A day of silver halide, scanning, reminiscing and rediscovering the twins.

Speaking today to a very good friend, Phil Cosker who dropped by needing a couple of scans doing from half plate negs for an up and coming exhibition, we were discussing our ‘old’ cameras… plate, 16×9, Hasselblads and so on. This got me thinking about some of my work from years gone by.

Later in the day, I was clearing out some envelopes (whilst waiting for Phil’s scans!) and came across this shot.

This was taken in 1995 of my then next door neighbours, Elsie Neave and her twin sister Isabel Quincey. Aged 95 and both about 5′ tall (if that!) they were lovely lovely girls. They’d lived together on Vine Street for years with their little dog.

Always very chatty I managed to persuade them to let me do a portrait and this was one of the shots. I’m sure there’s a frame of them pulling faces at me… they were an extraordinary pair and I had alot of time for them.

Sadly the twins passed away a few years after this was taken.

The twins did write a biography (The Tale of Two Sisters, 1989) and here’s a link to some of its content. They had truly exceptional lives!

One day I’ll dig out the negatives and scan them all properly…