Photographer Bob Wallace has hung up his camera for the last time after more than 35 years behind the lens in the regional press.

64-year-old Bob, who has worked for the Falkirk Herald for the past 11 years, retired on Thursday.

And after a farewell from colleagues at the paper, Bob is now looking forward to a long and happy retirement together with his wife, who retired earlier this year after 41 years as a schoolteacher.

Bob said: “I’ll be 65 next year and my wife has recently retired and we wanted to spend more time together.

“We also had quite a severe winter last year and I couldn’t see myself doing another one, outside covering football matches, so I decided it was about time to retire.

“We have some renovations to do on our house and then we are going to start planning all the holidays that we never got around to.”

Group editor Colin Hume (left) presents
Bob with a commemorative front page

Bob began his career in newspapers as a compositor and linotype operator, following in his father’s footsteps, before moving into photography as his father had done before him.

He joined Johnston Press – or F. Johnston & Co Ltd as it was known then – in the late 1960s, and became the first staff photographer on the Livingston Post and Linlithgowshire Journal and Gazette.

He admits that since then he has seen a lot of changes, and he took the first colour photograph for Johnston in 1969.

Bob said: “It’s been an eventful time but I have enjoyed every minute.

“The job has changed a lot and I must admit that I don’t really like digital photography – it’s not like real photography and takes the adventure out of it. The fun was in the darkroom creating, not sat in front of a VDU screen.”

One of Bob’s most memorable assignments was on the top of the Forth Rail Bridge, when he was sent to take photographs for a feature on the new bridge master.

Bob said: “I remember walking across the very top of the bridge from south to north, taking pictures of the bridge master as he walked towards me.

“There were no rails and we were about 300ft above sea. It was something I had always wanted to do and was a fantastic experience.”

He also travelled to Germany and Northern Ireland to cover the Royal Scots Regiment, as well as covering a whole spectrum of events closer to home.

Bob said: “I was at a school taking photographs recently and a girl said to me that I had also taken her mum’s photograph – and her granny’s, and I thought now’s the time to get out.

“Although I guess it’s good that you’re still going when that happens!”

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