30 years of life on the streets of Peterborough

For many years Chris Porsz used photography as a means of escape

For many years Chris Porsz used photography as a means of escape – a way to distress from the strains of his job on the frontline at Peterborough city hospital.
Here, the amateur photographer opens his albums to features editor Julia Ogden to share some of his favourite images of Peterborough life and its people.

CHRIS Porsz has seen some horrific scenes over the years.

As a hospital porter, and later a paramedic, working before it became compulsory to wear seat belts, Chris witnessed too many images of death and destruction.

"Utter carnage," are the words he uses to describe this time in his life, and he readily admits that his hobby of photography became an escape route from his work.

I love my job," he said. "But before the seatbelt law changed I saw some horrible things. Your professionalism kicks in at the time and you just deal with it, but the images do stay with you afterwards, and I suppose photography gave me something else to focus on."

"I started taking pictures of my children and discovered I was actually quite good at it," he said. "After a while I began to go out and about seeing what else I could take pictures of, wildlife, nature, and then scenes of Peterborough life.

"I used to spend hours just walking around the city taking pictures of anything or anyone I thought looked interesting.

"Most of the time, I asked people if I could take their picture, and most of them were more than happy for me to do so, some would even ask if I would send them a copy afterwards and although I meant to, I never did.

"I suppose this is my way of putting this right, half a century later.

"I thought it would be interesting to print some of my favourite pictures to see where these people are now, what they are doing etc. Maybe we could even reconstruct the images, if they are still living here. You never know we could even help reunite old friends."

Chris's photographs give a fascinating and candid insight into the life and times of Peterborough in the early '80s. There are pictures of punk rockers, Teddy boys, mods, as well as images capturing the development and growth of the city, which has always been Chris's home.

Chris (56) was born and bred in Peterborough. His parents were Polish and came over to England just after Second World War.

His father, Alec, had served in the Polish regiment of the British army during the war – he was in the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade fighting in the infamous Battle of Arnhem.

Chris's mother, Krystyna, was born in Warsaw. Her family was captured by the Germans during the war and put in concentration camps – her mother, sister and niece perished, but Krystyna survived, along with another sister who was in a camp in Siberia.

At the end of the war, Krytyna was released and stayed in Germany where she met Chris's father, where they married and agreed to start a new life in Peterborough.

Alec worked as a tool maker at Perkins for many years, but died in his early 60s after being struck down by Alzheimers at the age of 48.

Krystyna worked at the booking office at the Embassy for many years.

"I think it is because of my background that I have a big problem with racism," said Chris.

A lot of people keep going on about the Eastern Europeans who are over here now, but my parents did just the same, after the war and they made a significant contribution to life in this city. They worked, raised a family, paid their taxes etc.

"Some of the pictures I have taken too show how Peterborough has changed over the years – and the importance of its multiculturalism should not be underestimated."

As a young man, Chris initially wanted to be a social worker, but he dropped out of university in his first year and came back to Peterborough in 1973 (in part because his girlfriend, and now wife, Lesley, was living here).

He took up a job as a porter at the city hospital, initially for six weeks –13 years later he was still there and then decided to become a paramedic, a role he has been doing for nearly 20 years now.

"The experiences I had as a porter really helped me in my role as a paramedic," he said.

"It was before the law on seat belts changed and it was utter carnage.

"People would come in with some horrific injuries caused by what today would be considered as minor shunts or prangs. Seat belts and air bags have changed all this now, and saved thousands of lives, but I am still shocked when I turn up to accidents today in which people have not been wearing their seat belts.

"What is perhaps even worse is when children have not been restrained properly – you see them standing up in the back between their parents all the time.

"Children are so light they literally get thrown from a car on impact if they are not strapped in. I think paramedics should be as active in the campaign to get people to wear their seat belts as the police and fire service. At the end of the day we are the people left to pick up the pieces, sometimes literally, after a crash."

Despite all this, it is obvious that Chris really loves his job. "It is very satisfying, and challenging work," he said. "And you get to meet lots of different kinds of people and help them at times when they are often very frightened and anxious

source of www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk