59
OMNIA
Issue 07 Spring/Summer 2020
IN THE ARCHIVES
Capturing Caterham By OC Geoff Noxon
T
he currency of the captured image is at an all-time high with camera-containing digital devices in most folks’ pockets. Of course, it has not always been thus, which makes Geoff Noxon’s collection of school images from the years 1955-1962, a rare treat. Geoff was kind enough to share his photos with us and reflected on how his interest, and later his career path, began at Caterham: “Dating back to my Caterham days I have had a life-long interest in photography and worked in Ilford’s research and development all my working life, first in Essex then in Cheshire. My early Caterham photos were shot on black and white positive film.” Geoff’s talent and passion for the captured image has endured throughout his career and retirement: “I did much work on the colour couplers for Ilford’s XP2 chromogenic monochrome film. I went to King’s College London, a venue which afforded me a grandstand view of Churchill’s funeral, my photos of which were subsequently published in London University’s newspaper.” “When I retired I did some photography of Listed Buildings in my area for English Heritage (visit here: imagesofengland.org.uk) using film supplied by them and Nikon shift lenses, in order to keep things upright as later correction was not possible.”
Geoff’s sports photos show life in full flow on Caterham’s sports fields. Says Geoff: “My film and lens were both slow, it was my first 35mm camera. Unfortunately, I have no record of those depicted but I can tell you that the long jump used to be located adjacent to the road and at the bottom of a field leading up to Beech Hanger. Further up the road leading to Viewpoint was a vantage point from which to view cricket on the Home Field. However, when I visited an Old Boys’ Day cricket match, my car (parked among others) on that road stopped a ball hit for six (typical of my luck)!”
