Vintage Photos Brought Back To Life At Burrswood House

Residents at Burrswood House have been moved beyond words by the restoration of treasured photographs taken many decades ago.

Activities Co-ordinator Gary Ainsworth hit upon the idea of repairing sun-damaged images when he spotted photos around the home that needed some TLC.

With his interest in photography, photoshop and restoration, Gary started researching technology which could transform faded photos.

When Gary presented Resident Roy Booth with upscaled images of himself in military uniform, his teenage football team, and his wife Shirley, Roy was moved to tears. 

Gary said: “It all began when I started noticing the photos on the windowsills in many of the Residents’ rooms.

“There were these incredible, poignant images damaged by the sun and so faded that you couldn’t see faces properly.

“I asked Roy if he’d like me to do some work on his photos, and he was happy to let me have a go.

“I ran them through an incredible app called Photofix, which upscales the photos by x4 resolution and offers the option to add colour too.

“To see Roy’s face as he looked at his photos now brought back to life was priceless.”

Roy and his wife Shirley both live at Burrswood House, and one of the photos was over 100 years old and depicted her mother, aunt and grandma.

For Roy, one of the most moving moments was when he could clearly see the faces of his teammates who played football alongside him as a teenager.

Gary added: “When we first looked at the photo together, before it was restored, Roy couldn’t remember the players’ names.

“Their faces were so unclear that he struggled to identify them, but that all changed once the photo was upgraded.

“All these names of his friends came flooding back, and it was quite remarkable to sit and reminisce with him about his younger years.

“Roy had a tear in his eye, and I must admit I felt very choked up seeing what this photo meant to him. It was a terrific moment.”