Robin Rigg wind farm, seen in the distance from Whitehaven Harbour (Image: John Scanlan)

Mythical Past, Infinite Future

April 1, 2025

A new article titled ‘Mythical Past, Infinite Future’, has just been published in the journal Architecture and Culture, Vol. 3/11 (2025). It looks at the overlapping / co-existing temporalities of West Cumbria (or West Cumberland, as it would be more correct to say now) and the traces they leave on the built environment of a region that has sought to position itself as a leader in new greener forms of energy production …

Raymond Moore's Uncertain Places

June 28, 2022

My new article about the photographer Raymond Moore, titled ‘Raymond Moore’s Uncertain Places’, has just been published in the journal Photographies, Vol. 15, No.2. To read the abstract and find out more about how to access the article in PDF or EPUB formats …

Trip to Millom

January 17, 2019

I was fortunate to have recently met the artist Irene Rogan at an Arts Council England meeting in Workington and finally caught up with her again in Millom, where she has a studio (located in an old school building) right next to the medieval Holy Trinity Church and adjacent to Millom Castle.

Reviews‘In these domestic travel writings, reminiscent of Jonathan Raban or Iain Sinclair, John Scanlan tours West Cumbria, framing its history in stark contrast to the “other Cumbria” of the Lake District. Without pretence to immutability, he finds… — **Reviews**
‘In these domestic travel writings, reminiscent of Jonathan Raban or Iain Sinclair, John Scanlan tours West Cumbria, framing its history in stark contrast to the “other Cumbria” of the Lake District. Without pretence to immutability, he finds West Cumbria to be dynamic, having always ‘pointed itself towards the future through industrial change and both in and out migration.’ **— *Cumbria Life* magazine.**
‘Does a remarkable job in capturing the essence of this region’ **—*Tidelines* magazine**
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