Two photographers who attended a pioneering training course in the 60s in Wolverhampton want to hear from their old course mates to arrange a reunion later in the year.
The week-long course was held at Pendrell Hall, Wolverhampton, in March 1964 and was the first ever residential National Council for the Training of Journalists’ course in Journalism in Practice.
Ian Wright and Brian Aris, photographers who were on the course, are organising a reunion in conjunction with the NCTJ.
The reunion would take place later in 2012 and could also provide an opportunity for the photographers to speak to current NCTJ photography students and trainees.
Ian, who now lives and works in Las Vegas, said: “I am still in contact with a number of individuals from the course and am amazed speaking with them how clearly they recall the experience. Each of us still has our certificates and all the course correspondence and group photograph. It was obviously held in high esteem by us all.
“It would be wonderful to meet up again and also to give something back to the industry by speaking to current students and offering the benefit of our experience.”
The 14 Press photographers on the course and the newspaper they worked at were:
- Brian Aris, Willesden Chronicle and the Kilburn Times
- Brian Bould, Express and Star, Wolverhampton
- Terence Bromley, The Carlisle Journal
- Anthony Colling, Sunderland Echo
- Mick Cox, Western Evening Herald, Plymouth
- Alan Grist, Western Mail, Cardiff
- Peter Hayward, The Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News
- Keith Lewis, South Wales Argus, Newport
- Peter Murnane, Harlow Citizen
- Keith Perry, The Journal, Newcastle
- John Redman, Harrow Observer
- Trevor Upton, The Evening News, Portsmouth
- Michael Woodard, Sevenoaks Chronicle
- Edward (Ian) Wright, The Northern Echo, Darlington
Emma Hart, marketing and communications manager at the NCTJ, said: “This was the very first residential photography course run by the NCTJ at Pendrell Hall and Wednesbury County Technical College and all the photographers went on to have distinguished careers. It would be really special to be able to get people together again after all this time.”
Were you on the course in 1964? Or do you know someone that was? Anyone interested in attending a reunion later in 2012 or wanting more information, should contact Emma Hart at the National Council for the Training of Journalists on [email protected] or 01799 544944.
I attended the courses in 1967 69 at Wednesbury Tech in the old school kitchens converted to darkrooms under Eric Hale from Birmingham Mail
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