A former soldier who swapped his rifle for a camera has had an exhibition of his work for the first time in 60 years at Barking and Dagenham College.

Adrian Bernadine, an 83-year-old from Rainham who was in the Army during the Cold War, is now a photographer whose original Kodachrome 64 images from the 1960s were projected onto a screen alongside prints and collections of albums, cameras and Army medals.

His Kodachrome images have been seen for first time in 60 years. 

“People often doubt my experiences,” he revealed. “But my photographs serve as proof of the places I’ve been and the memories I’ve made.”

The show - entitled The Archive of Adrian Bernadine, was curated by photography student Amy Daintree, 18, also from Rainham, who spent hours putting the exhibition together at the college campus in Rush Green.

Her college tutor David Bennett said: “It was a real honour and privilege to show the photographs of Adrian Bernadine for the very first time, and in their original format.

"I am extremely proud of Amy for curating this exhibition and the commitment and hard work put in to make this happen.

"As the facilitator, I have been fortunate to see Amy’s project grow from its very early beginnings to a night of discovery and knowledge for all who attended.

"The power of photography to witness life and to communicate this to an audience 60 years later is outstanding.”

The exhibition, staged in the photography department, was a chance for Adrian and Amy to meet current and past photography students and Adrian's former Army comrades to see his pictures for the first time.