THE Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross Camera Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month.

The group, originally called the Chalfont St Peter and District Photographic Society, began in the old church room on the site of what is now the car park next to the parish church in Chalfont St Peter.

After struggling in its early days, it moved to the Club Room at The Three Pigeons, where it thrived, and, by September 1959, it had abandoned its title in favour of the snappier Chalfonts Camera Club.

For its 1961-62 programme, the club moved to the Gerrards Cross Memorial Centre. At its AGM in May 1966, it finally became the Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross Camera Club. It still meets in Room Four at the Memorial Centre, currently has a membership of about 60, and some members are well on the way to chalking up 20 years of membership.

The club is hosting a cheese and wine party for members and guests on October 30. The following day, from 9.30am to 4pm, there will be an exhibition of the work of the club, comprising a display of prints and a slide presentation, and a competition open to the public, at St Peter's Church hall, Chalfont St Peter.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.