Princes Road Synagogue is a baroque masterpiece in Toxteth, Liverpool. It opened in 1874 and catered to an affluent Jewish community which has, over the course of time, diminished, leaving this beautiful place of worship in the hands of an ever smaller congregation. This portfolio is about the volunteers, many of them around 80 years or more, who devote their time to the synagogue’s upkeep.

In many ways this was the perfect project for me, exploring the relationship between a beautiful building and the people who care for it. The volunteers are pictured in various spaces around the synagogue, showing off its detail and scale, always in balance with the subjects. The leading portrait of the gentleman in a top hat (which is still traditional attire for wardens of the synagogue) -was the picture which made the final selection in JC Decaux’s portrait of Britain. I worked poor Peter very hard that day and I’m so happy that the collective effort was recognised.