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Photographic Memories

Even now, after all these years.

Just thinking about Pete Hartley brings a warm glow deep inside and makes me smile to myself. Despite all the current world troubles and freezing cold winter weather.

What a lovely man.

On the Garburn Trail – photo Pete Hartley

Memories come flooding back as I’m looking through all the photos Pete gave me from the early days of the Lakeland Trails. From 2005 through to 2012, Pete regularly came up to the Lake District capturing the true essence of the events.

On the Derwentwater Trail – photo Pete Hartley

He really did understand the ethos of what I was trying to achieve. His iconic, picturesque images catapulted the Lakeland Trails into people’s imagination, directly contributing to the events becoming so successful. With Pete’s dramatic photos, normal everyday people could picture themselves running in the stunning Lake District landscape. Maybe you were one of them?

On the Marathon Trail – photo Pete Hartley

He tirelessly helped me behind the scenes, sending his images to National magazines and newspapers, always letting me know with his infectious enthusiasm and positivity. 

On the Derwentwater Trail – photo Pete Hartley

“Runnersworld asked for a good shot from the Garburn Trail” he’d tell me on the phone. ”Their readers just voted it ‘the most scenic race in Britain’, so I’ve emailed one for you, I’m sure you’ll like it”

“The most scenic race in Britain” – on the Garburn Trail – photo Pete Hartley

When Pete first came to photograph the events, he was working for an outdoor website. He needed to sell quite a few of his photos direct to our runners, just to cover his travel expenses. This seemed a complete nonsense to me.

On the Kentmere Trail – photo Pete Hartley

Instead, I came up with a much better plan. Simply cut out the middle man and pay Pete myself for a proper day’s professional sports photography. We could then give the photos away digitally to anyone that wanted them. It was one of those win, win, win moments. Everyone benefited. Our competitors could download free photos via Facebook, Pete was paid properly for his work and we got some amazing images. This soon became standard practice with almost every mass participation event since. Yet we are proud to say we were the first!

At the Derwentwater Trail – photo Pete Hartley

Through the eye of a lens

Pete’s work still lives on in the Lakeland Trails through our current photographer, James Kirby. For a number of years, both would be working at our events, Pete quietly taking James under his wing. It’s fantastic to see many of the locations James still uses today are ones Pete originally highlighted. Capturing runners in their element was a real skill of Pete’s and he willingly passed on all his experience to James. A true teacher.

On the Marathon Trail – photo Pete Hartley

It was fitting that James came along to help me at Pete’s funeral, taking photos, helping with our gazebos, outdoor PA and speakers. The church was packed and hundreds more were crowded outside.

Pete’s funeral – photo James Kirby

In the pub afterwards, everyone had a story about Pete. Smiles all round. Tears of joy through knowing him. Pete brought something special to all of our lives.

Through the eye of a lens – A tribute to Pete Hartley

Just before Christmas, a new hard cover book was published, featuring Pete’s stunning photographic work. It’s been a labour of love for Pete’s partner Denise Park, as he left behind over sixty thousand images.

Pete Hartley and Denise Park – photo Pete Hartley

“Through the eye of a lens” is a fond tribute to someone who was liked and loved by so many in the running world, me included. The book is full of beautiful images, stunning scenery, total mountain and trail running inspiration. If you want a copy, you can order one here

Six years have passed since Pete lost his battle with cancer back in November 2014. I remember writing some words in his memory at the time and thought I’d share them once again here:

The Magic of Pete Hartley

It’s early evening and I’m sitting at home in front of the wood burner, plugging in the laptop for a quick check on the internet. Suddenly I’m stunned. Shocked. I read Denise’s post on Facebook, that Pete Hartley has died from cancer.

I didn’t even know Pete was so ill. I must admit, I didn’t know Denise and Pete were so close.

