A delightful lecture illustrated by beautiful lantern slides, picturing “Bygone Herefordshire,” was given by Mr. Alfred Watkins at the rooms of the Herefordshire Photographic Society on Monday evening, and was listened to by a deeply appreciative audience, under the presidency of Mr. M. C. Oatfield, Deputy-Mayor.
As Mr. Watkins explained, this was not one of his set lectures. It was simply a “mosaic patchwork,” bits of old Herefordshire, pictures taken on his various photographic tours in the county during the past half century, the first on the wet collodian plates and some on dry plates when they were first introduced and he had to master them himself. Views were then thrown on the screen (Mr. Pugh manipulating the lantern) showing historic bits of Hereford, Kington, Hay, Pembridge, Downton, Fownhope, Weobley, and numerous other places, pigeon cotes, poor-houses, turnpikes, etc., most of which had now vanished. The old callings of pump-making, glass-making, millstone dressing, corn threshing with the flail, coopering, clog-making—all now things of the past—were also depicted. Referring to the preservation of old buildings, Mr. Watkins said he was glad indeed that the Booth Hall at Hereford had been saved. Now that it had been restored it was one of the most beautiful halls in England, being about the same date as Westminster Hall in London. The other day he also photographed the ribs, in perfect preservation, of a fine archway, 700 years old, under the Greyhound Hotel. It was only uncovered for a few hours, when he was enabled to take a photograph (the exposure being 1 hour and 40 minutes), and was now covered up again. Mr. Watkins deplored the fact that the right of way to the old ford leading across the Wye at the Bridewell in Quay Street, near the Castle Green, had been stopped and was now the dumping ground for rubbish. The Corporation should never have allowed it, as it was the only access to the water along all the city banks.
Mr. Oatfield, proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Watkins for his delightful and entertaining lecture, said he had been associated with him in public life for about 40 years, and it was due to Mr. Watkins’s great insight into and appreciation of the beautiful that they were able to realise and remember many of the beauties and attractions of their own county. He hoped the example he had set would cause the younger generations—such as the members of the Photographic Society—to adopt a similar attitude towards the things around them—cultivate their intellect and powers of observation so that other people may remember and appreciate the beautiful things of this and other counties. He was sure they were all deeply grateful to Mr. Watkins for the charming lecture and the beautiful views which had been put before them that evening.
The vote of thanks was carried with acclamation.
Source info: MS note by AW “Hfd Times Ap 14 1923”.