Newport 1967-2008

In 1970 I was a successful documentary photographer based in Bayswater. I returned home to Wales as a rest from living in London, and planed to spend a year there shooting freely. I met John Wright, the enlightened head of Newport College of Art, and Peter Jones from the Arts Council. They asked: “Was it possible to teach being a photographer”?

I put heart and soul into setting up and running a course that would swap my experience for the individual potential of each student. All tutees had two things in common, non-fiction curiosity about the world and seeing photography as a fun way of having a profession. To this end I needed to have final total control, as soon as this was threatened, I resigned.

I always thought of photography as my real job — by example was the only way I knew how to teach. I needed to, and managed to keep shooting pictures on at least a couple of days a week.