Frank Pickford
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Hello ADAPS members,
I just want to wish all at ADAPS all the best on the event of your 75th birthday (mine as well by the way), Derek Shaw forwarded a copy of the Leigh Reporter to me last week and I enjoyed reading the article and seeing the pictures of dear old dad and the rest of the club members back in 1938. I am not sure what month the first club meeting took place but I know mom told me that she was concerned at the time and effort dad and those other early members including my godfather Mr. Ernest Stavely were putting in getting things going as she was expecting my arrival in May, dad seemed more excited about the clubs birth than mine at times.
He would be so pleased to know that the club is stronger than ever and that the enthusiasm that he had for the art of photography is still alive and well in Atherton and vicinity, I truly would enjoy spending an evening with you all however I am not sure if I could manage it this year as travelling these days with all the airport security and the costs of renting cars staying in hotels etc., can get a bit much so perhaps my best wishes by email will suffice.
Whenever I have checked in on the ADAPS website I never fail to be impressed by the quality of work I see, I can tell you for sure that Dad would have embraced this new digital age as even back in those early days he was pushing the boundaries and won more than one competition by using let’s say his creativity. I am smiling to myself as I write this thinking about one print that he was proud of that had done well, I was young lad with sadly little interest in photography as I could have learned so much from dad and friends however mechanics was my thing, anyway I can remember this particular piece was of two large sailboats heeling over under full sail being driven by strong winds under stormy clouds the shot taken from another boat directly in front of them. It was only sometime later that dad told me that at the time he took the initial photo yes it was rough and windy but nary a cloud in the sky…they came later !.
Once again all the best to each and every member and my hope that ADAPS will being going strong for the 100th in 2038.
Ron K. Pickford
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There is a brief history of the club on the ADAPS website at - http://www.adaps.org.uk/history.htm
