Last Orders at the Bar: The Demise of the Great British Pub

Chris Etchells Exhibition, Surface Gallery, East Midlands

Just because something is broken doesn't mean it is not beautiful.

The pub is a symbol of Britain. It provides us with a sense of pride, of community and best of all a welcoming place in which to enjoy a pint. The series “Last Orders at the Bar” documents the loss of the traditional British pub. Each image presents us with a once thriving hub of the community, now empty and alone. Whether nestled within a busy street, or hidden away within a forgotten rural setting; amongst the demolition and dereliction lays architectural gems sodden with memories of times passed. Each image pertains to a lost charm ravaged by twenty first century life.

These photographs act not as an obituary for the British public house, but a petition against their decline and a testament to a different era.