Pictures on Parade in Bourne End

Liz Nicholls

Amersham & Villages, Beaconsfield & Villages, Buckinghamshire, Community & Charity, Great Missenden & Hazlemere, Marlow, Bourne End & Cookham, Princes Risborough & Stokenchurch, Round and About

Photographer & lecturer Nicholas Brewer has spent a year capturing as changing way of life in his home village

Nicholas Brewer’s photography career began in the 1990s, freelancing for Cosmopolitan, Telegraph Magazine and Smash Hits. His first job after leaving college was photographing Take That.

Now 55 and a photography lecturer, he moved to Bourne End with his wife at the end of last year. They fell in love with the perfectly formed community here and he decided to turn his lens on the shops he regularly frequents last January. “During this time shops have changed, and so have the seasons,” says Nicholas. “This project reflects our shifting needs and way of life.”

He photographed E. Collias, the old butcher’s shop that closed during the pandemic. Opening in 1896, the shop in Wooburn Green sold meat to regulars including Edgar Poe and Kenneth Connor. Of another famous local neighbour, Nicholas says: “Hopefully Enid Blyton would be pleased by the Co-op and its goal of cheaper food and community spirit.

“We loved Bourne End, especially, the fruit market! I love the smell and the atmosphere. There is always a delicate hum of conversation, and the flowers make me happy. My wife loves the raspberries. We have two favourite restaurants, The Wimpy and El Cedric. I love the jazz on a Sunday and being by the river.”

Nicholas is planning an exhibition in the spring. “The work is ongoing, and I am excited to see how it progresses before the exhibition.”

There will hopefully be a book to go along with the show and you can not only buy a copy but have your name in it. “I intend to make it a good quality hardback book, with a limited edition of 100. The work will also serve as a historical document for others. There was an exhibition of old pictures in the community centre early in the year.”

If you’d like to see more, or have your name or business in the book (or to ask about dog walking!) – search for The Parade Bourne End on Facebook or visit Gallery – Nicholas Brewer’s

Photographer & lecturer Nicholas Brewer has spent a year capturing as changing way of life in his home village

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