Photography book focusing on Newlyn fishermen raises £9,000 for mission

The Harbour books series which has chronicled the lives of the people of Porthleven had already raised £56,400 for Children’s Hospice South West and Cornwall Hospice.

Harbour To Harbour was released in 2011 and the 1,100 copies sold out within a few weeks. It was followed the following year by Harbour 2 Harbour, which also proved immensely popular.

David and Jan have now followed those two books with Salt of the Earth after being approached by Julian Waring of The Fishermen’s Mission and invited to document the fishermen and locals associated with fishing in Newlyn.

The pair worked from two lofts courtesy of Shaun and Anthony Stevenson of Newlyn and over a few months they attracted a steady flow of sitters, many of whom came straight from their boats.

The new book received its launch at the Fishermen’s Mission in Newlyn where an exhibition of the images had been hung. It attracted a lot of interest with a steady flow of people dropping by to see it and buy a book.

David Penprase said of the book launch: “It was fantastic, they sold over £8,000 worth over the weekend. It was great to see the locals getting together, we were also pleased |and grateful to see so many |from Porthleven at the launch buying the book.

“All people that worked on this project did so voluntarily enabling all monies to go to the Fishermen's Mission.”

The exhibition can be seen at the Fishermen’s Mission in Newlyn between 7am and 1.30pm, Monday to Friday, until Christmas and the books are available for £20 on eBay or by calling |01736 363499, or emailing NewlynCentreCM@fishermensmission.org.uk They are also being sold in The Mission shop in Helston and various outlets in Porthleven and Newlyn.