These photographs were taken over a period of one year at Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol’s main railway station. As I returned to the station, month after month, I began to see how its mood and atmosphere changed, according to the day of the week, time of day, and events that were taking place. A Monday morning would feel very different from a Friday evening, just as the week of the Cheltenham Races would have a very different feel from that of Glastonbury Festival or Christmas.

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 I was struck by the many human dramas that seemed to play out every day, as people greeted one another, said their goodbyes, missed their trains or struggled to get on crowded ones. All this went on while that other near universal aspect of station life continued in the background: waiting. Even when the station was busy and crowded, people seemed able to create a bubble around themselves, a private space in a  public area, in which they waited for time to pass.

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 Managing the endless flow of people through the station, with their queries, irritations and anxieties, was the task of its staff and, on certain occasions, the police. On a daily basis, they could find themselves dealing with all sorts of situations, as they helped people on their journeys or tried to ensure that they followed the rules.

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 In ‘People on a Platform’ I have tried to reflect all of these things. It is a record of my chance encounters over the course of the year and of the random interactions that I have been able to observe. If there is one unifying theme that links all of these photographs, it is the way the extraordinary can so often be seen in the ordinary.

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 I would like to thank Network Rail and Bristol Temple Meads for helping to make this project possible. In particular, I would like to thank Nigel Gale from Network Rail and all the staff at the station for their help, kindness and advice, especially Gabriella Colwell, Debra Roberts and Becca Holland.

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