Bristol / Discuss

MG/BS4    says:

I believe that you had every right to be doing what you were doing.

Did you ask them what they were going to do if you didn't comply with their requests?

Maybe you should have asked them to phone the police.
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Tim Large    says:

I have alway understood it to be in the public domain, a qucik call the the Council highways or Rights of way officer will confirm one way or the other.
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

*Firefox    says:

I'm pretty sure it's a public road, though the University owns a large number of the buildings nearby. The university is a comparatively regular target for bombs by animal rights activists, so you can understand their concern. Telling them to go away and leave you alone or you'll call the police might have turned the tables on them.
Originally posted 27 months ago. (permalink)
*Firefox edited this topic 27 months ago.

MG/BS4    says:

Just make sure that you park legally....


Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

ξαβλ    says:

From the Bristol City Council website:

Public Rights of Way within Bristol can relate to changes to the definitive map such as diversions, closures and the creation of new public rights of way. If you have any queries you can contact the Public Rights of Way team by email traffic.management@bristol.gov.uk or telephone 0117 903 6822.

Opal Fruits    says:

As an aside, if you didn't like what you got on Woodland Road, and the constraints of your project allow you to stray slightly, a trip round the back of the Physics building into Royal Fort Gardens might offer you more something more photogenic.
That definitely is university property but I think they have a sign saying that it's open for the enjoyment of Bristol citizens too (though who can say whether their definition of enjoyment would extend to taking photographs!).
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

MG/BS4    says:

I had a slight problem with security at Royal Fort Gardens.....two of them approached me and asked me to explain what I was doing.

You would have thought that my camera might have been a clue.

Not once did they say I could not take photographs and after a 5 minute 'chat' I was allowed to continue
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Chris Bertram    says:

I have written to the head of Security.
Originally posted 27 months ago. (permalink)
Chris Bertram edited this topic 27 months ago.

*Hairbear    says:

The university have put up several signs around the place (where it is definitely university property) inviting the public to enjoy the open space around the university. Perhaps no-one told these two.
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Chris Bertram    says:

FWIW ....

Dear Chris,

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

We make it very clear to security staff that as we have plenty of interesting buildings we are very likely to attract interest from a range of people wanting to take pictures of our buildings.

Our advice to security officers is to use discretion and commonsense, but if something seems 'odd' or not quite right that they should use their judgment as to whether to stop and ask the photographer what they were doing in their usual polite and professional way.

In this instance their suspicion was aroused by the building in question and the time of night. According to their report, they did not say the area in which the photographer was standing was University property but all other comments are as described on flickr are correct. My staff have an incredibly difficult job to do and they constantly have to use their judgment to determine whether something requires intervention or not. As a university which carries out animal research you can imagine we are quite alert to being targeted.

I have no problem with anyone photographing our buildings as many of them are very beautiful, but as a commonsense suggestion, in future I would recommend that any professional or semi-professional photographers if they know they are going to come to this area to take photographs particularly at night or to take some quirky shots of our CCTV system for example, they should either drop me an email, or if impromptu, drop in to Royal Fort Lodge and just let us know what they intend to do. Obviously permission is needed if such photographers wish to come onto University property.

I hope that answers your (and this gentleman's) concerns and I'd be very happy for you to post this comment on flickr.

Best wishes,


Jerry Woods
Head of Security
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

demosthien    says:

This might be a silly thing to say but I'm notthat familiar with somethings over here...

In Aus a good indicator of a public road is if it is maintained by the council (road surface and general litter patrols). If they don't even walk on the road it's a fair call that it's private.

Is that the case over here as well?

Back home that observation has made for some interesting conversations with security. While they're busy telling you all about how you on private land and you should sod off a council street cleaner wanders by collecting rubbish. *pause and watch him slowly wander by collecting litter then laugh as security persists in telling you it's private land*
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

demosthien    says:

He doesn't say if the road is Uni owned. But I assume his comment

they did not say the area in which the photographer was standing was University property

*Firefox    says:

Public and private land can be rather blurry over here. The footpath along the South Bank of the Thames for instance is mostly public property however the bit by the London Eye isn't. Where the boundary between public and private parts are, isn't marked. The London Eye security staff will politely ask you to move on, if you've set up a tripod (potentially causing an obstruction in what can be a very busy area) but will normally not say anything if you are hand holding a camera.
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Thunderchild7    says:

As the lines are often so blurred That councils will collect rubbish and sweep roads even private ones.
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

acerone    says:

Thank you all for your replies and comments, much appreciated - especially to Chris for getting a reply from the head of the Uni security.

I totally understand a respect the fact that the uni could be a potential target for animal rights activists and that perhaps a person taking photographs of the university's property could be seen - at a stretch - to be worthy of a polite question as to what they are doing.

I actually didnt mind being asked what i was doing and as it happens i happily gave the security guards information about the project i was doing and that i was an local artist gathering imagery for my own works. The issue only came when i was then accused of acting suspiciously and aggressively asked if i was 'withholding my details'. Unfortunately for Jerry, i didnt find his two staff members to be 'polite and professional'.

I do appreciate Jerry's time in replying to Chris, and for him to volunteer his answer to us here on flickr - so thank you Jerry.

However the sentence - 'According to their report, they did not say the area in which the photographer was standing was University property'
is interesting, as i was specifically told by the security guards that approached me that i was ON university property. I have just spoken to the highways department at BCC and have been told that the whole of Woodland road is in fact a public highway - which means that i had every right to be taking photographs, irrespective of what time of day or night it was.

So there we have it - Woodland road is fair game for photographs no matter what the security guards believe. It is quite possible that ill need to reshoot that images i need from that area so i'll go ahead and do so...
But it is also likely that ill need to take a few from property which is owned by the university and in which case, ill be contacting Jerry for his written permission!

Thanks again all who have passed their thought on...
Originally posted 27 months ago. (permalink)
acerone edited this topic 27 months ago.

demosthien    says:

acerone wrote

Woodland road is fair game for photographs no matter what the security guards believe.

MG/BS4    says:

I think we shoud turn up in force and spread ourselves about
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Walt Jabsco    says:

Great idea
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Chris Bertram    says:

I think a "be nice and polite" directive has gone out.
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

rabidbee    says:

You'd like to think that there would be no need for a special directive to be issued in order for university staff to be polite to the public.
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

MG/BS4    says:

.....whilst in a public place
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Walt Jabsco    says:

I think Security Guards need directives to remind them to breathe
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Dru Marland    says:

There's something in the material they make those peaked caps out of, stops the flow of blood to the brain and induces an irresistible compulsion to say "'Ere, you can't do that 'ere" all the time.
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

Chris Bertram    says:

You're one to talk!
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

rabidbee    says:

What?
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)

MG/BS4    says:

Cake anyone?
Posted 27 months ago. (permalink)