Portraits reflect life on the high street

A portrait of Lalla looking at her phone while working at her mother's fabric stall at Coventry Market

Photos taken across a year have created a "contemporary portrait" of high streets across the West Midlands, a photographer has said.

Tim Mills captured views of communities on and around The Burges, in Coventry, for Historic England's Picturing High Streets project.

He said his images, which include students, taxi drivers and a portrait of himself in his father's wedding suit, capture the "ebb and flow" of the area.

"It feels like a significant artery within the city [with] a lot of comings and goings," Mr Mills added.

Nicole Theiwell was photographed by Mr Mills outside Millennium View student accommodation

A portrait of Sukhbinder in his shop at Coventry's City Arcade, set to be knocked down for redevelopment

Ayesha Jones documented stall holders and shopkeepers in Coventry Market and City Arcade.

She said her photographs revealed the "impact of the digital age and modern developments on independent, family-run businesses".

"Our modern obsession with more, better and faster is killing the authentic and genuine human to human commerce that has existed for thousands of years," she said.

Tim Mills restaged his father's velvet wedding suit fitting in Kong on The Burges, Coventry, formerly known as Hammon's Tailors

The Picturing High Streets Collection comprises of hundreds of pictures taken on England's high streets in the early 2020s.

It marks the final year of Historic England’s £95m High Streets Heritage Action Zones programme, which has funded restoration work in both The Burges and Stoke-on-Trent.

Historic England partnered with Photoworks and regional organisations to work with photographers in residence across England.

Additional photos were also selected from public Instagram submissions.

Northern Soul all-nighters have been held at the King's Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, for 28 years

In Stoke-on-Trent, Natalie Willatt spent two years working with diverse communities to highlight life behind closed doors.

Her photos include people inside churches and gurdwaras, football fans and a Northern Soul all-nighter at the King's Hall.

A total of 377 photographs of high streets were selected to add to the Historic England archive

Historic England chief executive Duncan Wilson said the collection provided a "truly brilliant historic record".

"People have captured what makes high streets such special places for social connection, revealed the histories hidden behind shopfronts and celebrated the communities that are keeping them alive today."