A PHOTOGRAPH which appeared in your Worcester News more than 40 years ago has spawned a bout of nostalgia on social media.

In 1969, seven city youngsters were snapped on the front page of this newspaper, doing their bit during the national dustbin strikes.

The schoolchildren, from Warndon, helped empty the dustbins of elderly residents on the then-new estate.

Now, more than four decades on, a member of the group posted the original picture on Facebook, and all the others pictured have since been in touch for a long overdue online catch-up. Dave Brown, pictured second from left in the photo, posted the picture.

Now running his own marketing company in Silicon Valley, California, he said the group had certainly come a long way.

“The gang has moved from Warndon – with members living in New Zealand, California and Arizona am-ongst other places,” he said.

“One of the gang works on special effects for Hollywood, another runs a marketing agency in Silicon Valley, a third at a corrections office in Rotorua (New Zealand).

“The photo was taken in 1969, when a few mates and I went around the neighbourhood collecting bins and dumping them on waste ground. 

“We charged a bob a bin (about 10p) and made ourselves a bit of pocket money.”

Mr Brown said he hoped the group would, in the future, meet up in Warndon to re-create the photo.

AND DIDN'T THEY ALL DO WELL...

Worcester News: Worcester News children during bin strike

1:
Worcester News: Claire Peak (Wiffin) Claire Peak (now Claire Wiffen) - Married to Roger living in Ashford, Kent.
She has two sons and a daughter.
Claire works at Brake Bros, a company that distributes food to hotels and pubs.

 

2:
Worcester News: Dave Brown
 Dave Brown - Moved to Silicon Valley, USA in the 1980s as a technologist.
Lived in Asia for 10 years, before settling in California in the mid-nineties.
Founded and runs a marketing company and is writing a book on marketing messages and content creation.
Founded a not-for-profit organisation called Schools for Humanity that opened a school in Ethiopia.

3:
Gary King
- Worked in retail all his working life – a familiar face to many as a butcher in Worcester.
Now runs a Morrisons supermarket in Birmingham.

4:
Worcester News: Roger Peak
 Roger Peak - Had his own plumbing and heating business for many years.
Now works for Bookers Wholesale Food company delivering to pubs and hotels.

 

5:
Worcester News: Mark Layland Mark Layland - Went into the construction business right after school – ran his own roofing business for 26 years.

Now lives in New Zealand, where he’s a police custody officer.

 

6:
Russ Chambers
- Lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
He worked at the Worcester Swan Theatre until about 1988 before moving to Birmingham.
Worked as a technician at the National Indoor Arena and National Exhibition Centre until 2008, then moved to USA.

7:
Worcester News: Stephen Chambers
 Stephen Chambers - A prosthetic make-up artist for the past 28 years.
Taught Prosthetic effect at Worcester College of Technology for eight years.
A number of Steve’s students have worked on the Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the Hobbit movies.
He travels the UK giving presentations and workshops at colleges and regularly attends the Cannes film festival.