(With thanks to Barbara May)

The founding of the club came about as a direct result of Barbara, my wife, buying me a Zenit E camera as I was about to retire after thirty years in the Fire Service. Barbara told me that 'Photography is now your hobby - you have never had one in the past! It was now destined to take up most of my spare time for the next thirty years!

Well, knowing nothing about photography, I began frequent visits to Green's photo shop on the Ashley Road, with a view to finding out as much as I could about the subject of photography. Andy Spree helped me no end; and not long after he offered me a part time job, the idea being that this would provide me with a great deal more experience. It wasn't a long time after that, when I had the notion to start a camera club. After some months of organisation, during which time Andy was again a great help, we still had no hall in which we could hold our meetings (and as we know from recent experience, halls are still a problem - perhaps more so nowadays). I had a contact, Stan Debden, who was a regular in the shop and told me that he knew of a hall which was available This turned out to be the Liberal Hall in Salisbury Road - so, we were away!

The inaugural meeting took place on the 18th April 1978 and was attended by eighteen prospective members and from this small beginning; the Parkstone Camera Club was formed. I asked Stan to be the first Chairman whilst I became Vice Chairman. With the installation of a Secretary and treasurer, the club was handed over and has been run by the committee from then on. In the same year we applied to join SAPA and were accepted in November 1978. As a club we had some success in SAPA battles and also in the exhibitions which were held in the Arts Centre, winning five times over the years more than any other club. I am very proud of the fact that I was the SAPPA representative from Parkstone for the next thirty years. But - back to the club and the Liberal Hall …

Things did not proceed too happily - after our first year a dispute arose over available car parking, although by this time our membership had risen to around 120, some words were said, and at that point I decided to find another hall. So, in 1980 we removed to the Odd Fellow's Hall in Chapel Lane, we had a very good rental deal from them. Most members had moved over with me, and I became Chairman, a post which I held for eighteen years, and a new committee was formed. During this period the program was largely in house events with help from Andy Spree and other members including, Mike Legg, Geoff Miller, Roger Clark and myself - all of us bringing our own equipment with which demonstrate and teach the less experienced members the basics of photography. Harry Blake took on the printing of programmes and Skylight, more or less at his own expense, helping us to keep club expenses to a minimum. The members were a very friendly bunch and were always ready to help out when the occasion arose.

Since then the club has had a number of Chairpersons we and have also provided the first lady to chair SAPA - Sheila Brown, two lady secretaries to SAPA, Sheila and Lyn Jenkins with John Hyde filling the post of treasurer for a time and of course he is now Chairman, so all in all, we have made our mark and worked hard on behalf of SAPA.

Digital has created huge changes in photography and Camera Clubs, this change has come quickly and a whole new world has opened up. Personally, I am not into it, and that's enough said!

Coming right up to date - The major bombshell of July 2007, when the Oddfellow's Hall was sold right out of the blue for development and we were out at a moments notice - the hunt was on for new premises before the start of the new season in the first week of September. Most of the Committee were engaged in the hunt but Mike Leonard came up with the hall which we have now occupied for almost (at the time of writing) a season, a long way from Parkstone and much, much costlier, but everyone will probably agree that the hall is much better.

So that's about it Thirty years on, no longer in Parkstone, but still going strong!

Percy Williams - President