UK
Count Binface: “Nigel, who said he didn’t want to be humiliated, maybe has been”
“I’m just getting started” — The novelty political candidate, created by Jonathan David Harvey, came second in the Clacton by-election after winning 9,455 votes and more than a quarter of the votes.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Chivalry isn’t dead: Inside the world of modern jousting
The Obsessives — The extreme sport, which sees competitors charge full speed on a horse towards an opponent while armed with a lance, stretches back centuries. Ginnia Cheng takes a trip to Arundel, the ‘Wimbledon of Jousting’, to find out why people travel across the world in search of crashing hits.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
In the pit at one of the UK’s last stock car & banger speedways
Stock Car Racing Isn’t Dead — Photographer Liam McCarthy spent time in and around the Arlington Raceway’s circuit, capturing the diehard community that keeps the sport alive.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Tish Murtha’s searing documentation of broken Britain
Vandalism on a Grand Scale — Capturing youth unemployment and poverty in north-east England during the ’80s, the photographer never lived to see her work published. A new photobook by British Culture Archive brings her eye-opening work to light.
Written by: Miss Rosen
‘Baking Street’: Activists rename Tube stations in heatwave protest
‘Heatwave, sponsored by Shell’ — The protest comes as the UK recorded the hottest day in June ever recorded at 36.7C.
Written by: Ella Glossop
On the frontlines of Britain’s ’80s protest movements
Protest and Equality — Against a backdrop of Thatcherism, hospital closures and global conflict, photographer Sarah Saunders was a documentarian of the long decade’s effects on society, as well as the communities actively resisting it.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Inside the UK’s amateur robot wars scene
Bot Builders — Decades after the sport’s ’90s television heyday, a community of enthusiasts are continuing the craft of building extravagant machines for duelling. Juliet Nottingham attends a Bristol competition to witness the damage, destruction and intricately engineered fighters.
Written by: Juliet Nottingham
In photos: The gritty golden age of the UK’s skateboarding scene
Elsewhere — A new book from Science Vs. Life founder Neil Macdonald explores the characters, photographs and ephemera that defined the sport in the ’80s and ’90s, just before the internet and commercialisation changed it forever.
Written by: Isaac Muk
6 years on from George Floyd, how much more accessible is the outdoors for People of Colour?
Second Nature — A new report by The Mix Global highlights continued barriers that marginalised folks face when exploring nature, despite attempts at greater representation. Phil Young takes stock of how far we’ve come.
Written by: Phil Young
Sophie Green’s maximalist, technicolour vision of Britain’s fringes
Tangerine Dreams — The photographer has spent over a decade documenting the rituals, subcultures and social gatherings that form the collaged fabric of the UK’s society. A new exhibition at the Martin Parr Foundation celebrates her work and the communities she captures.
Written by: Roxana Diba
War & Pieces: The race to become the world’s fastest jigsaw puzzler
The Obsessives — The UK Jigsaw Puzzle Championships see contestants turn a cosy pastime into a high stakes battleground, as they race to complete 500-piece puzzles in as little time as possible. It’s as much a feat of athleticism as cognitive quickness, reports Ginnia Cheng.
Written by: Ginnia Cheng
The heady bliss of Glastonbury Festival after the music
Not Done Yet — While the weekend’s headliners and stacked line-ups usually draws the majority of the attention, much of its magic occurs after the music stops. Mischa Haller’s new photobook captures the euphoria and endless possibilities of Glasto’s “in between” moments.
Written by: Isaac Muk
