Another England is a series of four excellent documentary films made by Maxy Bianco and set around the town of Hartlepool located in the north east of England.
Viewing these films, lots of memories came flooding back. Hartlepool was where my grandparents lived so i got to know the place very well. The industrial landscape were always fascinating to me as a child, especially at night when Seal Sands would be lit up like something from a science fiction film. Only later did i discover that Ridley Scott had used that very same landscape as inspiration when he was making Blade Runner.
Each of the beautifully shot films takes a look at the people and landscape of the town. I especially loved the third film Black Beach that looks at the “Tantobies” and their horses and carts, working hard to make a living from a coal-covered beach. Twenty years after the pits closed, the coal still appears on the beach. It reminded me of the great Seacoal photography work by Chris Killip shot over thirty years ago. I didn't realise that the 'tantobies' still existed or could still exist after the closure of the mines, but they do.
The superb Another England series can be found on Maxy's Vimeo page HERE