Like many others, I’d been enjoying the quiz Pete had been posting on Facebook, guessing the runners and races. His photographs brought back so many long forgotten memories of all those people that have been part of my running life. I’d also seen Facebook images of Pete and Denise travelling around, enjoying themselves. I naively assumed they must have just got together and were spending some quality time with each other – good on them, I thought. I was at Edisford Primary School in Clitheroe with Denise, and we even share the same birthday. Knowing them both for so long and then hearing this sad news completely out of the blue, stopped me in my tracks

Pete Hartley. Pete Hartley …

I first met Pete when I was a young lad at local orienteering and fell races in and around my home in the Ribble Valley. He was always friendly, he always had time to chat and encourage. It was Pete’s images of the fell running greats that helped inspire me to take running more seriously. Imagine being on the cover of the Fellrunner one day? Although I never did make that honour!

Time goes on and throughout the next two decades, I’d often bump into Pete at fell and mountain races, with his camera and ready smile. He never changed. Always friendly, always time to chat.

Over the last decade, we met each other much more regularly – he was my first choice photographer at the Lakeland Trails events. That’s when I realised how hard Pete worked to capture those unique and iconic running images. Pete always arrived a day or two before an event, having first spoken at length on the phone about the course, who the favourites were, discussing who we thought would win. His enthusiasm for everything to do with running seemed boundless. Then he’d set off around the courses, checking the backdrops, checking the light, re-checking start times, calculating the best places to be throughout the day. A true professional.

It didn’t just stop there though. After going around the course, he’d help us in any way he could. I vividly remember our very first event in Keswick in 2006. The day before the event it was bucketing down. Pete abandoned his course check and helped us assemble the marquees and run in, smiling and chatting to everyone, all day long, in the pouring rain. He decided he was going to join me and Claire camping in the marquee. We couldn’t afford security in those days, so had to do it ourselves. In the evening, we brought fish and chips back with us to the marquee, and in the fading light, watched the downpour from the shelter of the tent, still chatting and laughing. Pete held up a chip and said “magic fish and chips, these!”

Last Sunday evening I went out for a walk on the limestone scars above my home in Kendal, and thought about Pete, about what made him such a special person for me and countless others. I know he would have enjoyed the spectacular sunset with the Lakeland fells in silhouette. I thought about the strength of his personality, how he dealt with his own struggles after the car accident cut short his running career. About how he turned to photography, to enable him to continue being a part of the sport he loved the most. And the photographs themselves, what they meant to so many people. I thought about his recent battle with cancer, how he just got on with it, keeping it all to himself. His partner Denise too, I thought about what she must be going through.

The one word I kept coming back to was “magic”, and I realised that was a big part of Pete’s special gift. He could see the magic that surrounds us all, the magic in people, in wild places, in the simplest of things. Yet he could do even more than that. He could capture that magic moment forever in his photographs for us all to see the world through his own eyes.

It was dark by the time I got home, and whilst my little boy Ash was playing with his Lego, feeling sad, I turned on the laptop.

I read this, from Pete’s son Michael :

“My sister Claire and I grew up assuming that it was everybody’s Dad who climbed the Matterhorn, ran the London Marathon, cycled across deserts, took them canoeing down rapids and was the master of fancy dress. As we got older, we realised how lucky we were to have such an inspiring, supportive and loving Dad. His optimism and enthusiasm for life inspired nothing but kindness.

Yesterday, our Dad’s fight against cancer came to an end. Our heads are full of happy memories which will last forever, so please don’t be sad for us. He’s just off on his next big adventure…”

Reading those words made me feel so much better and I can think about the pleasure he brought to me and be reminded of him forever through his photographs.

I can remember Pete’s big smile and think of him, off on his next big adventure.

Magic …

Sunset at Pete’s funeral – photo James Kirby

Graham Patten

10th January 2021

 

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4 thoughts on “Photographic Memories

  1. What a beautiful article and tribute to Pete Hartley. Well done Denise for shoring his photos with the world.

  2. Thanks Chewy, glad you enjoyed it

  3. Chris Chew on said:

    Great article Graham.

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