SW by Anna Wolfenden

Local photographer, Stephen Wolfenden received a phone call in 1984 from the town's now legendary grocer, the late George Bumstead, of No 11 Stradbroke Road. He was on the verge of retirement and he wanted Stephen to take a souvenir photograph of him in his shop before it closed for ever. As he watched the photo developing in his darkroom, Stephen experienced a mini-epiphany. It suddenly became clear to him that George's traditional grocery was not the only independent family business in Southwold that would soon disappear unrecorded. He determined to visit all of them with his camera before it was too late. But it wasn't until four years later that the idea of publishing them as a book occurred to him.

The result was 'TO THE TOWN' - named after Southwold's iconic finger post on Nursemaid's Green. The first edition was a rapid sell-out and the second went almost as fast. Then twelve years later came 'THE TOWN REVISITED' published to mark Millennium year. In 2012 Stephen published the third volume, IT'S THAT TOWN AGAIN and, at the same time, reissued the first two books with 're-mastered' images. The three volumes are now available at many local shops and online.

We are extremely grateful to Stephen for generously giving us carte-blanche to reproduce images from all three of his books within the Southwold & Son website.

To contact Stephen Wolfenden or purchase books, visit stephenwolfendenphotography.com