Recession in Whitehall. A small group of us made a trip to London early one Sunday morning in (I think) the autumn of 1973, on the hunt for photos. Towards the end of our visit we emerged into Whitehall and this contre jour view. I think I only took the one shot (I must check the negs) but was well pleased with the result: the silhouette of the statue of Earl Haig is dominant on the right third; the two cars to the right are nicely spaced; the couple crossing the road are in just the right place, with their legs in 'walking pose'; the bus and the lamp-post hold in the left of the picture.

The Cenotaph is in the mid-distance, and the Victoria Tower (House of Lords) in the background. I recall that it was very nasty to print due to a lot of flare at the top – taken on a Mamiya C33. These days there are more white lines, more buses, more people; and questions might be asked if one tried to take this view.

• 1974 East Anglian Federation (EAF) Exhibition

• 1974 Selected to represent the EAF in the PAGB Competitions

• 1975 North London Exhibition of Pictorial Photography: Highly Commended

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