Photo exhibition explores Walton's backwaters

Walton Arts Festival has organised a photo exhibition, which will be taking place at the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club during the festival weekend, September 18 – 20. The theme of the exhibition is 'Exploring Walton's Secret Backwaters' and the idea was inspired by Swallows and Amazons' author Arthur Ransome's book, 'Secret Water' which was set in the backwaters in the 1930s. The exhibition is free to attend and there will be a launch event on Friday 18th September from 6pm – 730pm, with a shanty crew appearing during the evening. The photographs have all been taken locally by members of the local 'Not A Camera Club'.

In the book 'Secret Water', the Walker children (the Swallows) are marooned in the Walton Backwaters, where they join the Blacketts (the Amazons) to map the tidal creeks. Their hand‑drawn map becomes the adventure’s triumph, sealing new friendships and discoveries. The exhibition is centred around the book, making connections between the photos of the atmospheric environment and the locations on the map. While time has moved on since the book was written, nearly 100 years ago, the Walton backwaters remain almost as secret as they were then. This exhibition celebrates the beauty and stillness of this international nature reserve, with 50 images of a wide variety of views and subjects. The exhibition highlights the variety of photographic styles adopted by the club members and celebrates the range of approaches which can be taken when photographing one subject.

To accompany the exhibition there will be a free boat trip around the backwaters, organised by the Walton and Frinton Yacht Club. The boat will visit various locations of the photos and there will be commentary from backwaters expert, Chris Opperman, who will read excerpts from the Secret Water book and provide local anecdotes. The boat will leave from the Yacht Club at around 4pm on Saturday 19th September. Spaces are limited and can be booked online via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exploring-waltons-secret-backwaters-photo-exhibition-boat-trip-tickets-1999017570365

The exhibition will be open all day on Saturday and Sunday. The location is Walton & Frinton Yacht Club, Mill Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze, CO14 8PF. Parking is available, and the building is fully accessible.