General Information
During the year 2000 D J Clark built a visual record of the Lancaster &
Morecambe district using photographs and information submitted by those that
feature in the pictures. The project was conducted in association with Lancaster
Museum and has been archived for future generations to look back at the district
at the turn of the new Millennium. For more information on the project visit
the information page. If you find a caption is
wrong or there is a fault with the page please e-mail D
J Clark.
Date:
January 13th 2000
Location: Ryelands Housing
Estate
Photographer's Diary
13th January - Mal Hussein
Since my last entry I have had few opportunities to take pictures. The weather has been poor when I am free and glorious the days I had to work. I did manage to get out for half an hour to photograph the Lune before the work starts in earnest on the new bridge. I also grabbed a few shots around the city at the same time. I relied on compact 35 mm camera with a 28mm-70mm lens. It sits in my pocket or in my car at all times, but I have not yet become used to using it.
A few days ago I met an old friend by chance who lives on the Ryelands estate. I have been mindful of the fact that some of pictures will need to be taken sooner rather than later as circumstances might change. One of those pictures is a portrait of Mal Hussein. Mal, who is of Asian decent, has been making the national news headlines on and off for the past six years, as he has been subject to racial attacks. With his partner Linda, he runs a mini market on the estate which itself has come under petrol bomb attacks. Rather than moving off, Mal has decided to fight back and has challenged the local council to control their housing estates. I asked my friend to talk to Mal and see if he would be willing to be photographed.
My initial impressions of Mal were of an angry aggressive man who was obviously hard done by, but was fighting a no win battle. Lancaster's population were clearly embarrassed by his outcry's as most of us see ourselves as anything but racist. Ryelands holds a reputation of violence, crime and degradation and anyone wanting to run a shop their must be crazy anyway.
On arriving home two days ago, there was a message from Mal, he would call again in the evening. He did and I explained my project. Mal immediately shocked me. He spoke about his situation calmly and intelligently, no trace of aggression or anger. I asked if I could visit and he agreed for 12 PM that day.
This morning I woke up to bright sunshine. I took my camera and walked in and out of town, grabbing a few pictures. I was nervous, my conversation with Mal had put me off guard, this might not be an easy picture. I did not want to wait until 12 as the weather was so good and there might be a chance of shooting outside , so I got in my car and drove to my friend's house. I drank a coffee and asked him to look after my car while I went to do the picture. I asked him about Mal and was given the same story of a few mad young people who caused all the problems. He then told me of a recent instance when he was in the shop with his daughter and a young man pulled a knife on Mal. Mal had escaped and reported it to the Police but my friend refused to act as a witness. "I have to live on this estate and I can not watch my children all the time" he told me. I understood his predicament, and with that understanding came the reasons why this problem had never been resolved.
I arrived at the shop at 11 AM making excuses for being early. Linda was there but not Mal. It was another hour before I finally made my first picture, but it gave me the time I needed to understand what it was I wanted to do. Linda was friendly to both me and the constant stream of customers who came in. It was a normal happy community shop with talk of the weather and holidays. Mal appeared for a few minutes and then went away again to shave and get changed. I quickly explained the project again to him, and he asked me "has it been in the paper yet ?". "yes" I relied, "it was in the Guardian last week", "OK well lets get it in the visitor" and within a minute he had a reporter on the phone and an interview set up for the afternoon. Now I could see why he was in the press constantly - he was a natural at publicity.
I had decided I wanted to photograph them together very early on. Every picture I had seen to date had Mal in front of his shop starring into camera with barbed wire and security cameras everywhere. He wasn't like that and nor was Linda. He was softly spoken, charming and methodical. I wanted to get this across in the picture, but it didn't work out that way. I brought them outside into the sun and tried a picture in front of the door. Both of them tensed up as on lookers started to gather. I then tried in doors in the shop, but still Mal starred into camera looking everything but the cool character I was beginning to like. "I need you to relax" I said and then made the mistake of asking them about their last holiday. "We have not had one since we moved here, how can we ?". Slightly embarrassed I explained what I was seeing and why I wanted something different. "I will look like Ghandi" Mal joked, but this thought remained with me.
On their suggestion we went up to their flat and I asked them to sit on the couch. Their was a calm mountain view on a picture behind them, a picture of a young boy and some flowers. It was finally working. This was them, ordinary people trying to live an ordinary life. Mal half relaxed and I got some pictures.
Saying goodbye, I shot some housing scenes as I walked back to my car. A young man ran along the pavement behind me and for an instant I felt the fear that Mal must live with every day. He passed by and I returned to my car and drove home.