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. 

In February 1948 the well-known knitwear firm Pringle of Scotland set up a branch factory in Berwick-upon-Tweed in Walkergate. Initially it employed only 4 women to finish garments, but the business expanded, eventually moved to the Tweedmouth Industrial Estate, employing many local women in skilled labour. The first photograph (BRO 1944/1/3014/13) shows staff working on collar binding in October 1960. The factory closed in 1998 resulting in the loss of many jobs for its predominantly female workforce.

The second photograph (BRO 1944/1/4529/19) shows Castlehills Maternity Home celebrating its 21st birthday on 6th April 1966. Opened in April 1945, this was a much-needed facility before the introduction of the NHS. Originally equipped with 10, and later 16, beds local babies were born here until 1986 when it was replaced with the present maternity unit attached to Berwick Infirmary.

The third photograph (BRO 1944/1/1229/2) shows The Mayor, Alderman Mrs B.F.C. Adams and the Sheriff William Elder on 25th May 1956. Here they are continuing the centuries old tradition of officially opening Berwick May Fair by “walking the fair”. They processed up Marygate past all the stalls accompanied by the Civic Party of councillors and town officials. This tradition continues today but on a smaller scale.

The final photograph (BRO 1944/1/670/1) shows the crowning of the Salmon Queen on 22nd July 1954. This traditionally took place in mid-July as part of the celebrations for the Tweedmouth Feast during the Berwick Trades Fortnight’s Holiday. The photograph shows Salmon Queen Maude Gray with her attendants Daphne Martin and Marie Peacock, and trainbearers Betty Price and Pamela Rosie. The Salmon Queen was chosen at a dance. This tradition continues today.  

Mrs Betty Fithie Calder Adams was born in Dundee in 1888. After attending Glasgow University and becoming a schoolteacher, she moved to Berwick with her husband and their 3 children in 1923.  Mrs Adams was interested in politics and local people, unsuccessfully standing for election as a Labour Candidate for Berwick Town Council in 1925. Instead, she threw her energies into helping women and promoting their welfare – she was a founder member of the Tweedside Co-operative’s Women’s Guild, established in the late 1920s and was one of the main fundraisers for the Castlehills Maternity Home in Berwick.

In 1937 Mrs Adams became a Labour Town Councillor for Tweedmouth, continuing to be elected right up until 1967. Her husband, James who was already a Councillor by then served as Berwick’s Mayor twice during the Second World War. Mrs Adams became a Northumberland County Councillor in 1946 with a particular interest in education and family welfare.

In 1954 Mrs Adams was elected Mayor of Berwick – the first woman to hold this post since it was started in the medieval period. She was obviously well respected and did a good job as she was re-elected in 1955 and 1956. The culmination of her time as Mayor was the Queen’s Visit to Berwick on 7 July 1956. Mrs Adams services to the community were recognised in 1958 when she was awarded the OBE – “for untiring public service over more than 30 years“.

In January 1970, Berwick Town Council bestowed its highest honour on Mrs Adams – the Honorary Freedom of the Town. She was the first woman to be given this honour. Mrs Adams died in September 1982, aged nearly 94. She was a woman who devoted her life to supporting others in the community.     

In the early 1930s following the death of a woman in childbirth, many people wanted better maternity provision in Berwick and a Maternity Home for the area. On 3 October 1933 a Public Meeting was held in the town, led by Mrs Betty Adams. Over 400 women attended, and it was agreed to push Northumberland County Council to provide a child welfare and maternity hospital at Berwick.

 In addition, a committee was formed under the direction of Mrs Adams to raise funds to support the hospital.  The committee held bazaars and in 1934 inaugurated a Carnival/ Pageant in Tweedmouth Feast Week. In August 1938 a Garden Fete was held at Ladykirk – attended by over 750 people. The Second World War slowed down the fundraising efforts. However, in 1942, Northumberland County Council agreed to lease Castlehiils, a large country house on the outskirts of Berwick, overlooking the River Tweed and convert it into a Maternity Home. The money raised by the local ladies was used to furnish it and make it more comfortable for mothers and babies. 

It was eventually opened on 26 April 1945 and in 1949 celebrated the birth of its 1000^th baby. Castlehills continued as a Maternity home until 1986 when a new Maternity Unit was built beside Berwick Infirmary in the centre of town.  

Tweedmouth Feast was first established in the medieval period and still takes place today, during the month of July. It celebrates the area’s close association with salmon and the River Tweed. By the beginning of the 20th century, the Feast was less popular and so after the Second World War it was revived with the additional of a new element – the crowning of a Salmon Queen who was accompanied by her attendants.

In 1947 Miss Dorothy Coulthard was appointed as the first Salmon Queen. Initially the Queen and her attendants were chosen at a Dance but by 1965, this had changed. Since then, the Salmon Queen and her attendants are chosen from local schools in Tweedmouth. The Queen is usually crowned at a ceremony in mid July which marks the opening of Tweedmouth Feast.

Photojournalism is a type of journalism that uses images to tell a news story. Photojournalism usually refers to photographs, but sometimes the term can be used to describe videos used in broadcast journalism. 

Photo essays are a form of visual storytelling, presenting a narrative through a series of images. Photo essays can be powerful ways to evoke emotion and understanding without using words.