CLUB HISTORY.
The formation of Dawlish Photographic Society was instigated by Mr Murray J Bader who hosted the first ever meeting at his home on 3rd January 1979. One of the ten persons who attended that meeting is still with the club, Honorary Life Member, Tony Wilson.When membership grew to 20 later that year, the club moved to Hamilton Hall at the United Reform Church. With in another year membership had increased to 49 and, by the autumn of 1980 the Club, now named Dawlish Camera Club, moved its weekly meeting place to the Manor House Dawlish where it remained until December 2007.
In April 1982 the club was renamed as Dawlish and Teignmouth Camera Club to reflect the number of members from Teignmouth. The number of members was consistently over 60 in the 1990s, reaching a peak of 68 in the 1992/3 season.
By the time of the Millennium a number of members were experimenting with digital photography by, initially, scanning film based material in to computers and manipulating it on the screen rather than in the traditional darkroom. As time has gone by, more and more members have acquired digital cameras and the related software, most having, some what reluctantly, abandoned the dark room. Never the less, the club has continued to welcome photographers of all types, some being proud to have retained their dark rooms whilst others strive to ‘get it right first time’ with colour slide film.
The club has gained an excellent reputation for the quality of members’ work and for the friendly nature of the club. The club is affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain via Western Counties Photographic Federation and enters regional and inter regional competitions. During the period 2004-2006 the club won the prestigious Kingswood Salver competition three times in a row being disappointed to come only second in 2007. The club also enters into friendly local competition within the South Devon Photographic League that involves, Newton Abbot, Exmouth and Crediton as well as an Annual Battle with clubs through out Devon.
In recent years membership has hovered around 40 and when a brand new extension was added to Holcombe Village Hall, half way between Dawlish and Teignmouth, in 2007, the Committee put it to the members that they take the opportunity to avail itself of modern accessible premises. Thus we are brought to the present with the first meeting to be held at Holcombe on 9th January 2008.
Source: History of Dawlish and Teignmouth Camera Club - Ken Bibbings. 2001