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Regular readers will perhaps remember when I published a post featuring photos of my time in Portsmouth in 1985. I first visited the place in 1978 to be Best Man at a friend's wedding, then returned in 1981 at his invitation for a longer stay, though another friend (both were known to one another) came with me 'cos he fancied a break. (Not that I invited him.) The three of us had hung about together back home when we were younger and the pair were my oldest and closest pals, though that was destined to end before too long.
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The two photos above are of Saint Mary's Church in Fratton, Portsmouth, the first taken in 1978, the second in 1981. During my stay in 1985, I stayed in Shearer Road not far behind the church but never thought to gain access and explore its interiors, though I've since seen inside via images on the Internet. The main doors were a perfect backdrop for photo opportunities and that's me below in 1981, pic taken by Joe on my Hanimex 110 TF camera. Not a great snap, but 110 mm was never the best medium for photography.
Same site, but the photo below was taken in 1978 on my Prinz 110 camera (Dixon's own brand) and features the late Alan Bowie, who was in the Royal Navy at the time. For some reason it never occurred to me then to get him to take my photograph in the same spot, but I remedied that in 1981 when I was down there with another pal (the third member of 'The Adventurers'), who is also 'late', in that he passed away around a month ago.
And that's him below - Joe Beattie, who for some reason has adopted what seems to me to be a slightly 'girlish' pose - it certainly isn't 'Jack Kirby', is it? Anyway, three friends in the same spot, but not all at the same time, there being just over two years between the pics of Alan and Joe. Not much to this post, admittedly, just pure self-indulgent reminiscing, but I thought it a rather nice sentiment to reunite all three friends in the same location for one last time.
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You big ol' sentimental softie, you. (From your doppelganger on Earth 5.)
ReplyDeleteOn a 110 camera, my youthful memories were recorded, too. A 'Boots 110 Mini-grip' - with poor images resulting, more often than not. Still, misloading the film wasn't a problem (which happened frequently, with a later 35mm camera.)
ReplyDeleteThe dark, ominous look that 110 camera gives the Portsmouth church, however, is actually quite atmospheric!
My youthful photos biggest disappointment, for me, is people I knew only occasionally feature in my pictures. Location photos seem less important, nowadays, almost anywhere being viewable on the internet. With former acquaintances, however - not so much! That being said, I've photographed several local landmarks ( for the sake of posterity ) which have been demolished in the last few years.
Phillip
I do that a lot, P, or used to - photograph local childhood landmarks, that is, before they vanished forever. Some got away from me, though, before I snapped them. There used to be a tree near my childhood swing-park and I remember thinking, as an adult, "Must get a photo of that before it gets chopped down". By the time I got around to doing it, it was gone. I've a feeling it's near the end of a negative, but the photo was cropped in a such a way that it didn't appear. I'll have to go through thousands of negatives at some time and see if I can spot it.
ReplyDeleteWhat surprises me is that my Hanimex camera, acquired in WHS in Southsea in 1981, was a better one than the Prinz (though they were both 110), yet the '78 photo of St. Mary's is better than the '81 photo. They were both taken on a little traffic island in the middle of the road (if I recall correctly), which is why they're both pretty much the same, except for one being taken 'landscape' and the other 'portrait'.
Yes, although the '78 is darker, it has more detail. With differences in road traffic and pedestrians, the shots might have been taken at different times of day (with slightly different light.)
ReplyDeleteDixons supposedly adopted the 'Prinz' name, as German tech's rep was the best - before Japan was top - and 'Prinz' sounded German ( you probably know this, already! ) I had a 'Prinz Cruiser' ( a knock-off Walkman ), which broke, in more recent years!
Hanimex cameras were nice-looking, and yours didn't let you down here!
Phillip
The good thing about the Hanimex (which I still have - in its box) is that it had a built-in flash, plus a telephoto lens. The Hanimex pic is the first one, and I'd say it's lighter than the Prinz one, at least as far as the detail on the church goes. I'll have to check I haven't mixed them up, because what I think is the 1981 photo isn't as good as the one I regard as the 1978 pic, which is the opposite of what I'd expect. Maybe I mixed them up.
DeleteKid, I think you have the years correct, the red car and blue van look just like the 1978 'Ford Escort 1.3L' and 'EVECO Daily' van...first issued that actual year. Wait! I'll pop back in my Tardis to double check for you?.............Yes that's correct!
ReplyDeleteOdd - for some reason the above comment wasn't showing when I answered the one below. Yes, jump in the big blue box and double-check the dates, if you'd be so good.
DeleteForgot to include my profile name...Apologies!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'll let you off this time, but, mind, if it ever happens again, I'll have to deal with you more seriously. (Hee-hee.)
DeleteKid, you've missed the actual message, that I've missed the profile name off? (See, I'm upsetting your Saturday night equilibrium!)
ReplyDeleteWeird? You've posted now? some system crossover lag happening here.. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIf you click 'post a comment' and respond to a specific person by using the 'reply' option, the background is white and the comments appear 'in reply to' that person, but if you just use the standard 'comment' option, it will appear below the last comment left. When you read them under the post, the background colour is the same as that of the post and a reply to another commenter isn't under the comment replied to, but rather at the foot of the other comments. Duh, my head hurts.
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