Teenage Flaneur 19751979

As a teenager in the 1970’s, my world was encompassed by the two ends of the High Street in Kingsbury, a North London suburb. As soon as I could, I took the number 52 bus into London. It opened up a world that I knew only from newspapers and TV programmes. I wandered the streets, London A-Z in my hand, exploring. Without much talent or knowledge, I began to photograph the new things that I discovered along the way, with my Praktica camera.

At 17, I realised that my dream was to be a photographer. I changed school, to the only one locally, that offered the new ‘A’ Level in photography. Enthusiastically, I completed the course in just three months. Holding the magic 'A' Level certificate, I waited for the world to beat a path to my door… After six weeks of reality, on the dole, I saw a job in the classified ads at the back of the British Journal of Photography, ’Smart competent assistant wanted for Press & Commercial Agency in Fleet Street’ A door had opened for me. I started as a junior photographer’s assistant/dogsbody at Fox Photos, and the rest as they say, is history. My interest in photography, went from a hobby, to a passion, to a lifetime career.

These images are from the journeys that I took in my teenage years — some taken on a trip to Paris on the day before my 20th birthday — my final day as a teenage flaneur.