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lonelytower.bsky.social
Lonely Tower Film & Media
@lonelytower.bsky.social
3K followers 450 following 440 posts
Independent Media Productions YouTube - http://youtube.com/@lontower767 News & Documentaries include - A Passion for Vaux, Hollowed Ground, and Iron & Steam
📌 North East England
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lonelytower.bsky.social
Lonely Tower Film & Media @lonelytower.bsky.social · Nov 13
So happy to be here after... the 'other place'. Really appreciate everyone's interest in what we do. We're small, but full of fire 🔥 We share tales of community & heritage, & we get to meet the best people 👍 #Documentary #Journalism #Filmmaking It's an eclectic & brilliant way to make a living 😍
lonelytower.bsky.social
A really good night in Durham!
mariegardiner.bsky.social Marie Gardiner @mariegardiner.bsky.social · 15h
So great to see @profdanhicks.bsky.social at the People's Bookshop in Durham where he was chatting about his book Every Monument Will Fall. Looking forward to reading it!
A room of people in a book shop Dan hicks talking to a room of people in a bookshop
November 10, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
Will try not to be too annoying with this but repetition is the thing that gets your work out there, so just to WANG ON AGAIN, my Changing Landscapes zines are for sale via my website for £10 including postage (UK only).

#ThePhotoHour #zine #Photography

www.mariegardiner.co.uk/zines-and-pr...
an amphibious car/boat with a green underbelly, sitting in long grass in the middle of the countryside in warm sunny weather a large chimney on a hill in nice weather with moorland all around and blue skies a chimney in the distance, with yellow scrubby grass in most of the picture, with a strip of water to the middle-left. The sky is very blue with white wispy clouds The same amphibious car/boat with a green underbelly now sitting in lots of snow
November 10, 2025 at 2:54 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
Stills from past filming expeditions to the Western Front of the Great War. Now a quiet place for reflection. #remembrance
November 9, 2025 at 9:25 AM
lonelytower.bsky.social
Gone but not forgotten... 'Once described as the beating heart of Teesside' - Cold Steel #Redcar #Teesside
November 7, 2025 at 4:07 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
A really fun time at Spennymoor Youth and Community Association this week, filming Nocciola The Drawer. This is a community project with Spennymoor Town Council to create artworks for local bus stops. A warm welcome from some lovely folks - Thank you all 😃
November 7, 2025 at 12:17 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
For anyone that loves romantic ruins and northern splendour, this is a must. 😃👍🎄
mariegardiner.bsky.social Marie Gardiner @mariegardiner.bsky.social · 4d
The second print run of Changing Landscapes is with me, so it's back for sale via my website at £10 including P&P (UK only I'm afraid). Good for gifts for Christmas, dare I suggest. As always, appreciate how much you've got behind this project.

#Photography

www.mariegardiner.co.uk/zines-and-pr...
Changing Landscapes Zine
Changing Landscapes – Ruins of the North Pennines is my second zine, following on from Transporter. For those who don’t know, a zine is a mini magazine, usually focused on one subject, and it…
www.mariegardiner.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 11:44 AM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
My zines have arrived 😀 they'll be back on sale tomorrow at some point priced £10 inc postage (UK only I'm afraid). Will update you when they're live.
mariegardiner.bsky.social Marie Gardiner @mariegardiner.bsky.social · 7d
My Changing Landscapes zines (second print run) should be with me this week, so here's a nice early autumn ruin to celebrate.

#ThePhotoHour #NorthPennines #Landscape
a ruined house largely intact is standing on scrubby grass on a slight incline, with a reservoir below it, and low hills in the background. The sky is blue with wispy white clouds
November 6, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
Hard to even know what to write when I see things like this. Look at it, here's your North/South divide. What's labour doing to address this? What did the Tories do? What have successive governments over the years actually done to address this?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
North-south divide on deprivation levels Proportion of neighbourhoods in each English region that are highly deprived A bar chart showing the proportion of neighbourhoods in each English region that are highly deprived. The North East is top on 21.5%, followed by the North West on 20.2%, Yorkshire and The Humber on 18.5%, the West Midlands on 16%, the East Midlands on 8.2%, London on 4%, the South West on 3.9%, the East of England on 3.9%, and the South East on 3.3%.
October 30, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
If you feel like hearing (and seeing!) me talking about my photography, life, and more then you can do so here on @grantswinbournephotography.com's lovely podcast.

#photography #photographer #thephotohour #podcast

youtu.be/zl_JMQnQBog?...
Exploring the North Pennines with Marie Gardiner
YouTube video by Grant Swinbourne Photography
youtu.be
October 28, 2025 at 8:08 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
Perfect for Christmas 🎄 😍
mariegardiner.bsky.social Marie Gardiner @mariegardiner.bsky.social · 15d
I've ordered a new run of Changing Landscapes zines and they should be with me next week, so if you fancy getting one for someone as a Christmas present then I'll have them ready to order very soon.

