Posted on 3rd Dec
Budding photographers won a competition to have their work showcased in an exhibition honouring those who have served in the Armed Forces.
Pay it Forward, which was staged in The Buttermarket, Newark, was a collaboration between specialist car discount service Motorfinity, former RAF serviceman and photographer Paul Saxby, and Nottinghamshire County Council.
As part of the exhibition, the competition gave locals the opportunity to highlight those in their lives who have served in the Armed Forces and reflect on their extraordinary stories.
Photographers aged from five were invited to pay tribute to a member of their community by submitting their own photo with a 100-word story.
Four winners were then chosen to have their work displayed in a gallery alongside Paul’s photography.
Winners included seven-year-old Imogen Amies, who took an image of her grandad; Megan Watson, 15, whose photo was also of her grandad; and Tia Cullen, 16, who photographed her father.
A fourth winner was also chosen, from the Newark Patriotic Fund (NPF), a charity that Motorfinity works closely with. The image (top), taken by 79-year-old Mac Mallard, titled In Conversation, was taken at a NPF breakfast club, and captures the essence of the club that supports veterans with conversation, camaraderie, and care.
Daniel Briggs, chief executive of Motorfinity, said: “The winners of our photography competition, alongside all the entries, showcase examples of ways we can honour the commitment and hard work of those in the Armed Forces, regardless of when they served.
“Every day at Motorfinity, we work closely with veterans as well as those currently serving and have the pleasure of getting to know so many of them and their stories.
“All the photographers within the competition, as well as our recent Pay it Forward exhibition, help to tell these stories in a creative and commemorative way.”
Imogen Amies, 7, took this photo of her grandad, Andrew Amies, who lives in Balderton.
She said: “He served in the Royal Air Force from 1970 to 1993. He was awarded a long service medal, the Falklands Medal, and the Cold War medal. He received a commendation from the RAF in 1992.
“Some of the photos on the wall show my grandad receiving his sergeant’s stripes and medals, which are also proudly on display. The plane pictured was painted by his son, my Uncle Mike.
“I am proud of my grandad.”
Megan Watson, 15, wrote: “This is my grandad, Dave. He joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1972 as a control equipment technician (the electronics trade). He was responsible for restoring and repairing self-propelled artillery and weaponised infantry.
“Over his time in the Army, he served in Germany, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Denmark, and Canada. He left as a sergeant in 1994 with two honour medals.
“He was kind enough to let me share his story and photo with you all, so him and I both thank you for the opportunity.”
Tia Cullen, who attends Newark College, wrote: “My image, A Soldier’s Haunting, of my father, elicits a poignant atmosphere and a painful reminder of the losses during war. The message behind this capture is how today’s soldiers are still affected by past wars, and wars they have been involved with (eg Afghanistan, Iraq, etc).
“I used a black and white filter to create a mournful tone and chose the location to be by a park, which is slightly visible in the background, to represent the innocent lives taken by the world’s unresolved conflicts and the innocence of the soldiers being lost due to the horrors they face.”
