Photo Show of Guildford Past Gives Great Nostalgic Pleasure

Published on: 15 Mar, 2017
Updated on: 17 Mar, 2017

One of the photos shown of a Guildford carnival from the collection of the late Dave Salmon. Click to enlarge in a new window. Copyright David Salmon. Geoff Burch Collection.

A presentation of photographs, some of nostalgic 1950s and 60s views of Guildford, was given to an appreciative audience of local residents and visitors at Shaftesbury Hall, Artillery Terrace on Saturday evening (March 11).

The audience gathers in Shaftesbury Hall.

Presented by Geoff Burch and David Rose, all the photos were all taken by the late Dave Salmon, who lived all his life, other than National Service in the RAF, round the corner from the hall in Artillery Road.

Dave Salmon in the RAF on guard duty. Copyright David Salmon. Geoff Burch Collection.

Dave, who died aged 78 in 2015, was a well know local character who returned from the RAF in the late 1950s to resume work at Guildford’s locomotive depot before taking a job as a painter for Guildford Corporation. He was a keen photographer and took thousands of photos of Guildford life as well as two of his favourite subjects, trains and planes.

A steam train thunders through Woking in 1966. Copyright David Salmon. Geoff Burch Collection.

The audience heard from his good friend and fellow railwayman, Geoff, how Dave had never been tempted by mobile phones or computers and usually communicated with handwritten notes pushed through his neighbours’ letterboxes.

Dave’s huge collection of photographs many of which are still unseen, and have yet to be sorted, was left by Dave to Geoff.

Geoff Burch and David Rose holding a photo of Dave Salmon who is pictured in front of one of his favourite subjects – a steam engine.

Geoff said at the end of the evening: “It was wonderful to see how much pleasure Dave’s photographs can still give. I know he would be so pleased.

“It was also great to have old Guildfordian members of the audience chip in with their extra information about some of the scenes and events Dave captured. But it was terrific to see some younger people in the audience too.”

David Rose added: “It was a lovely community evening. Images like this should be seen and enjoyed, perhaps used for local history research, not just left in boxes, so we hope to continue to make similar presentations elsewhere.”

Dave Salmon (right) with his faithful camera bag pictured at the launch of Geoff Burch’s second book Further Ramblings of a Railwayman.

Click here for Geoff Burch’s website and details about his railway books that feature pictures taken by Dave Salmon.

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