last week's mini story

last week after my trip to the salvation army in poplar, i went to meet george and his family at an event organised by hammersmith and fulham council to promote their newly branded community support services. this is typical of the kind of job he does each week, turning up at events and chatting to people in his pearly king character. it was also a good opportunity to see how he has passed the tradition on to his grandchildren part through family traits, and part though his pearly rules...

1. though shalt promote the guild and the pearly heritage 

and be fully familiar with our history.

2 though shalt respect fellow brother and sister pearlies 

and be faithful to the guild.

3. though shalt respect our honourable tradition and not

 missuse pearly cloth for personal financial gain.

4 though shalt try to attend all events for the good of the guild

5. though shalt try to attend all general meetings

6. though shalt hold his or her opinion with regard to public

 affairs whilst in pearls and not bring disgrace to fellow pearlies.

7. though shalt always be fully dressed in your pearly whistle 

and flute and badge of honour at official events.

8. though shalt help fellow brothers and sisters in times of ill

 health or any other problems and support each other at all times.

9. though shalt always show in your public work in pearls the 

cheerful cockney spirit and adhere to the doctrine 

that pearlies spell charity L.O.V.E

i haven't time to go and see them again before the story gets handed in, but i have been invited to more events afterwards. it was only ever going to be a short story as i don't feel that by only following him i could do the whole pearly tradition justice and the longer i spend with the family the less it starts to become about the tradition and more about his family. if i am honest i don't think even after the days of following, i have the right pictures to tell any kind of cohesive story. as much as i am enjoying the challenge of turning up in previously unknown places and trying to come up with useable images i think i haven't achieved my personal brief, although maybe i could do with revisiting some of the detail shots from the start as i feel those could have been stronger. i think that due to george's unusual and terribly difficult past it has left him with a particularly unique passion for the pearly tradition. hearing of the various disputes amongst the pearlie families has made me reluctant at this early stage to abuse his trust and contact any others... although reading around the subject i'm starting to think that despite the commandments they were always fighting!