Nick Shaw was born in Bridlington , East Yorkshire ( Hockney county
).As a young schoolboy he started as a beach photographer during summer
holidays. After serving an apprenticeship with Kodak , he became a
cruise ship photographer.
He was offered work on board Russian cruise ships in 1976 , based in
Odessa USSR. From this unique position he experienced life behind the
iron curtain at the height of the cold war.
By the 1980's he joined East Anglian Filmakers Co Op , and was awarded
an Arts Council Grant to make " Nowhere To Run " , a documentary on the
late singer/songwriter Ted Hawkins.
In the 1990's he worked for various NGO's ( i.e. Greenpeace , Christian
Aid and Banana Link ). His work on the exploitation of banana workers
in Central America soon started the Fairtrade concept. He was offered
his second arts council award , which became Bananas Unpeeled.
Fairtrade banana sales in the UK are now a billion pounds a year.