John Darwell

When I was asked to write a piece for this book the thing that came to mind was a series of events and moments that I experienced whilst documenting what was taking place in Cumbria during the first seven months of 2001. The actual sequence of events has blurred in terms of sequence but I have tried here to put across something of the atmosphere of the time. In this chapter, independent photographer John Darwell writes about his experiences month-by-month between February and August 2001, photographing the effects of the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak in Cumbria for his 'Dark Days' series. Includes three of Darwell's photographs. The book is a modern social history, a compendium of fifty foot and mouth disease testimonies. It was the brainchild of BBC Radio Cumbria presenter Caz Graham, who hosted the two-hour 'Nightline' show for a month at the height of the epidemic.