in memory of lost members 2019-2023
The 2019-2020 season has been one of terrible loss of dear members of Aston & Erdington Photographic Society/Streetly Photographic Club, with a further loss in 2022.
Having tragically lost Graham Hodgkiss (see tributes to Graham here) on Christmas Eve 2017 we didn't think things could get much worse, but we were so terribly wrong.
Gloria Dent DPAGB, AFIAP, BPE2
Gloria suffered a stroke and she seemed to be on the road to a complete recovery only to succumb to a further fatal stroke days later in hospital on the 11th November 2019. She was our current President. She was elected for the first time as President in 1999 and again in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Gloria joined the club with husband Maurice in January 1995. She was also elected as External Programme Secretary, Internal Competition Secretary, Programme Secretary and served as our MCPF Delegate for a number of years.
She worked hard on her photography over the years she earned a CPAGB and then her DPAGB and also earned her AFIAP and BPE2 awards.
Gloria was a great asset and ambassador of the club and took her role as President very seriously. She even welcomed the committee to conduct the meeting in her dining room, and after the meetings a chat with both her and Maurice, a cup of tea and the best chocolate biscuits ever. She would be happy to come along to the Sutton Expo, where we would have a stall, and chat to people about photography in the wind and rain. We will all miss Gloria.
Patrick Hickey
After a fight with illness and surgery we thought that Patrick Hickey had pulled through and was on his way to a good recovery only for him to pass away suddenly from a heart attack in 21st December 2019.
Patrick had been a member of A&EPS since 1983 and became a Life Member in 2008. He held various posts on the committee. He became President in 2002 and again in 2005. He also held other positions including Exhibition Secretary, Interclub Secretary, Internal and External Competitions Secretary and as our MCPF Delegate. Patrick was also instrumental in conducting Workshops on a Wednesday evening in which he would pass on his knowledge to help others.
He was the "go to man" when it came to giving advise to both new and older members. He would always step in if we were let down by speakers and come up with a talk for the evening. He also gave talks to other local clubs when asked.
He wasn't a bad photographer either, being the one to beat in competitions over the last few years. He was also an admirer of Apple's iPhone camera and often put images he had taken with his iPhone into competitions and won.
I certainly counted him as a friend and I think the rest of the members felt that way too,
He has and will sorely be missed by all.
Frank Cookson
Frank sadly passed away in March 2020 after leaving the club to care for his wife in 2015. Frank joined Aston & Erdington in March 2002 and during his membership held the position of External Competitions Secretary from 2003 to 2007. In 2006 he also became Treasurer and remained in the role for the next 9 years.
He was always on the door to meet and greet, a true amiable gentleman and an asset to the club.
Maurice Dent DPAGB
Maurice, husband to Gloria, passed away after a short illness on the 16th April 2020. Both Gloria and Maurice joined the club in January 1995. He held various committee position including the Presidency in 2004/05, he also served as Exhibition Secretary, External Competition Secretary and MCPF Delegate along with Gloria. He also earnt his CPAGB and DPAGB alongside Gloria. They were very much double act and a good photographers.
He became wheel chair bound and didn’t attend the club very often over the last couple of years but resolutely remained a fully paid up member. He would always be brought along to meet and greet for our annual Choice of the Year Competition and there would always be a queue as he had to speak to everyone.
Maurice was always a very welcoming and had a great dry sense of humour, it was always a joy chatting with him.
Mark Piggott
Mark had only been a member for a few years, he joined in October 2016, and was sadly taken from us by the COVID-19 virus. He lost his fight with the illness on 1st May 2020 in Sandwell General Hospital, he was only 57 years old. He was a NHS worker at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s. You can read the NHS tribute to Mark here.
He was fast becoming one of the best photographers at A&E and his promise to start printing didn’t come to fruition.
He was introduced into A&E by a long-time friend and member of A&E, he was a quiet man who would always have a chat if approached and had a wicked sense of humour. Our sympathies go to his wife Julie and their two sons, our thoughts are also with Barry for his loss.
He will be sadly missed.
Sidney Butterworth LRPS
Sidney passed away very peacefully at home at the grand old age 96 on 3rd August 2020. He joined A&E in November 2001 and he was probably a member of Sutton Coldfield Photographic Society at the same time.
He certainly loved his photography and constantly wanted to learn everything he could about his hobby. He earnt his LPRS many years ago and was still a member of the RPS until recently before his death.
He was still experimenting with film, scanners and still life and his ambition was to buy a pin hole camera, which I don’t think he got round to. Sidney was still learning new computer technology well into his 90s, which is something I respected him for.
He was a very kind man and great supporter of A&E.
He will be sadly missed.
Hilary Woodhall
Hilary sadly passed away on the 5th July 2022. After catching COVID, she thought it was taking a while to get over it, when she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and died a week later. It was a great shock for all her friends at the club.
She was a very able photographer and would have a go at anything be it landscapes, freeze action, creative, etc. She was quite inventive with miniature figures set against her backgrounds. She then took it a bit further using a male doll she called Hugo, and set him in the shower and in another image, walking with just a towel on. We all thought this was hilarious when the visiting judges thought Hugo was real.
She will be sadly missed as she had a good sense of humour and was very talented at anything she turned her hand to.
She was also a very accomplished Cellist and a active member of Royal Sutton Coldfield Orchestra.
Clive Atkins FRPS, FBIPP, FIPF, EFIAP
It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Clive Atkins FRPS, FBIPP, FIPF, EFIAP. He passed away on the 14th October 2023.
Clive was member of Aston & Erdington Photographic Society, having joined the club at it's conception in 1972. The club moved to Streetly and renamed to Streetly Photographic Club but due to illness didn't attend very often after the move.
Clive was conscripted into the RAF for his national services a time he did not enjoy. After the RAF he finally went to work for what we know as ATV. He became a sound director and worked many programs. Some of them like Crossroads Splitting image making many sound recordings.
The company sent him to record Sting in Paris, He was asked to do a special recording of Bill Halley.
When he was not at work he spent his time producing Audio Visuals gaining his FRPS. He was on the Judging Panel at the Royal Photographic Society and travelled all round the country showing and judging AV`s.
In later years he turned to Video and again he was very successful he was one of the best in both formats.
His Audio Visual presentations, in which he was a leader in his field, were outstanding which took him onto other accreditations and honours.
He was also a force to be reckoned with in the table tennis world. He was a fierce opponent and there were very few occasions when he did not leave a match the winner.
He was also a fervent supporter of the Sutton Arts Theatre.
Clive will be sadly missed and well-remembered.
MCPF Tribute for Clive Atkins
