**Interview with Simon Stokes: Reviving His Father’s Photographic Legacy**
**Interviewer:** Simon, can you share a bit about your father, Ray Stokes, and his love for photography?
**Simon:** Absolutely! My dad, Ray, was an amateur photographer who had a real passion for documenting his travels. He always carried his Voigtlander camera with him, whether he was riding his motorcycle around the UK or exploring countries like Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. His ability to capture fleeting moments was truly remarkable.
**Interviewer:** What motivated you to preserve your father’s collection of photographs after he passed away?
**Simon:** After my dad passed away at the age of 88, my mom, Jill, thought about getting rid of his collection of slides. I felt it was necessary to save them, knowing how much those images meant to him. Once I started scanning, I uncovered over 2,000 pictures that beautifully captured his adventures and life experiences.
**Interviewer:** That sounds amazing! What types of images did he capture?
**Simon:** His collection is diverse; it ranges from seagulls at Aberdeen Harbour to breathtaking landscapes in Scotland and iconic landmarks across Europe. He served in the RAF and was shot down during World War II, so some of the photos reflect places that held significance for him personally.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned that he captured a site related to an RAF mission. Can you elaborate on that?
**Simon:** Definitely! One of the locations he visited on his motorcycle was tied to his RAF mission. I can only imagine how emotional it must have been for him to revisit those places that had such a profound impact on his life.
**Interviewer:** In 2017, you started sharing some of these photos online. What was the response like?
**Simon:** I began by posting a few images on a photo-sharing site. One particular photo of seagulls at Aberdeen Harbour hung on my wall until I decided to share it on social media. The reaction was amazing; it garnered over 4,000 likes and tons of compliments. One comment even described it as “otherworldly.”
**Interviewer:** How do you think your father would feel about this renewed interest in his work?
**Simon:** I think he would be in disbelief! It’s incredible to think that something he captured so many years ago is resonating with so many people today. He would have absolutely loved it. I’ve certainly inherited his passion for photography; it’s daunting to think that all those images could have been lost forever.
**Interviewer:** What are your plans moving forward with your father’s collection?
**Simon:** I plan to continue sharing more of his images and the stories behind them. I want to honor my dad’s legacy and the joy he found in photography, and I hope others can enjoy and appreciate his work just as much as I do.
