2nd Edition paperback published 31st Dec 2020, hardback 1st Feb 2021.
In the late 1960s an area of Nottingham known as St Ann’s was set for demolition. This involved the wholesale clearance of houses, shops, pubs, churches and businesses. Most of the houses were built in the mid-1800s and of very poor quality, having no internal toilets or bathrooms, poor sanitation and damp problems. The process of demolition meant that upwards of 30,000 people would be rehoused in different parts of the city.
Typical of this era, what St Ann’s did have was a great sense of community which was about to be lost along with a way of life that we would never see again. To many residents, although being rehoused in better modern homes was something to look forward to, this community was to be sadly missed.
During this time Peter Richardson was at Derby College of Art embarking on a course in photojournalism, and so he decided to try and capture the demise of this community and the end of a way of life that was on the point of disappearing forever. Many people had to continue living among the demolition work, and these photographs portray a snapshot of their way of life during this upheaval.