Looking back: The late Charles Swift -1983 and 2021
In 1983 I snapped Charles Swift, aka Mr Peterborough, being lobbied by council workers protesting against privatisation, and then again in 2021 outside his home for my book Reunions 2, writes Chris Porsz.
Charles hailed from Yorkshire and came to the city on VJ Day 1945 with his mother Maud. He worked as a train driver for 48 years and became Labour leader of the council and Mayor, won 15 elections for North ward, attended over 500 full council meetings, 1,700 funerals of his constituents and in 1985 he was made an OBE. Charles said: “my greatest achievement and my legacy has been helping to expand Peterborough.”
Charles was an active member of the Salvation Army, never had a car and cycled everywhere around the city since the age of nine. He had two sons and a daughter, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren and was married to Brenda for around 65 years.
Street photographer Chris Porsz’s unique reunion pictures – where he recreates pictures he took decades ago – has earned him international recognition.
Back in 2009 the Peterborough Telegraph gave Chris his weekly column 'Paramedic Paparazzo' from which his 'Reunions' project was born when readers saw their pictures from three decades ago.
Most of his pictures feature Peterborough people and places and are often the result of painstaking detective work by Chris to track down his subjects.
Reunions II is available, go to chrisporsz.com