Dave Lobley says his love of photographing the sunrise at Swinsty Reservoir saved his life as he recovered from alcohol addiction.
The serene reservoir in the Washburn Valley has been a favourite sanctuary of Harrogate district residents for decades.
Mr Lobley, who was born and bred in Harrogate, quit drinking seven years ago after he ended up in hospital.
He said:
“It was a near-death job.
“But I came out of hospital and had a fresh chance at life.”
One of Mr Lobley’s friends bought him an old Canon camera and it ignited a new passion.
He used to work nights in Blackpool and would walk around Swinsty early in the morning when he finished his shifts.
His spectacular landscape shots of the reservoir have found an appreciative audience on the You Know You’re a Harrogotanian Facebook group, where he regularly shares them.
Swinsty Reservoir. Credit – Dave Lobley
He jokes that photography has become “my new addiction”.
“It saved my life. I was on the road to destruction.”
Mr Lobley said the popular reservoir has become a second home to him and his trusted companion, Lilian, an 11-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
He said photography helps him to express his view of the world and to stay alcohol-free.
Read more:
- Swinsty Reservoir walking route reopens today
- New bee-friendly habitats for Fewston, Swinsty and Thruscross reservoirs
Mr Lobley described what he thinks makes Swinsty such a special place.
“For me, the sunrise is amazing. It’s about the trees and the colours.
“With it being so close to Harrogate, it doesn’t cost anything to go there. Disabled access is very good and it’s great to see people there enjoying themselves. It’s a place to clear your mind.”
As well as photographing Swinsty and the nearby Fewston Reservoir, he enjoys taking his camera on walks around the Lake District, Wales and the Yorkshire Dales.
Swinsty Reservoir. Credit – Dave Lobley
In May, he will travel to Scottish Highlands with his partner to walk 96 miles in six days.
He wants to show other people that might be struggling with addiction that another life is possible.
“It’s a bit of closure from not drinking. I’ve come this far so I want to raise awareness if you’re struggling with addiction. There is another way, focus on photography or anything, you can beat it, rather than it beating you.”
Mr Lobley said Swinsty’s pull will always keep him coming back for more.
“When the sun’s comin up at Swinsty and you can feel the warmth, that’s the biggest high you can ask for.
“There’s nothing better.”
You can follow him on Instagram here.
Swinsty Reservoir. Credit – Dave Lobley
Two weeks ago, Chris Hollowed left jail after serving six months for dealing heroin and crack cocaine on the streets of Harrogate.
Since then, he has left his family in Harrogate to start a new life in Rotherham, away from old friends and haunts and, hopefully, old habits.
Drugs have scarred his life and after he was sentenced in March his daughter Mel Bowman got in touch to say her dad had never denied his guilt but she felt he had been let down by a lack of support.
She also wanted to convey that her dad was more than a ‘junkie’: he’s worked as a builder, decorator, plasterer and mechanic and has been a great support to many others.
Mr Hollowed agreed to talk frankly to the Stray Ferret about his experiences to give people an insight into how life can spiral out of control.
Harrogate council estate
He traces his problems back to growing up on the St Andrew’s council estate in Harrogate. His parents divorced at the age of six. He says:
“I’m the eldest of four children so I was allowed out a bit later and sent to the shops so I ended up knocking around with older boys. There was always a criminal element on the estate where I lived and I just fitted in.
“I started smoking cannabis when I was 12 or 13. At 16 I was sent to Borstal for stealing cars.
“When I went to Borstal I thought it was cool because there were older boys. I didn’t understand the lifestyle consequences.”
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Drugs have continued to scar Mr Hollowed, who has had several relationships and been homeless. He says it was a “natural progression” from cannabis to harder drugs.
“It doesn’t happen to everybody but when you smoke cannabis you can go from one drug to the next and they become more and more expensive. I’ve done everything you’d expect from an addict. Heroin is a completely different drug. It doesn’t just affect you mentally, it affects you physically.”
