Originally founded in 1951 as the Photo-News Service, the Photo Centre in Berwick was a staple of town life for over 65 years as a family-run press agency and photo studio.

Their premises at 17 Bridge Street had a well-equipped studio above the shop where commercial photography took place. The business also covered newsworthy events in the area and recorded family occasions and celebrations, marking milestones in the lives of several generations of townspeople.

The first image (BRO 1944/1/45594/43) shows Annie Weatherburn, the cleaner at Berwick Bus Station. It was taken in December 1970, shortly before she retired.

On 15th June 1964, the last passenger train travelled the route from Berwick to St Boswells, a journey of about 80 minutes which included stops at Tweedmouth and Kelso for the engine to change ends. This second image (BRO 1944/1/4033/10) shows Berwick train guard, James Fullerton laying a detonator on the train line to commemorate the train’s departure for the last time.

Throughout the centuries Berwick has been a transport hub and centre for those travelling between England and Scotland and further afield. Initially it was an important port, linking the town with London, Edinburgh, and the continent, importing and exporting goods including wool and salmon. It was also a stopping off point on the Great North Road for coaches where horses were changed, and passengers could stay in its coaching inns.

In the 19th century the reliance on travel by boat and horse was replaced by mechanisation and the railways – a quick and convenient way to travel all over the country. The Railway first reached Berwick in 1846 and the completion of the Royal Border Bridge in 1850 was the last link in a continuous line between London and Edinburgh. The Berwick to Kelso Railway line was opened in 1849 and extended to St Boswells in 1851. After leaving Berwick, it went to Tweedmouth on the south bank of the River Tweed and then travelled west along the border. At this time, Tweedmouth was a main junction where many men were employed. Berwick is still a major station on the main East Coast London to Edinburgh railway line.

As well as the railways, Berwick was and still is a hub for bus transport – local routes within the town and surrounding communities and further afield to Edinburgh and Newcastle. Bus travel in Berwick was transformed in 1928 with the opening of the Royal Tweed Bridge. This brought vehicles directly into the Town Centre without having to go across the narrow old Berwick Bridge. This resulted in the building of a central bus station in Berwick by 1937, just opposite the Golden Square end of the bridge and on the main shopping street. It was to remain a main feature of Berwick’s landscape until it was demolished in 1998.

An environmental portrait is a photograph of someone on their usual environment, for example at home, in their workplace, or in an area that typically shows as aspect of the subject’s everyday life. The essence of environmental portraiture is to capture the subject in the context of their surroundings. The surroundings or background of the portrait is a key element as this is used to give further information about the person being photographed. The subject is often shown undertaking their usual tasks, such as doing an element of their job.