For a few years around 2007, several Walkern residents allowed their memories of Walkern to appear in the Walkern Journal. Several took part in the project and exhibition ‘Walkern Memories : 935 years’, having their memories recorded by Janet Woodall and their photo taken by local photographer Rod Shone.
Rod Shone wrote the following for the October 2007 Walkern Journal to advertise the exhibition which took place from Saturday 3rd November to Saturday 10th November in Walkern Gallery.
Walkern Memories : 935 years
I’ve been a photographer for over 30 years. Initially I worked as a still life photographer, but after spending a couple of years in Italy, I decided that people were my real subject and on my return to London I applied myself to this end, working for a range of magazines including The Sunday Times, The Observer and the Telegraph magazines.
Two years ago on moving to Walkern, a world away from the busy London I was used to, we were lucky enough to move into the house directly opposite Community Spirit. I was immediately struck by how much laughter seemed to resound from this shop, and upon investigation found there to be a lively bunch of volunteers. I’ve always worked on personal projects and am a firm believer that subject matter is always to be found close at hand, and I thought these mirth makers and some of their friends would make great portrait subjects. The one thing they all had in common was that they were all over 80 and that they were all either born in Walkern or had long-standing connections.
Dr Janet Woodall told me that she had been interviewing local people, so we pooled our ideas and with little difficulty we found we had 11 willing subjects and discovered their collective age was an astonishing 935 years. Listening to the experience of my sitters was extraordinary. All were delighted to talk about their lives and the changes that they had seen over the last 80 or so years. They all seemed to have a generosity of spirit and a very practical and non-judgemental take on the changes they had seen.
Rod Shone
All of the portraits below were taken by Rod Shone for the exhibition. If you click on their picture you can read their memories of Walkern.
(1920 – 2016)
(1914 – 2010)
(1925 – 2018)
(1928 – 2010)
(1921 – 2014)
(1922 – 2014)
(1914 – 2012)
Additional Walkern Memories include
David Adams (1935 – 2010)
Memories of 20 Totts Lane by Brian Albone
For more stories of living in Walkern you may wish to visit our Life Stories exhibition in the Pigeon Hut.