Clean from heroin
Mr Hollowed was jailed for a third time in March when he admitted two counts of supplying class A drugs last year. The court heard he had 105 offences on his record. His lawyer said he had an “entrenched” drug addiction dating back over 20 years, which had taken a heavy toll on his health. He was jailed in March and released on September 13.
He says he’s been clean from heroin for six months but was prescribed methadone in prison.
“I’m now on no drugs and no medication. Nothing.”
He’s living in a hostel in Rotherham with two other men. He says:
“I’ve had to leave my home town and family. If I go to Harrogate I will fail. I’m not saying I won’t fail here but I have a chance.
“I’m an older man now and can just walk my dog. I don’t need to be part of a clique anymore. My whole life has been consumed by drugs.
“I’m changing everything. I’m hoping to work for the local drug agency. I’m waiting to do exams. I’m 56. I’ve got 15 years of work I can give back. The lesson is it all starts with cannabis. But I need training.”
He makes no great promises about the future.
“I’ve talked to my daughter and ex-girlfriend and I have tried to get myself clean many times. In five years time I might be a success. Right now I’m not a success.”
He hopes to help others and that his story will help others view him and others with drug addictions in a more nuanced way.
Lack of support and compassion
His daughter, Mel Bowman, also wants people to know her dad’s situation is more complex than many people think and urges them to show compassion.
“He’s a great guy, he made bad choices and spent his life trying to make up for it.
“People will always overlook him as a person as just a junkie, it’s a lack of compassion and understanding that draws people to that conclusion.
“It’s easy to write people off under a stereotype, not so easy to offer help and support but he would be the first person to offer it if the shoe was on the other foot.”
Ms Bowman adds her dad got little response from employers when he was honest enough to admit he was a recovering addict.
Alcoholics Anonymous in Harrogate reports surge in enquiries“He eventually went and sought comfort from his past after getting no where with his future. Obviously drug users can’t be babysat and they don’t want that, they need to be reinstated into society with support and shown respect as you would give any other human.
“Also they can’t get the implant of the blocker anymore, which is key to supporting users through those first few months of recovery. You can get a tablet but that means you’re relying on willpower alone, which isn’t easy.
“It’s these types of things that would really help. On paper the support is there but in reality it’s not there quick enough and not easily accessible.”
Alcoholics Anonymous in Harrogate has reported a surge in enquiries since lockdown began — and one member has urged local people struggling to overcome addiction to attend a meeting.
Known for its 12-step programme for dealing with addiction, AA meetings provide a safe space to discuss experiences. The only attendance requirement is a desire to stop drinking.
Harrogate, which has long had a reputation as a drinking town, has twice as many AA meetings per capita than York and four times as many as Leeds.
The Harrogate district has 16 weekly AA meetings, including in Knaresborough and Ripon.
In-person meetings recently resumed after taking place for most of the year on Zoom. Public Health England has confirmed that AA meetings are exempt from the government’s “rule of six”.
Michael, which is not his real name, told the Stray Ferret he had been attending meetings for almost two years.
He said alcoholism often went “under the radar” in affluent Harrogate. Many people with problems were often functioning in highly paid and pressurised jobs rather than conforming to the stereotype of being asleep on a park bench, he added.
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Indeed Michael said he made a lot of money during a successful business career but pain inside caused him to drink. He explained:
“To the outside world I had the ideal life. But there was something that wasn’t right inside and my drinking escalated over 20 years.
Michael started rehab for a month in January 2019 and has stayed sober ever since. He credits AA with helping turn his life around.
Public Health England figures published last week revealed there are 8.4 million high risk drinkers in the UK, a figure that has almost doubled since February.
Many people drank alone at home when pubs closed during lockdown. But Michael said self-isolation is not unusual for people in the depths of alcoholism. After socialising with friends at the pub he would regularly carry on drinking at home with a bottle of wine or some beers.
Michael said when he first went to an AA meeting he was surprised it wasn’t all “doom and gloom”.
He added:
“My preconception was they would be depressing environments. It surprises people that you find people laughing and are happy. It’s not doom or gloom, it’s warm, caring and supporting. That can come as a shock to people.”
For a full list of AA meetings in the district visit this website.