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Aug 20, 2023

The Liverpool kids who chased me down the street: Rob Bremner’s best photograph

‘They followed me saying, “Go on, mister, take our picture!” Eventually, I gave in and just said, “Stand there and don’t smile.” Apparently, they’re now quite famous around the area’ Although I was

‘They followed me saying, “Go on, mister, take our picture!” Eventually, I gave in and just said, “Stand there and don’t smile.” Apparently, they’re now quite famous around the area’

Although I was born in the far north of Scotland, Merseyside has felt like home ever since I moved there in 1983. I had no O-levels and Wallasey was the only art school that would take me. In some ways Liverpool was a world away from the small fishing town I’d grown up in, but I come from a large working-class family and felt an affinity with the people I started photographing in the north of the city.

This was taken in Kirkdale in March 1986, while I was studying documentary photography. I was shooting buildings that had been knocked down, and wandered up a street just as the light was fading. Joseph, the red-headed kid on the left, followed me from one end to the other with his pals, saying: “Go on, mister, take our photograph.” Eventually I gave in. I just said: “Stand there and don’t smile.” That was the only instruction I generally gave – and I’ve since used the same method on fashion jobs. So those kids made the photograph really, not me. I just chose the background and where the light was.

I’m glad I didn’t tell him to sling his hook because he later became a professional boxer. He once told me that all the kids from this photograph are now quite famous around the area. I’ve got some other photographs where Melanie, the girl at the front, was a little bit more cooperative, but here she was going: “No, I don’t want to look at the camera!” Her brother, James, had grabbed her head and was trying to twist it in my direction. I had an email once from someone who’d seen her in a shop, buying a newspaper and eggs or whatever. You just think: “Well, do I really need to know?” She’s probably sick of seeing the photograph appearing all over the place.

I used up a whole roll of film on these kids – 12 frames, which was really unusual as I couldn’t afford to take many at the time, particularly in colour. I usually only shot one or two frames per subject.

If people asked what I was doing, I’d just say I was working on a college project or trying to record Liverpool history – and, because most people were proud of their city, they were fine with it. They were so nice to me in Everton. I’d have dinner in their houses and there was an old guy who used to invite me round if it was raining. I once left a couple of college cameras in the pub after getting pissed with a bunch of dockers and when I went back the next day I found they’d been put behind the bar for me.

I’ve got names for just about everybody in those 80s pictures, either because they’ve been in contact, or people who knew them have. Before Facebook and Instagram really took off, I posted all my photographs on local community websites. I shared one of an old man and someone got in touch to say he was their granddad. He’d always refused to have his picture taken, even at weddings, and mine was the only one they’d ever seen. Everyday life wasn’t recorded much back then, particularly in deprived areas. You’d only buy a roll of film if you were going on holiday, or maybe if it was somebody’s party.

I moved back to Scotland 15 years ago to look after my dad, but I’d love to go back to Liverpool and pick up where I left off. Quite a few people have suggested I re-photograph them. I’d like to do a few shots like that, but other photographers have done similar projects – and concentrating on people I first photographed over 30 years ago means it all ends up being about the ageing process. I’m more interested in documenting kids today, because everything changes, the fashions and so on. And then those photographs will become memories for them in another 30 or 40 years, after I’m dead. Actually, I’d love to do a project where I photograph every person in Liverpool. It might take a few years but I reckon I could manage it.

A crowdfunding campaign to facilitate the completion of Rob Bremner’s Liverpool project is open until 14 September. Details on Instagram @robbremner_photographer

Born: Wick, Caithness, 1964Studied: Wallasey College of Art, 1983-85; Newport documentary course, 1985-87Influences: Tom Wood, Martin Parr and David HurnLow point: “Trying to find work after leaving college”High point: “Sharing my work with the people of Liverpool who I’d photographed, via social media.”Top tip : “Be nice and polite, take time to talk to the people you want to photograph. They make the photos.”