Revealing changing face of Gainsborough

It’s only when we look back at old photos that we notice how the buildings and streets we inhabit have been transformed by the passage of time.

A new book brings the changes which have taken place in Gainsborough to vivid life.

Gainsborough Through Time is a collection of photos which compare how things once were, to how they are now.

The book has been written by local photographer Sally Outram, who gathered together a fascinating collection of old photos.

She then took new pictures of the places as they are now, providing an intriguing comparison of then and now.

Sally, 48, of Retford, said: “It took me about eight months. I did a lot of research locally, going to the library and the heritage centre and speaking to a lot of people.”

“Most of the archive photos came from the heritage centre. I tried to get the modern day photos as near as possible to the original location, although a lot of places have changed so much it wasn’t always possible.”

“I loved doing it. I love researching history and this is a good way of preserving the past for future generations.”

“A lot of people take photos that stay in the camera or on the computer, but this is a permanent record that can be shared.”

Sally, who has two daughters aged 27 and 14, has been commissioned to produce more local history for other towns, including Skegness.

The Gainsborough bok includes a photo of the River Trent, which has played a major part in shaping Gainsborough both physically and through the trade.

Sally has included a sepia archive photo, along with a present-day shot of the multi-million pound riverside regeneration development.

At one time hundreds of vessels navigated the river and steamboats and paddle steamers were a familiar sight.