New Covent Garden Market has a new feature and a new local tagline – The Fresh Face of Nine Elms, which showcases the market community through the photography of Clive Boursnell.

Clive’s work from the most recent two decades of his 58 years snapping the life and times of the market was the subject of an exhibition at NCGM last year – Wholesale Market Life Through the Lens of Clive Boursnell. Many of those images are now on display in both the fruit and vegetable and flower markets, but today for the first time, around 280 photos (and more than 400 people of the market) are on display on the exterior wall of the flower market, for everyone passing on Nine Elms Lane to see.

Clive saw the wall for the first time himself this morning and said: “It’s wonderful, if a little intimidating. Talk about having your name up in lights. It looks incredibly impressive. I know, of course, that I have been taking photos of this market for a very long time, but just seeing this many displayed in such glorious technicolour is wonderful and I can’t believe I’ve done all that work!”

Tommy Leighton, NCGM’s Press Officer, said: “These photos say so many different things.

“They are testament to the wonderful work Clive has done for so long, for which the market is extremely thankful. They are at once poignant and celebratory, as there are people featured who are sadly no longer with us and many more who have played, or are still playing, huge roles in ensuring New Covent Garden remains at the top of the wholesale market tree in this country. They also tell the story of a fantastic community at the market and hopefully convey the pride and passion that the fruit, veg and flower traders have in their home, their suppliers, customers, family and friends. Last, but definitely not least, they also reach out to our local community, of which we are also proud to be a part, and to anyone who is looking to connect with us as a supplier or customer, or for a new career option with one of the thriving firms here.”

For Clive, the photos represent the relationship he has built with the people of the market since 1968, a relationship that enables him to capture the moments, the emotions and the character of the market as one of the family. “I’d like to thank the market community for accepting me; what really is lovely is that these portraits to the lens are the result of me having no barrier with the person I am shooting. There is mutual respect, understanding and, I dare say love between the camera and the people, and me behind that camera.”

Have a walk down – it’s to the left of the main entrance to the market - and have a look for yourself. It can’t fail to make you smile and you’ll see a load of faces you know, of course. If you have access to instagram, click on this link to watch a film of the Fresh faces of Nine Elms!