It has long been a tradition that Goths visit the grounds of St Mary’s Church where there are legions of photographers looking for pictures for their own portfolios or to sell on. But since the last Goth weekend back in April, signs have appeared in the grounds of St Mary’s Church saying photography on and near gravestones is prohibited. Chris Oakes, an amateur photographer from York is concerned that this combined with the fall out of the Goth weekend split could spell the end of the weekend altogether.
He said: “It needs to be said Whitby is on the verge of losing its weekend soon. What with the split and this, I think that will be the end. What’s wrong with the church for two days. Everyone is enjoying themselves. If anything the families of the deceased should be the ones to complain, what do they say? It’s like Whitby is on self destruct. Ruin the goth weekend, all the arguments over regatta and folk weekend, what’s up with everyone?”
John Hemson, St Mary’s churchwarden, said: “The reason the rector did it was it had become unbearable. I sat there one day and in half an hour nine photographers walked past me. The Goths stand, sit or even lie on the table graves. There are people in Whitby who have families in there even though it closed in 1861 and they object to it very much. The rector is very strong on this. It is a mark of respect, it is a holy place like all cemeteries and it could be very dangerous as some of the grave stones we have had to lay on the ground.”
11 comments:
How petty. Obviously there has been absolutely no damage done to the cemetery, no disturbances, fights, noise or anything else like that, for I'm sure the churchwarden would have eagerly pointed it out if the Goths had caused anything remotely like that. So the rector is sabotaging the town businesses because he and "some people" find it distasteful that outsiders come to their cemetery to take photos.
I do hope these people who have complained - if they actually exist - find themselves soon wanting to take a picture of the precious grave of their long dead ancestor, perhaps to send to someone on the other side of the world, just to realise photography in the cemetery has been banned. Thanks to them.
Simple. Go take photos own your own family graves? I don't think I'd fancy seeing someone in fishnets all over my grandmother's resting place.
Not your grandmother's, Anonymous. No one alive now knew anyone in that cemetery, since it was closed 150 years ago.
The dead are due some respect, I would think, even if they are not related to you.
No one should be standing or lying on those graves dressed up in ridiculous clothes.
And banning all photography is the only solution?
I think a happy medium could easily have been reached here - permit photography, ban climbing on the graves.
Simple.
Exactly, Anonymous.
I think you'll find that the majority of actual goths- as opposed to the dress-up brigade- are in favour of the ban, whatever its reason. Whitby's turned into a media circus over the past 5 or 6 years; anything that decreases the number of photographers and cosplaying "models", and stops those of us who live like this every day being made to feel like we're part of a freakshow, can surely only be for the best.
Fuck'em, it's a music festival not a fashion show.
Dear Actual Goth: You wear unusual clothes every day, but don't want to feel like a part of a freakshow, and you are made to feel like that if some of the other people in unusual clothes attending the same events as you don't wear their unusual clothes every day? Maybe some self reflection is in order? Shouldn't a self-appointed Actual Goth such as yourself be confident and at ease with their unconventional appearance at all times, and not just in the company of other Actual Goths?
Dear Insolitus,
No, the "freakshow" aspect comes not from those part-time goths, or whatever they should be called, but from the fact that you can't move down any of the streets of the town nowadays without getting a camera rammed in your face. If the model-types would bugger off then the photographers would leave too, as they'd have nobody to photograph. It's somewhat circular though, as the models come because of the togs, who come because of the models..
However, given that the models are apparently a part of the subculture to which many of us have belonged for years without having seen this problem, I feel it's only right that we attempt to sort it out ourselves. Hence the posters and flyers that the WGW organisers will be displaying around town this November, telling people that photography's banned from the churchyard. I hope that anybody, photographer or model, who sees somebody breaking the ban asks them to stop, since, at the end of the day, it's the actions of these fancy-dress wearing prats that come back to bite the goth community on its arse.
I hope that makes things a bit clearer- I don't care if people want to dress up and be photographed but when they get lumped in with those of us who have absolutely nothing to do with them, and then act like jerks, it reflects badly on the rest of us who just want to see some bands and have a drink or twelve.
If the photographers are there only for the model types, why do you get cameras rammed in your face? Isn't it still a little revealing if a non-goth wanting to take your picture in your unusual outfit makes you feel like you're in a freakshow?
People are strange and funny - they feel a strong urge to form groups and almost as strong an urge to develop schisms. I realise you represent only yourself, but impressions are feelings and as such are not rational, and this little conversation of ours has reflected badly on my perception of your chosen group. The not-real-goths you despise are not the only ones acting like jerks.
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