25 years on: Lancaster man's amazing photographic record includes mayor’s chauffeur - who also drove a bin lorry

As A Little English City celebrates its 25th anniversary, we are featuring some of Dave’s photographs and today the focus is on the day he spent with council refuse collectors and also time with the

then mayor, Edna Jones and her mayoress and daughter, Judith Newton.

Dave joined Urban 1 Crew in November, 2000, arriving at the depot just before 7am.

“I went with a temporary driver to a vehicle and set off. We were to pick up the crew along the way, they all turned up and made fun of the fact they were to be famous for a day,” wrote Dave in his

photographer’s diary.

He remembered getting soaked as he photographed the binmen collecting bin bags before dawn when the weather improved.

“They worked quickly and hard, I was getting tired just trying to keep up,” he recalled.

“Soon the back was full, nearly ten tons of compressed garbage and we set off for the landfill site. Sea gulls were everywhere, waiting for the next delivery.

"I am sure they must have known we had only just picked up an industrial bin from Bailey’s fish and chip shop.”

Just a few weeks after photographing the bin crew, Dave was reunited with Naomi Williams on a totally different assignment – taking pictures of the mayor as she visited eight care homes in the run-up to Christmas.

“Waiting with Naomi, the driver, in the hall, and feeling like one of the servants, I realised I had taken Naomi’s picture during the binmen story.

"She was on standby as the main driver had called in sick. She was normally a wagon driver clearing all the bins along the prom.”

Dave described the mayoral party as ‘true professionals’ in their ease at chatting with the many elderly people who they met during the day.

“The old people were clearly pleased for the visit as well and still held great respect for the chains.”

All of the photographs taken by Dave for A Little English City can be viewed online at https://djclark.com/2000/ and copies of his book, can be ordered via the website.