Photographs
of
Northumbria
by
Peter Loud

This website is not just about photography, it is about life in Northumberland. My objective was to record an aspect of Northumbrian life which was changing, disappearing, and if not recorded photographically could be lost. Dwell not on the artistic quality of the photographs, examine the people, and the way we lived. Once people recognise the social importance of the photographs I can fish out the fascinating, badly composed, over/under exposed, fuzzy pics. which embarrass me but are still interesting ;-(

Way back in the early 70's I was a long-haired, drop-out. No, not a drug crazed hippie into loud pop music, nothing like that, I just wanted to help my new-born son develop, take photographs to record life in Northumberland and walk along the beach. More people should do it ;-)

My main interest was photographing the fishing boats & fishermen of Seahouses but occasionally I'd get further afield. A while back I bought a scanner and am going through all my old negs. & trannies, it's a slow job, I've done most of them but still have a more to do. Since creating this website I have re-newed my interest in photography, and am concentrating on panoramic pictures.

Northumberland is the northernmost county of England. It is on the east coast just below the Scottish border. It has bleak deserted moors, empty beaches, the Roman Wall and lots of castles, a great place if you like quiet walking holidays. Most of my pictures are taken around Seahouses, a fishing harbour just down the coast from Lindisfarne and Bamburgh Castle. If you are ever up that way make sure you call in at The Olde Ship Hotel, Seahouses for beer/lunch, it's a living museum of the local traditional fishing industry.

While researching my family tree I recently found that my Gt. Gt. Gt. Grandfather, Robert Adams, born 1787, was a 'Mariner' from North Sunderland, (which to most people is the same as Seahouses). I also had a Great-Grand Aunt Isabella Loud, (nee Walker), who had brother born in North Sunderland in 1889. I am amazed and delighted to be able to claim some my ancestors came from up there.