Chris Gravett

Yesterday I had some time to kill while the local enterprising Eastern Europeans gave my car the onceover. I wondered around Hitchin with Nikon in hand. I've lived within ten miles of Hitchin for most of my life and actually lived in the town for a while. Yesterday on a bright, late summers day I stopped taking Hitchin for granted and took a closer look through my viewfinder. I now feel a project coming on! So today I'd like to share just a few images of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, UK.

This I guess is the iconic image of Hitchin, St Mary's church viewed across the river Hiz.

This is St Mary's viewed from the main entrance.

A view with St Mary's in the background and on the right a famous Hitchin shop, Halseys. Halseys still retains some of its traditional fayre as a pork butchers and delicatessan and it's famous pasties.

Legislation and the impact of supermarkets have changed Halseys but I'm pleased to say it has diversified and survived.

The Market Place

Sun Street viewed from the south. On the right La Bella Vita a long established Hitchin restauarant - in fact I can't remember it not being there.

The Red Hart in Bucklersbury. One of Hichin's most infamous watering holes still going strong.

Back to the Market Place and the Old Corn Exchange. It's use has changed but the building is still dominant.

Now down the high street to another of the old pubs, The Cock.

Well I hope those few images have given an insight to the market town of Hitchin. I'm sure it will feature again, as I said earlier I feel a project commencing. As I walked out of town down Bancroft yesterday I took a closer look at a mural I have noticed often when driving past. It's on the wall of what was the public toilets at Bancroft Rec.

Whlist standing here a girl approached me and asked what I was photographing for. She then introduced herself as Liz ( the one top left). Liz was the mastermind behind tarting up the old building which was something of a eyesore. Liz did the background and the centre circle and had a competition for children to design the rest. Liz oversaw and helped with the painting. Below I've taken a closer look at some of the words on the images. I think they sum up Hitchin very well.