In 1986, I didn’t really do street photography. My camera was a Zenit E – already a very heavy camera even before attaching the 58mm Helios lens. Somehow it never occurred to me to buy another lens so I was stuck with the 58mm focal length. The focal length was better suited for portrait work, and the split prism focussing made it easy to miss focus at the wide open apertures I used to avoid camera shake. But I did enjoy photographing buildings which were abandoned, neglected, or simply unloved, and this was what attracted me to the Aberdeen Public Soup Kitchen.

The nearby Bon Accord Centre had opened in 1984. It housed a great selection of shops but it also blocked the flow of traffic on George Street, and killed off many Aberdeen institutions such as the Rubber Shop. Sadly I have no photos of that, but I did explore the surrounding streets for photos of the old Northern Co-operative Society Arcade, and the Aberdeen Public Soup Kitchen.

I would have preferred to photograph the building straight-on, with no distractions in the way, but a permanently rotating selection of parked cars meant that that wasn’t possible. Instead, I positioned myself on the other side and waited for a scene to reveal itself. I’ve often wondered the story here. Has the traffic warden just issued a parking ticket? A warning? Or has the driver of the nearly-new Volkswagen Golf just beaten the system?

This is one of those photos that gets more valuable over time. The narrative aspect made it a good photo even when it was new, But 40 years later? Traffic wardens don’t look like that anymore. Cars don’t look like that anymore. And the Aberdeen Public Soup Kitchen is now a candle shop.

Clearly this is a photo which brings back memories for people, because from time to time I come across copies online. It pops up from time to time in the Aberdeen Memories Facebook page. There are multiple copies on Pinterest. And even a couple of websites which have reached out to me and asked for permission to use it.

I always enjoy seeing this photo in the wild. Of course if anyone used it commercially I’d be looking for a licensing fee. But until then, I’ll just enjoy it.