The History of Wareham Camera Club

A meeting called in Wareham on the 14th December 1965 by Lt Col Hares, of interested people, was the formation of Wareham Camera Club.

Those present at the meeting were:- Lt. Col Hares, Susan Broadhouse, Frank Pickford the local optician, C.W. Macdonald, Arthur Grant, Wareham's professional photographer at the time, Mr S. R. Price, Mr Baines and Nigel Spiller, the present Mace bearer of Wareham Town Council. Nigel had to leave the club not long after its formation due to apprenticeship studies, but has recently rejoined.

The meeting decided to form Wareham Camera Club and appointed the various officers, Col Hares being the chairman, subscriptions set at 10/- (50p). Meetings were to be held at the disused Civil Defence Headquarters, Church Lane, Wareham, which is now a car park.

Meetings were held on alternate Monday evenings and were mostly taken up by slide shows, talks on lenses by the local optician, colour processing and black and white printing. The meetings continued in a similar vein till the first AGM on the 18th April 1966.

1968, a familar name appears on the scene as Ken Ayres joins the club, he had probably made some criticism about the club programme and was duly appointed Programme Secretary. His appointment made its mark, competitions appear in the programme, five evenings with no fewer than eleven subjects to chose from. The club was affiliated to the Stour and Avon Photographic Association in 1969, and so broadening its competitive potential.

The club had to change its venue in 1969 to Lady St Marys' Junior School, the hall being the club room, very nice, but in winter the school found it too expensive to heat and it got rather chilly, especially on Model nights. For seven years the club met there, and with experience and new members joining the photography rose to a very high standard. It was during the late seventies that two members reached excellence by gaining Associateships of the Royal Photographic Society, one being Lillian Swindall who became the first Lady Chairman of the club in 1980.

During the next few years Wareham Camera Club became a real Tour De Force in interclub competitions, especially the SAPA All Versus All, winning in 1984 and again in 1985 with also the SAPA League Trophy. Wareham has always been one of the smaller clubs in Dorset, so it was with great pride it won these prizes.

It is always difficult to mention names without upsetting those who are not named. Club secretaries are very hard to come by, so when one is recruited, hang on to them! Bill Woodhouse was Hon. Sec. for over 12 years, at one difficult time in the clubs history he was not only President but also acted as Chairman and Programme Sec as well as SAPA rep. He was in his 80's.

Wareham is on the border line between East and West Dorset so the club is often invited to enter in competitions in the Western side. The Wessex Battle is a very big event in the photographic club calendar in the area, Victors in '92, '94, and '97 and only missed by one point in '01, but still got the best in show.

There is a very charitable nature to Wareham Camera Club, Two years running public events were held to collect money, Ben Osborne's Life in the Freezer, in aid of an MRI Scanner for Dorchester, and Les Kemp's Under Water Spectacular, for children of Chernobyl on their visit from Russia. Many members give of their own time to accompany these children to local places of fun and enjoyment, something not available in their homeland. The club assists Dorchester club in this, but one stalwart member must be mentioned for all his efforts regarding the above and countless other activities for the club and its members, Geoff Millman.