry was free and it was open to the public. So last week I made my way to Greenwich and found the Queens House. As I entered I was asked to hand my bag in, which I duly did keeping my D700 on my shoulder. I was then advised photography was prohibited in the Queens House. Never the less I ventured in with my camera. There are a lot of 'officials' in the Queens House. Three of whom advised me quite assertively that photography was prohibited in the house within two minutes of me entering. I found the said spiral staircase and it was exactly what I had in mind. Clean white walls, black wrought iron staircase and bright skylight with some blue around it. One of the 'jobs worth' officials seemed to be positioned to ensure the staircase was not photographed. I approached him and he eyed my camera. I put it to him casually that of course photography was prohibited beacuse they did not want people shooting the many artifacts that were in the rooms and things like the priceless portraits of Captain Cook. I realised that and I also postured that the prohibition was not inteneded for things like the old staircase I had just walked past? So, if it was alright with him I'd just click a couple of the staircase and be on my way. Rules is rules sir, photography is prohibited throughout the building. I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to make any exceptions. He then appeared to fix his feet firmly in a position where he could see the said staircase and wait for me to move on. Well eventually I did. On my way out I did manage a sneaky couple of shots but could not take them from the position I wanted.

I walked across the green up to the Old Royal Observatory and had a nose around the free bits (they started charging a tenner to get in last Tuesday, prior to that it was free). So the few remaining free areas were crammed with school trips and tourist groups all, like me, unwilling to part with an unexpected tenner. (Why didn't they charge £2 - I'm sure everyone there would have paid that and they would have generated some revenue). Well my luck was in beacuse I happened across a spiral staircase. Not exactly what I had in mind, a broad, modern, grey set of spiral stairs. I shot a few images. Some overlayed images and some film grain resulted in the above. Well it is a circle and curves!

I finished my visit to Greenwich with a pint and a burger in the Greenwich Union. A pub I can thoroughly recommened for outstanding beer (it's owned by Meantime Brewery and has their full range) and really scrummy burgers.