The Annual Beamish Exhibition took place over the weekend of May 11th – 12^th 2024. 60 prints by NCPF club members from Blyth PS, Morpeth CC, Washington CC and Whickham PC were on display. The winning image from the Beamish Trophy Competition 2023 by Sue White of Richmond CC – Cup of Contemplation was also on display and Joe Sheridan of Washington CC brought along his framed prints from his BA (hons) degree course in photography and media.

The Exhibition which is now upstairs in the Masonic Hall, right in the town centre, proved to be a popular location with Beamish visitors.

A total of 677 people visited the exhibition over the course of the weekend. This has to be our poorest attendance since our first exhibition in June 2011. 4 prints were sold over the weekend. Congratulations to the successful authors – it is always nice when somebody likes your work so much they are willing to put their hands in their pockets and buy it.

 It was nice to see familiar faces both at the exhibition and out and about at the museum enjoying their photography and (hopefully) working on entries for the Beamish Trophy Competition.

Positive comments were received from photographers and visitors alike and the venue worked well for the display.

The Beamish Exhibition provides a chance for NCPF clubs to showcase the work of their members, spread the word about the Federation and hopefully get some membership interest at the same time. Disappointingly, only clubs from the local area submitted prints again this year for the display.

I would like to end by saying a big THANK YOU to the volunteers, Jim & Margaret Welsh and Susan and Joe Sheridan who manned the Exhibition over the course of the weekend, talked to the visitors and promoted our hobby. Without them things like this simply wouldn’t happen.

Over the years the enthusiasm and support for the Exhibition from the NCPF Clubs has waned.  In short, I think it has run its course. All good things most come to an end and this year’s Beamish /NCPF Exhibition Weekend will be the last one (unless anyone else wants to step in and take over).

The Beamish Trophy Competition will continue to be held as part of the NCPF Annual Competitions.

Joseph Duffy LRPS, CPAGB, APAGB