Since the first night walk I’ve been meaning to do more, tonight I went out about 21:45. I walked through Bishops Wood, as I got closer to Denton Way I could hear a loud noise, at first I couldn’t work out what it was but it became clearer as I walked, a sort of metal scraping noise, I thought maybe a whacker plate… I headed towards the noise to investigate.
As I emerged from a dark side alley on to Denton Way I was struck by bright lights and commotion on the roundabout. There were about 10 road workers, yellow flashing lights, 3-4 trucks, orange hi-vis, and the source of the noise, a whacker plate! I guess they were fixing potholes. I wanted to capture some images but it felt somewhat confrontational to set up a tripod and point it at 10 people in close proximity, especially when they’re working. I thought I could find a space where I was in the dark so as not to cause concern or alarm. It kind of worked but I think they clocked me quite quickly, quite a few of them were staring right at me, pondering what I was up to I'm sure.
Robin Hood Roundabout
I wandered on towards Knights Wood, where I found a pretty decent covered car, turns out Knights Wood is mainly dead ends! It was most likely around 10PM and I started getting a strange vibe as I moved further from home and on to more unfamiliar territory. The park is somewhat of a maze in the day time but at night around roads I know but not like the back of my hand I began to lose my bearings a little. I walked through Hamble Walk thinking the petrol station could be a good shout, I was wrong, it was closed and the lights were off. I walked across the empty, abandoned looking car park of the central area, there were two people sitting outside the closed Costa Coffee, I put my head down and walked off with intent. I’m not sure walking around the lake was the best idea in the pitch black but I headed there all the same.
Knights Wood
I cut off before the lake and went though Bainton Mead and Veryan, again I was somewhat confused as to my way through these roads which made me feel a little anxious. I found my way to the lake and captured an image across the water, it was peaceful, silent, eerie. I continued round and took a few more images, I love night photography, I don’t do it much anymore, the way the artificial lights cast their shadows in such strange and unfamiliar ways is pleasing, a whole different perspective on the same environment. Further round the lake there were two men sitting on a bench, right under a very bright light. I sort of hid my tripod and also thought about its potential use as a weapon, they of course did not cause me any trouble, the mind wanders.
The Lake at night
I was feeling pretty anxious by now, there are far too many pitch black alleyways and areas of dense woodland to make a night walker feel comfortable. Strange noises don’t help or the overly bright street lighting, which cause a sort of strobing effect whereby your eyes never adjust to the light or the dark. Strange noises by the side of the lake were of course fishermen who seem to be there 24/7. I made a beeline for home, got confused again but eventually stumbled across a road I recognised. I think I prefer going out after it’s rained, the lighting is better, there are less people around too. I might try very late at night sort of 2-3AM and see how that feels, I imagine more peaceful!