News about Martin Parr

In the little village of Ham, Jane Knight calls at the Crown and Anchor. Clemy Sheffield, an art dealer who co-owns the inn, arranged the interiors - antique desks rub shoulders with modern fabric headboards in the guest rooms, while hunting photographs and photography by Martin Parr appear in the communal spaces. Local farmers, villagers, and overnight visitors alike enjoy the bar, which is a space that is 'overflowing with atmosphere.' In this friendly environment, Jane claims that there's 'a lot to be proud of.'

In fact, if you believed the PR, you would have guessed that the country was awash with hubs. Sadly, no such thing exists. Only two of them are up and running. Moral of this tale? Never trust public relations. These hubs are sometimes referred to as community banks - branches operated by an independent company such as the Post Office, but they are not available to all major banking brands. Hubs are particularly useful in communities that have lost all of their banks. Unfortunately, bankless communities in the cities and major towns are now the norm rather than the exception, as banks ruthlessly cull branches (with 486 closings so far this year).

Merlin Griffiths, the star of First Dates, has given fans an update on his health as a result of his battle against bowel cancer. After being diagnosed with the disease in September last year, the barman and TV actor, 47, said he's feeling in good health and will soon see the sun at the end of the tunnel. Merlin, who is staring in a new campaign for Zurich, has a few more scans, and if all goes well, he will have a final operation right before Christmas to recover his stoma.

Martin Parr spent 1992 recording the goings-on of Chew Stoke, a village on the outskirts of Bristol, during a period of significant transition in which newcomers brought'slight tensions' across the village, and the decline of housing prices left young people struggling to stay in the area. Parr, a senior citizen from Chew Stoke, documented all aspects of life, from bar fetus and nights out to fun summer fetes, sporting performances, and seemingly everyday activities. Parr was able to form lasting links within the "quintessential English village" and bring a'sense of human-ness' to those who lived there throughout the year. In a 104-page photo book titled A Year in the Life of Chew Stoke Village, his time capsule of the village was published last month. In January, Parr's 1992 work will also be on display at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol.