Creative Coquetdale Folk: Photographer Duncan Elson

I think just about everyone in Coquetdale knows Duncan and Fran Elson. Together they set up and ran the 2nd Rothbury Scout Group in 1989 until 2007. Fran attends the Monthly Makers’ Market, selling her beautiful Colours of Coquetdale art works, and also in Elements, Rothbury’s Craft Co-operative. They are both flood wardens and great stalwarts of the annual pantomime.

Interviewing Duncan about his work as a photographer, and other adventures in his interesting life, was a pleasure.

“I was about seven when I got my first camera,” he tells me. He remembers the first time he watched his dad in a dark room, “I sat watching this picture emerge, it was magical. That was it – I was into photography!”

Leaving school at 15, Duncan blagged his way successfully in the world of sales. Living life to the full in London, in the Swinging Sixties, a bit of a ‘tearaway’ he ended up in hospital with a gastric haemorrhage. The consultant told him to start living life differently or he wouldn’t live much longer. So, Duncan enrolled in the RAF.

“I knew I would get nutritious meals and get myself fit,” he says. He trained as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller and was posted to Boulmer, adding: “I also got to study photography as an official hobby. They gave me a billet which I made into a studio. It was great!”

During day-release at Newcastle Poly, one of his lecturers noticed his talent and entered a picture into an exhibition. It was commended both for interpretation and technique. This gave Duncan a great confidence boost.

Meanwhile Fran was doing teacher training, based at Alnwick Castle. The RAF brought in the trainees to Boulmer for dances, which is how they met. Duncan laughs: “The defences of Alnwick Castle have been breached by more members of the RAF than by any enemy force – we were in there almost every Saturday night!”

Duncan and Fran married, and opened a gift shop in Amble. Duncan continued his photography, doing ‘Bonny Baby’ competitions, weddings and pictures for the Gazette. He set up a branch of Master Photographers. Always community minded, Duncan served as a town and a district councillor, and volunteered on the lifeboats.

When video was first available, Duncan was intrigued. “I was fascinated; I bought lots of equipment and started creating promotional videos for various companies, and I was one of the first in Northumberland to video weddings,” he says.

Mixing technology with photography now dominated Duncan’s thinking. He made an ingenious invention: “I called it Live Electronic Animation (LEAnimation).” This was a point-of-sale device which allowed any cartoon figure to be able to speak directly to customers. It was a massive hit. Duncan shows me press cuttings. One reporter says, “It will entertain, attract and amaze!” LEAmination won many prizes and awards.

In 1988 Duncan and his family settled in Rothbury and the photography business flourished. Although now retired, he still takes wonderful photos for pleasure and for many community events. Duncan is always keen to help others, and he has a great many hilarious and interesting tales to tell about his life.

Katie Scott was talking with Duncan Elson.