Emotional reunions as photographer recreates shots 46 years on

Back in 1980, photography student Sam Hill roamed the streets of Preston looking for young people who stood out - the mods, the punks, the free spirits.

He would stop them, take their picture, and move on.

"I think I caught a special generation," said Sam.

"A lot of free-spirited young people. I never asked their names.

"I just took the photograph, thought 'this looks great' and thanked them."

But over the next five decades, those faces never left him.

After retiring from his career, not in photography but graphic design, Sam set out on a remarkable mission.

Armed with nothing more than a collection of pictures, he spent months tracking down the strangers he had photographed as teenagers.

The search involved online appeals, social media trawls, emails, phone calls and countless conversations.

What followed was a series of emotional reunions and an Alternative Kids exhibition at Preston's Harris Museum.

Sam said the biggest surprise was not discovering what became of the teenagers in his photographs, but the emotions his endeavour brought up.

"It made me feel better about human beings," he said.

"I can honestly say I've left every meeting enriched and uplifted."

Among those he tracked down was Ray Balch, who spent time in care as a teenager and found belonging among Preston's punk and new wave scene.

"There was a close-knit community of punks," he said.

At the exhibition, Ray showed his photo to his wife and became emotional reflecting on the life that followed.

"I always wanted a relationship and love," he said.

"And I found that with my wife two years after the photos were taken."

He was photographed standing in front of William Routledge, who admitted he was "young and dumb" when Sam photographed him.

"I'd been doing well in school until punk came along," he said.

Over the years, he lost friends to drink and drugs, but he now runs a men's mental health group helping others through difficult times.

"I've probably saved a couple of people that might not have otherwise been here," William said.

Sam found that reuniting photos with the families of people who are no longer here was one of the most rewarding parts of the process.

Best friends Debbie Consiglio and Zena Gabrysch were individually photographed by Sam along with Zena's boyfriend, Alan Burton.

Two days later, they were on their way to an Adam and the Ants gig, when Zena died in a car accident.

Zena's brother Stefan Gybrisch, along with Debbie and Alan, were at the Harris Museum to remember Zena as "really cool, impulsive and creative".

"When you lose someone this wonderful, you lose every wonderful thing they would have done," said Alan.

For Sam, the exhibition has become much more than a collection of photographs.

Every image now has a name. Every face has a story.

Artists, teachers, writers, musicians, lawyers, and even an internationally famous DJ emerged from the photographs he took on Preston's streets.

Jon DaSilva went from Preston to DJing at the Hacienda and then on to producing and playing music around the world.

He believes there was a creativity in that generation, "a generation that often followed their dreams".

"I could have made more stacking shelves in Tesco but I loved music and I'm still in that world today," he said.

"It wasn't their status or the jobs they went on to have that made them special," he said.

Reflecting on his project, Sam believes the experience holds a wider message.

"Even if somebody is politically the extreme opposite of what you think, if you have a small connection with them, in this case it's a photo from 46 years ago, the conversation starts," he said.

"You suddenly realise the divide is something else.

"As human beings, we're basically all very similar."

After 46 years wondering what became of the young people he had photographed, Sam has had his answer.

In the process, he said he made 40 new friends.

The exhibition runs in Preston's Harris Museum until 10 January.

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