I was a milkman, nightclub bouncer and Shearer lookalike - but I won awards in another field

The Sunderland man excelled at just about everything he did, from nightclub doorman to car salesman.

‘I did the wedding photos, then got asked to do the bridesmaid’s wedding. Then the groom’s and friends’

But perhaps his greatest achievement came in the world of photography, and he shared his memories for the Wearside Echoes podcast, sponsored by Mobility Care Solutions.

He told how his skills led from bring asked to do the pictures for one wedding to over 1,400 more.

By the mid 1980s he was ‘asked to do someone’s wedding. I did the wedding photos and then I got asked to do the bridesmaid’s wedding. And then the groom’s and friends, and brothers and sisters and it just exploded from there.”

Over the years, he won numerous awards.

A master of his trade

His prestigious titles included the British Institution of Professional Photography Awards Best Wedding Photograph in the North-East.

He was a photographer for more than 35 years and covered well over 1,400 weddings.

He qualified as a Master Photographer in 1988 and said: “Normally it would take about two years to qualify. I did it in four months.”

Rafters, Annabels and Finos

But photography was only one of the standouts in an outstanding working life.

He was a leading car salesman of Range Rovers and said: “I have done lots of things.”

Bob worked in various nightclubs including Rafters in Houghton-le-Spring, Annabels and Finos in Sunderland.

Bob told us that nightclubbers always told him the same thing - sometimes telling him six times a night.

And it was ‘here mate, has anyone ever told you that you look like Alan Shearer.’

From Annabels to Finos

Bob worked in some of Sunderland’s best known nightspots back in the days.

One of them was the famous Fino’s. ‘I was there for a lot of years and that is where I met my wife,’ said Bob.

‘Apparently at the time, and this will be 25 years ago, I was an Alan Shearer lookalike. I’ve havent got his legs or his money!

‘My mate fancies you. Here we are 25 years later’

“Half a dozen people a night would come into the club and say ‘has anybody ever said to you’. I would say ‘yeah I know, I look like Alan Shearer’ and I got that all the time.”

Bob remembered that his wife ‘had a bit of a crush on Alan Shearer and one of her friends had said there’s a doorman who works at Fino’s who looks like him.

“She started coming in and I started getting my backside pinched! Then her friend would say ‘my mate fancies you.’

“Here we are 25 years on.”

Our thank go to Bob for providing us with our sixth and final episode for the second series of the podcast.

Wearside Echoes series 2 is available on all major podcasts platforms and we are delighted to have had Mobility Care Solutions on board as our backers.

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