Retired Burnley Express photographer recalls an amazing career that saw him go on to work for Daily Mirror and Daily Express

2023 marked 80 years since this remarkable gentleman first started work at The Burnley Express as an apprentice engraver and photographer before forging a very successful career as a national newspaper photographer.

As his 95th birthday approaches Eddy recalls with great clarity and humour his amazing career, which saw him chosen to photograph the legendary Hollywood icon Grace Kelly when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco and the couple visited Ireland. “Oh she was a lovely person, very beautiful, but no airs or graces at all,” says Eddy who lives in Cliviger.

Growing up in Burnley Eddy recalls how disappointed his father was when he failed his 11 plus exam and entry to the prestigious Burnley Grammar School. Instead Eddy went to the former Towneley High School, leaving in 1943 to begin his big adventure at the Burnley Express. His father was a keen photographer and Eddy inherited that interest and saw an opportunity when he started at the Express. But, as his skills as an engraver were so valued the editor wasn’t keen to let Eddy get behind the lens. “We already have a photographer.” were the words he was told.

But there was no holding this ambitious lad down. He was on the scene to get the photos during a Burnley game that saw thousands queuing all the way up to Queen’s Park and the entrance gates collapsed. Eddy said: “The other photographers had already left the scene but I stayed as I sensed something was about to happen.”

It was wartime with all the young men and women serving in the forces and with young and old left to fill a huge gap of availability. One of the Burnley Express features that gave him an insight into the tragedies of wartime Britain was the mid week Wednesday’s feature “Serving in HM Forces.” Eddy said: “Readers were asked to send in photographs of their loved ones who had joined up and gone off to war to serve King and Country. My job was to copy the submitted photographs and put them together in a strip of eight pictures and after publication file the pictures into individual envelopes. Many a time after the much followed pictures appeared in the Burnley Express they would be back in the paper under the heading “Killed in Action” or a similar distressing news for relatives and readers.”

In 1947 Eddy left to join the army and on his return in mid 1950 he was told by the manager Richard Hart that his job would now be making photographs into metal printing blocks. But Eddy knew his skill and eye for a good photo was being wasted just doing that. Frustrated by his lack of progression at the Burnley Express Eddy applied for a job at The Manchester Evening News. He took the bus there and when it was forced to stop in Middleton due to a road accident Eddy jumped off the bus and took a series of pictures ready to present at his interview. He got the job.

Eddy would go on to work on a series of national newspapers including the Daily Mirror and the Daily Express, rising to the post of chief photographer and picture editor at the Mirror. He also spent several years as publicity manager at the Daily Express. Not too shabby for a lad who failed his 11 plus. The downside of such a fabulous career is it takes you away from your family for long periods. But Eddy’s late wife Doreen was at home to hold the fort and take care of their three children. The couple, who met at the Burnley Express where Doreen also worked as secretary to the general manager, were married for an incredible 65 years and Eddy still keenly feels her loss. But his close family, including four grandchildren and three great grandchildren, take great care of him. And he is a real champion of Burnley and has always lived here no matter where his work took him.

Eddy has a vast selection of photographs in his collection as he continued with his photography into his 70s. Some of his most prized images include one he took when the Japanese surrended and Burnley celebrated the end of the war. He went to the now demolished Hall Inn in Burnley town centre, rounded up two Burnley lasses, two American GI’s a British seaman and an air force lad. With a couple of hand bells from the pub he had the six walking towards the camera celebrating victory… only to be told off by Burnley Express editor Clifford Harman for not getting a big group photograph! And in 1945 he took an image of King George and Queen Elizabeth visiting wartime Burnley when the Royal motorcade travelling down Manchester Road past the Town Hall.

Eddy will readily admit he is more proud now of his 10 years spent with the Burnley Express than the four decades on national and international news as a ‘staffer’ for two national newspapers. He said: “My reason for loving those early years was at the age of just 14 when I joined the Burnley Express I was out taking news photographs within three months of climbing those rickety stairs at Bull Street.”

Eddy’s life’s work is a chronology of history and also one of his own life and times. An amazing true story of a Burnley lad ‘done good.’