Media centre

Monday 29 Oct 2012

Yorkshire runners up in national photography competition

Region & Route:

Photos of Halifax in West Yorkshire and Ribblehead in the Yorkshire Dales have both been named runners up in the Network Rail Lines in the Landscape award as part of the Take a View Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

The images by Mark Voce from West Yorkshire and Graham Roose from Lancashire were joined in the runners up by an image of Berwick-upon-Tweed by Jack Beeston from East Yorkshire. They were pipped at the post by Graham Hobbs from Dorset who was chosen by Charlie Waite, renowned landscape photographer and founder of the competition.

Tom Kelly, Network Rail’s director of corporate communications said: “The railway is an integral part of our landscape and our lives. Each of the entrants depicted this in a different but visually stunning way. Many congratulations to Graham and to all those commended in this year’s competition.”

Charlie Waite explained why Graham Hobbs’ image caught his eye: “In 1963, I remember leaning over the bridge at Otterton railway station awaiting the train that would bring my first bicycle sent to me by my parents. The childhood anticipation that prevailed then still resonates with me and to this day, I continue to be both enthralled and as thankful for the railways as when a twelve-year-old boy.

“The winning Lines in the Landscape photograph and indeed many of the entries in this category, remind me so completely of the extensive and expanding railway network that serves Britain. Graham’s picture is a deserving winner and perhaps we may reflect for a moment that this train would not have been empty but would have been carrying people to their homes or workplaces as do so many thousands of trains that run daily. Our railways allow us to look out at many a fine landscape and, whilst it is easy to take our railway network for granted, without it our nation would be so much the poorer and of that there can be no doubt.”

This is the third year that Network Rail has supported the competition where amateurs and professional photographers highlight the very best imagery of Britain’s rural and urban scenery. Once again, the best images will be displayed at a free exhibition at the National Theatre in London from 12 November.

The 10 runners up will also be exhibited at the National Theatre and appear in a book of the very best of this year’s entries.

Details of all the category winners are available at www.take-a-view.co.uk