'My pub portraits are part of the village history'

A photographer who captured portraits of people and dogs at his local pub said they were a series of moments that were now "part of the village's history".

Pete Ford, 59, said while he was in The Cock Inn, Pavenham, close to Bedford, he was talking of Cliff Harvey, a member of the Bedford Camera Club, when the idea for "Pubtraits" came about.

He said he wanted the black and white images to "look like they were taken 100 years ago", to tie in with historical images already on display in the pub.

Pete Wood, its landlord, said: "It's created a snapshot of time."

"We decided to do it on a quiet night, for free, so the quiet night could become a busy night," he said.

In total, 34 images of people were taken, and two of dogs.

The landlord paid for the materials, and a composite of the images now hangs in one frame on the wall.

"I wanted to show the community and the pub are tied together," he said.

When he moved to the Bedfordshire village six years ago he said he used the pub as a "meeting spot, it's a place to get to know people and to make new friends."

"I now know people that I wouldn't have if I hadn't bumped into them in the pub, I've now met more people through Pubtraits," he said.

Mr Wood said: "It's really captured everyone's character, it's created so much interest in the pub, people have been standing in front of the pictures for ages.

"Long after we're gone they will be there, it's great for the future.

"It's created a snapshot of time really, really well."

Mr Ford said: "It's now become part of the village history, in 50 years' time, the guy who was in his 20s will be able to say, that was me as a lad."

The photographer would love to roll the project out to other pubs as it has helped to "create a moment in time that will be there forever."

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