YEARS worth of work cataloguing a vast collection of vintage images will be on display at Brightlingsea Late Night Shopping later this week.

Lynn Ballard has put together a selection of photographs taken by her late father Alf Jefferies - seldom seen without a camera in his hand during his lifetime.

When he died more than two decades ago Alf left thousands of photographs including some which had not even been developed and in recent years Lynn, his only child, has worked tirelessly to produce and organise them into categories.

As part of this Lynn, who also gives up much of her time in the town’s community including working on the re-launched outdoor pool, has set up social media platforms for the photographs and regularly shares them to nostalgia groups.

it is also possible to buy the images on line but the special show at the traditional festive shopping night will be purely for the chance to peruse them, she explains.

The owners of the Old Nat West Bank in Victoria Place has given her permission to use it as the venue for Photos by Alf Jefferies on Friday.

Lynn explains Alf was born in Mill Street, Brightlingsea, the town where he would capture many of the images he collected.

Both he and his brother were seventh generation Brightlingsea born boys and from a long line of sea farers, says Lynn, and their mother was from Southampton where they also spent a lot of time.

In February 1947 Alf was apprenticed in Brightlingsea to Ethelbert Drake as a mariner and dredgerman.

“It was for seven years and he was on his last year when the storms in 1953 destroyed the oyster beds.

“He had worked as a boy with Mr Kirk the Baker in Nelson Street so already knew how to drive. He went on to be a baker’s rounds man for several years, delivering to among other places Butlin’s in Clacton,” she adds.

Lynn says Alf was a keen photographer as a teenager and could usually be found helping out John Dalziel, a professional photographer who had a studio in the High Street in the late 40s and 50s.

She adds: “His other love was aircraft and he was a member of the Brightlingsea Aero Club.

He joined the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) in 1951, which he served with for 36 years, going on to be awarded by the Lieutenancy of Essex for his meritorious service in 1981.

“He was keen to share his images and often put on aircraft slide shows for his ROC group which they all really enjoyed.

Alf married Sheila in 1958 and the couple moved to Colchester.

Sheila had contacts in Europe which Lynn says gave him the chance to explore with his camera.

“He always carried a camera and photographed everything, people, vehicles, aircraft, flowers, animals, me and Mum,” she says.

Alf went on to work in the gravel industry and was supplying cement to the new A12 which reached all the way to London.

The exhibition will open from 1pm, free admission.