Balancing the books wasn't always easy with a large and growing family. There was overtime, of course, and Tony did plenty of that, but luckily he also had a hobby that helped out. He had always been keen on photography. He didn't just take pictures but developed them as well, and the loft of the bungalow had become a dark room. He turned his hobby to good use, and was the photographer at quite a few weddings. This was stressful for him because there are no second chances - no-one comes back to the church for a re-take. Nowadays everything is digital and you only need to look at the monitor to see if you have a good picture. Then, you didn't know what you'd got till you were back in the darkroom. Tony also had a regular 'gig' with a local ballroom dancing school. They held frequent competitions and award ceremonies, and he provided a record of the event. With the advent of colour photography work tailed off. No-one wanted black and white photographs any more. Tony used to say that weddings should be in black and white because the bride's dress would stand out against the greys and blacks of the groom and guests, making her the rightful centre of attention. Not too many people were convinced of this, though. The dance school was another matter. With all the little girls in brightly coloured ballroom dresses, colour pictures were a must. Colour required completely new dark room equipment and was very expensive, and Tony felt it was a risk not worth taking. He continued with his hobby though and was a regular attendee at the Basingstoke Camera Club for many years.