Ian Beesley on taking pictures of Rimmington's and tea with police

Ian Beesley was taking a picture of Rimmington's on Bridge Street at night when he was pulled up by police officers.

At the same time Eccleshill-born Beesley was taking his photographs outside the chemists, reports were circulating of a man acting suspiciously on Market Street.

This led to the police asking Beesley what he was up to. Officers quickly found out Beesley was innocently minding his own business taking the pictures and even invited him in to the station opposite for a cup of tea to warm up on what was a cold night.

Beesley said: "It was a night exposure because I wanted to take the photo when starlings were roosting on the windows and ledges.

I seem to remember the exposure was in excess of 30 minutes and in that time the police turned up to see what I was doing

"There was a report of a man acting suspiciously in Market Street.

"Bear in mind I was using a tripod mounted plate and kept pulling a black cloth over my head.

"The police at that time had a station in City Hall and they invited me in for a cup of tea as it was a very cold night.

During his visit to Rimmington's, Beesley also took a photo of a chemist's window, which was at the bottom of Sunbridge Road backing on to Aldermanbury. The window had the following sign written on it; 'Dealers in photographic materials and pure chemicals'.

Rimmington's, which opened in 1842, is still going strong on Bridge Street today.

It became one of the first pharmacies in the country to administer Covid-19 vaccinations in January this year, when it was named as the only Bradford pharmacy to win a contract with NHS England to provide them.

Owners Qaisar Sheikh and Sajid Hussain took over Rimmington's in 2009.

Who is Ian Beesley?

He was born in Bradford in 1954 and after leaving school in 1972 worked in a mill, a foundry before going to work at Esholt Sewage works, where he was part of the railway gang.

Encouraged by his workmates to go to college and find a career, he took up photography and eventually was accepted to study at Bradford Art College, after which he went to Bournemouth & Poole College of Art.

On graduating he was awarded a Kodak Scholarship for Social Documentation and started to document the demise of industry particularly in Bradford and West Yorkshire.

His work is held in the collections of Bradford City Art galleries and museums, the National Media Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Royal Photographic Society, the V & A London, the National Coal Mining Museum for England and The Smithsonian Museum Washington USA. He has published 40 books.

In 2012 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and in 2019 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bradford for his outstanding contribution to the art and culture and the social and economic development of the city of Bradford.

He is currently artist in residence for the Bradford Institute for Health Research, Gallery Oldham and Yorkshire Water.