MEASURE OF YEARS
A
OBSERVATIONS ON THE ELDERY
WRITTEN & CAPTURED BY TEE BAKER
Dancing Man
JAZAN, SAUDI ARABIA
JANUARY 2021
Our first stop on New Year’s Day was Jabal Fayfa, the highest mountain in the Jazan region. A small group of friends and I had taken to the road, eager to breathe fresh air and see the world after a long period of immobility and uncertainty.
Neighbouring Yemen, the climate in Jazan is far more temperate than that of the coastal city of Jeddah, and its topography is varied, from rugged green mountain peaks to shaded turquoise wadis, and the deep blue waters of the seascape and lagoons.
Despite tensions in the region and the aftermath of the pandemic, the man pictured asked where we had come from and proceeded to welcome us with a joyous chant and a solo display of the ‘Ardah dance, commonly performed in groups and reserved for weddings and celebratory ceremonies.
He holds a curved sword and wears a fragrant flower crown of basil, woven with seasonal flora and traditionally worn in the region.
Devotion
MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA
JUNE 2018
Frequented by billions, the pilgrimage to the holiest site in Islam isn’t one taken lightly. Worshippers can spend years accumulating enough savings to visit this sacred site just once in a lifetime.
Aptly described as a melting pot, Makkah is home to Muslims far and wide, often starkly different in every way imaginable, yet united by the stronghold of faith.
Being fortunate enough to live a stone’s throw away from the Holy Mosque, I am always fascinated at
the sense of familiarity towards pilgrims. Subha beads sway from open palms, cracked soles hit the bright marble tiles and hands wipe beads of sweat from foreheads. Here, the rhythm of worship is all but palpable.
Pictured is a man performing the voluntary tawaf, the circumambulation of the Ka‘aba.
Companions in Colour
SANTORINI, GREECE
JUNE 2022
In contrast to the glossy whitewashed walls of Oia above, I was drawn to the unapologetic shock of colour decorating in the bay below.
Pictured are an elderly man and woman observing one of the many resident cats.
Nestled a few hundred steps down from the picturesque village of Oia lies the charming fishing port of Amoudi Bay.
Barely unfurling at the very foot of the island before tumbling into the vivacious waves of the Aegean, the harbour is alive with seafood tavernas and holidaymakers seeking the coveted blue waters of the Mediterranean.
Threshold
LONDON, ENGLAND
DECEMBER 2025
I have come to make a tradition of enjoying a quiet morning with family on the cusp of the New Year, as so many of us gather in a proverbial waiting room.
Pictured is a man reading at the bar during the calm of the morning.
On the morning of New Years Eve, my sisters and I took respite from the cruel cold of December within a coffee house we had often passed but never entered.
Small and full of Edwardian character, we were immediately charmed by the low rickety stools on unpolished floorboards. Dust motes danced in feeble rays of sunlight that peeked through timber sash windows.
Tee Baker is the founder and editor of The Spillbook. An MA graduate in screenwriting, her work spans cultural commentary and narrative-led digital storytelling across industries. She is the author of Bark & Ink (2020), a debut poetry anthology. Away from the page, she spends her time outdoors, often on foot or on horseback.
Behind the Pour