Back in 1982 I was working with Radio Clyde and my sideline was photography. It just happened that the press officer for WEA Records, Sue Foster was in Radio Clyde telling the chaps in the news room that on Thursday the 15th of April 1982 WEA was to hold a press conference in the Holiday Inn in Glasgow which was next door to Radio Clyde in those days.
Jock Stein (Team Manager) Danny McGrain, Roy Aitken, BA Robertson, Paul Sturrock, ? and Alan Rough (Goal keeper)
Ms Foster was at Radio Clyde to promote the single for that World Cup “We Have A Dream” by BA Robertson.
Alex Dickson (Head of News at Radio Clyde) with Jeffrey Archer (Photograph courtesy of Gerry Bayne)
One of my friends in the news room happened to be a keen photographer himself and the head of news Alex Dickson who promoted me to Sue Foster to produce the photography as he knew I was keen to get a paid assignment under my belt.
On the 14th of April 1982, I got my confirmation letter from Sue Foster of WEA Records to attend the press day on the 15th of April…the next day. Sue had already told me it was happening the letter was for my records. I did not as a rule receive mail to my work which is why I kept this envelope, letter and cheque for £5.
Remember it was 1982 and I was only covering my expenses, I was not a professional, just a keen amateur.
BA Robertson with Scotland captain Danny McGrain
Brian Alexander Robertson is a Scottish musician, composer and songwriter. He had a string of hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s characterised by catchy pop tunes and jaunty humorous lyrics, including “Kool in the Kaftan”, “Knocked it off”, “To Be or Not to Be” and “Bang Bang” a tongue-in-cheek commentary on famous historical and fictional couples.
Danny McGrain played in the 1974 and 1982 World Cups for Scotland. His 62 caps earned him a place in the Scotland national football team roll of honour and he was inducted to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
One of my all time best photographic cameras was my Mamiya 645 this produced some of the best stunning images due to the size of its negative. The Mamiya 645 uses 120 or 220 medium format film, producing the following negative sizes:
Standard Negative Size
- 56mm × 41.5mm (commonly rounded to 6×4.5 cm)
This format is often called “645” or “6×4.5” medium format.
Frames per Roll
- 120 film: 15 or 16 exposures (depending on insert/body)
- 220 film: 30–32 exposures (if using a compatible back)
Actual Image Area
Although marketed as 6×4.5 cm, the real image area is slightly smaller:
- Approximately 56mm wide × 41–42mm high
If you’re comparing it to 35mm film (24×36mm), the 645 negative has about 2.7× more surface area, which contributes to better detail and tonality.
Newsman Nigel Fraser with Technical operator Ronnie Bergman (1982) using the Mamiya 645
