Martin Parr, unmistakably, with his take on village life – affectionate, nostalgic, wryly amused – here in Chew Stoke, Somerset, from 1992.
Martin chose the village due to its proximity to Bristol and its shop, village hall, pub, post office, church and schools: the key establishments around which village life rotates. Over time, the two men [Parr plus journalist Robert Chesshyre] nurtured relationships with villagers, who invited them to attend and photograph cricket matches, weddings, Christmas plays and community events.
These images capture the details and rhythms of village life: the milk deliveries, school drop-offs, gardening, keep-fit classes, cups of tea, pints in the pub, jars of homemade lemon curd and jumble sales….
"The village has a cherished place in most English hearts," adds Robert Chesshyre. "Research shows that seven out of ten Britons would live in the country if they could. We carry a warm mental picture: timeless, unspoilt, sunlit; roses at the cottage door; cricket on the green; a stream flowing through frosted fields; lingering evenings in a village pub; carols in a country church.
"There is an alternative image: of young people forced to leave because scarce housing has been taken by commuters and the retired; of failed village shops and non-existent buses; of isolation and the wagging of gossips' tongues. Which of these notions does the modern village match?"
He concludes: "Between Chew Stoke, and Bristol rises Dundry Hill, over 600ft high and as total a barrier between town and country as there can be in Britain. Throughout 1992, photographer Martin Parr and I crossed that frontier regularly. This is our report from the other side."
[Images © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos]
The exhibition A Year in the Life of Chew Stoke Village is at the Martin Parr Foundation, 316 Paintworks, Bristol from 19 January to 9 April. There's an accompanying book by RRB Photobooks..
Mick Hartley 
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