Preston photographer Tony Worrall has died aged 61.
AdvertisementHe passed away on Thursday 10 June from natural causes.
A prolific photographer and great advocate for Preston, Tony had shared over 78,000 photos on image hosting site Flickr, many of which featured the city.
Tony’s sister Tina Kenny spoke of her sadness at Tony’s death.
She said: “I loved Tony and he loved Preston. This shone out in the pictures he took.
“He was a private man but a joy to know. I will miss him as my big brother and my friend.”
Tony’s amazing photos of Preston were regularly used here on Blog Preston, and we often shared his shots on our social media channels. He also wrote for the site for a number of years.
Ed Walker, founder of Blog Preston, said: “Tony was a great supporter of Blog Preston and I am lucky to have seen him at so many different events over the years.
“He was so humble about his work, given that he was one of the best photographers in the city – and definitely the most prolific.
“The city has lost a great advocate and supporter. Many like to say ‘Preston Is My Paris’ and in Tony’s photographs he regularly made our city look spectacular.
“I will miss him, and his photos. Thank you Tony for capturing so many special memories and I am sure you will be snapping away with your camera in the next life.”
Nicola Martin, who runs the Preston, Past and Present Facebook group, worked in the civil service alongside Tony.
She said: “He will be missed by me and all his colleagues. We worked in the civil service for decades together.
“I remember him bringing me to the Blog Preston fifth birthday bash in 2014 at the Continental.
“He said he’d get Paul (Swarbrick) to write an article to plug the Preston Past and Present Facebook group, which he duly did.
“I cannot believe they are both gone.”
Read more: One of Preston’s much loved characters has died – RIP Paul Swarbrick
Garry Cook, who organised the recent Lancashire Photography Festival, paid tribute to Tony’s talents behind the camera.
He said: “When I began using social media, Tony was the first Preston photographer I followed.
“He showed me that it was possible to repeatedly take brilliant photos in one place – Preston.
“He made the city look fabulous through his images and will be hugely missed by all of us in the photography community.”
Did you know Tony? Share your own tributes in the comments.