A SHORT HISTORY
(Written in 2012)
Park Street Camera Club was formed in 1962 and met above an electrical shop at 1-2 Park Street Lane (now Park Street Guns, see photo). The Club Chairman at that time was Mr. D.S. Bithell who actually owned the shop. The Club then moved to various premises in Park Street - Homewood School in Hazel Road, a dancing school in Orchard Drive, which was the home of the then Chairman, John King and his wife, where they met in a hut at the end of their garden. After this they moved to the old Primary School in Branch Road and finally to St. Stephen Parish Centre in Bricket Wood, where we still meet today (see photo). Unfortunately, we do not have the dates when they moved from each venue.
One of our longest standing members was John Rolfe who sadly passed away recently. He actually joined the Camera Club in 1980 when it met in Orchard Drive. He became president of the club in 2011.
Looking at the inscriptions on all of our Competition Cups, the earliest is dated 1963, which we believe means that it was the 1962-63 competition year, therefore, 2012 will be the 50th Anniversary of the Club.
In 2001 and 2007, the Club received grants from ‘Awards for All’. These went to the purchase of club equipment to bring the club into the digital age of photography, a series of training sessions on digital photography for, not only our own members but, any interested members of the local community. We also arranged outings for our members to places of photographic interest.