#Photography #ThePhotoHour
October 27, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
I'm on Grant's photography podcast next week if you fancy listening to a Mackem wanging on about the North Pennines 😁

#thephotohour #photography
October 22, 2025 at 9:11 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
In a world of darkness... be more choir!
At the WOW - Women of the World Festival in Durham last weekend, we caught up with the Girls, Theys and Slays choir.
🎤'We might not all have it together, but together we have it all'
Brilliant 🤩
October 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
'Our Darling Boy'. Sometimes the simplest inscriptions are the most impactful. Peter Williams was one of 116 children killed in the Aberfan disaster 59 years ago, along with 28 adults. The pit heap collapsed, burying the school as well as people's homes.

#Photography #Aberfan #History #Wales
a white grave marker with pillars either side, the writing says 'in loving memory of Peter, beloved son of Thomas & Margaret Williams, 38 Aberfan Road, Aberfan. Died 21 October 1966 aged 10 years. Our darling boy.
October 21, 2025 at 2:11 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
Fab time this morning at King Street Primary School in Spennymoor with Nocciola The Drawer. The pupils were sharing their artistic talents for a new project with Spennymoor Town Council and partners. Watch this space 👀
October 21, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
New blog post up, I hope you'll have time for a quick life update from me :).

open.substack.com/pub/mariegar...
An image of lots of students in gowns and mortarboards from above. Above thst is the title of my blog: getting an edumacation, doing a learn.
October 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
Lovely to chat to John Wells from Thorpe Thewles History Group this morning. John's interview will form part of the groups exciting documentray film on the early 20th Century life of schoolboy David McLaren, who wrote extensively about his life and the village. Watch this space 😀
October 20, 2025 at 11:43 AM
lonelytower.bsky.social
Brilliant time with Athena Kugblenu, Jordan Gray and WOW festival founder Jude Kelly at the Gala in Durham tonight. Inspiring, funny and brilliant!
October 17, 2025 at 8:40 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
Inspiring morning at the WOW - Women of the World Festival at Gala Durham 🤩🤩 The S&dr200 celebrations continue, championing the forgotten role of women in creating the modern railway!
October 17, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
I needed a new pinned post! I'm a PhD student researching Sunderland's working class identity (human geography/history). And away from that I'm a writer (history, film, place, culture etc), photographer (documentary & landscape) and documentary producer.

#Photography #History #Academia
an old stone bridge with three arches, over a river. In the background are mountains with low rain/mist covering most of them. The last of the light can be seen peeping above them in the middle. Those with a keen eye will see three tiny figures in the far distance. a view from Mostar's bridge of a very turquoise river, in which a small red speedboat is doing a little spin, leaving a white trail in the water. The town can be seen to the right on the bank, with a mosque in the near-background, and mountains in the far background a sea inlet in a sort of zigzag shape, with cliffs punctuating each part of that shape. On the nearest cliff, to the left, a man and woman are looking away from us out to the water. a small white chapel with a red-orange tile roof is to the left, sitting on very green lush grass. The sky is purple-black with storm clouds and you can see the storm breaking in a lightning flash in the background over mountains
October 15, 2025 at 3:55 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
'Poor people are getting poorer, the elites are getting richer'... The battles of early trade unionist Thomas Hepburn are still being fought today. This is why the Durham Miners' Association and comrades gather every year to remember Thomas Hepburn at St Mary's Church in Heworth, Gateshead.
October 13, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
mariegardiner.bsky.social
Right, Monday morning admin out the way, now let's hope this week is a bit less stressful and illness inducing than last. As it's been a while, here are some pictures of the Pedestrian Tyne Tunnel post-renovation.

#Photography #ThePhotoHour #Architecture
wooden escalator up to the entrance of the tyne pedestrian tunnel(s) with white arched tile walls with neon green tiles beneath that the curved part of the pedestrian tunnel with aqua blue tiles on the lower half and white/cream tiles on the upper, with bright white lighting in the centre 'county of northumberland' is written in dark blue, backed by aqua tiles. This is in turn on white tyles, with three air vents below, and then blue tiles below that
October 13, 2025 at 10:20 AM
lonelytower.bsky.social
An honour to join the Durham Miners' Association at St Mary's, Heworth over the weekend at their annual service paying respect to the first miners' union leader Thomas Hepburn. By remembering those who fought for rights, decency and fair pay in the past, we can take courage for the future.
October 13, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Lonely Tower Film & Media
lonelytower.bsky.social
Available now! A new feature-length documentary celebrating the Stockton & Darlington Railway...'IRON & STEAM - THE DAWN OF THE STOCKTON AND DARLINGTON RAILWAY'. Featuring experts and the latest research, the film celebrates 1825 - 2025. Purchase details - amzn.eu/d/ailzJaA #Railways
August 16, 2025 at 2:22 PM
lonelytower.bsky.social
A great way to celebrate 200 years of the S&DR! 😀
mariegardiner.bsky.social Marie Gardiner @mariegardiner.bsky.social · Oct 8
I've been so crazily busy that I totally forgot to mention that I have an article in the autumn edition of This England magazine in which I try to condense the complicated & weighty history of the Stockton & Darlington Railway into a four page article, whilst also plugging our documentary!

#History
the first 2 pages of the S&DR article with lots of text and pictures. I can't put the text into the alt as the image isn't meant to have you read the text it's just promo for the article! the second 2 pages of the S&DR article with lots of text and pictures. I can't put the text into the alt as the image isn't meant to have you read the text it's just promo for the article!
October 8, 2025 at 1:59 PM