Tributes paid to well-known Barrow photographer Eddie Tweedie

Eddie Tweedie died peacefully at Furness General Hospital in Barrow after a long illness on June 19 aged 92.

Born in Barrow, he started as a junior photographer at The Mail in his teens where he stayed for a couple of years.

Then he went to do his national service and with his return, he worked his way up to chief photographer at the paper. 

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After his retirement from The Mail in the 90s, he still worked in photography for a few years.

His son Jeremy Tweedie said he covered stories involving 'all sorts of people'.

He said: "He covered a lot of Donald Campbell's speed trials on Coniston. He knew him quite well - I think Donald Campbell took him for a blast around the lanes in his E-type Jag and my dad said it was terrifying. 

"I know they were going to do a movie about Man-eating pikes in Windermere and he got a local company to build a twelve-foot-long mechanical pike and they managed to get Joan Collins to turn up to do a photoshoot with it - he did a lot of strange things like that.

"He used to do all the ship launches and sub launches and he often had to photograph royals."

Mr Tweedie said his dad 'inspired' him to be a photographer. At the age of 15, his dad got him a photo pass to cover the John Player Rugby League Final at Wigan Central Park where Barrow Raiders were playing Warrington in the final.

He said: "I went on the pitch and my dad was at one end of the pitch and one of his colleagues who worked at The Mail was at the other end. I did get at least a couple of my pictures in The Mail.

"I went off to college to do photography and for quite a while I did professional photography."

Eddie Tweedie kept his passion for photography after retirement (Image: Submitted)

Despite him working long hours in the newspaper, Mr Tweedie said his dad still had time for his family.

He said: "He was a laid-back happy person, very gregarious, he could always talk to anyone. He could get one with everyone.

"He was a good dad and I had a good childhood even though he had to do really long hours either at The Mail or at the weekend's weddings."

Ian Duncan, now a Local Democract Reporter for Newsquest Cumbria, worked with Mr Tweedie.

He said: "I had just finished my press photography college course when I first met Eddie Tweedie.

"Working as a trainee press photographer from July 1992 was my first job in journalism and Eddie was my first chief photographer at the North West Evening Mail.

"I was lucky enough to benefit from his wealth of experience and during my four years at The Mail he taught me a lot for which I am eternally grateful.

"You could always count on Eddie to bring back a cracking front page picture just ahead of deadline."