The Street Sweeper

From everything I read at the moment we are all going to have to get used to living with a lot less and not having our regular fix of material acquisitions. I worry about the British obsession with economic status and our disrespect for people whose jobs are not regarded as materially credible, such as street sweepers or caretakers. How will we deal with having to make do with less glamourous occupations. I think that Spain might be better equipped to retain it’s sanity in these times and a meeting with a street sweeper one morning illustrates this point. From my notebook: ‘I got up early this morning to photograph some shop signs before it got too hot. As I lifted my camera to shoot a seventies travel agents signage I noticed a woman in a white street sweepers outfit on the opposite corner. It was a beautiful morning and she had left her cart and was standing, eyes closed, face to the sun, immersed in the experience. As I watched slowly she opened her eyes and, looking over, gave me a cheeky wink.’ (click images to enlarge)