Stories worth telling. Stories worth keeping.

Portraits & Stories of Rottingdean, Saltdean and Ovingdean

A generation carries memories of wartime Britain, changing working lives, families and friendships. These are the stories that give a village its character, and many have never been recorded.

LightKeep brings together black-and-white portraits, filmed conversations and written life stories of older residents of Rottingdean, Saltdean, Ovingdean and the surrounding villages.

A close portrait introduces each person; a companion photograph shows their surroundings. Their words bring the memories to life. Explore the stories here, and discover the work in print and exhibition.

LightKeep is coming to St Aubyn's Chapel.

Rottingdean Parish Council has confirmed St Aubyn's Chapel as the home of LightKeep's first full exhibition in 2027. Exact dates will be announced after practical arrangements are agreed. We are now seeking funding and participants.

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Close-up black and white portrait of an elderly woman with short curly hair, smiling, with visible wrinkles and expressive eyes.
Two young girls in vintage dresses and bonnets playing with a small dog and a toy sucker in a park or garden, captured in black and white.

“They sent me away to the country… they weren’t very kind to me.”

Black and white photograph of a man walking on a street in a small town, with houses and cars parked along the road. The man is wearing a coat and hat, seen from behind. The street has double yellow lines, and a vintage car is parked on the side.
Close-up of an elderly woman smiling outdoors, with curly white hair, wearing a patterned sweater and a white shirt.

“I opened my front door and the houses opposite were gone. Nothing left but a big hole in the street.”

A young man in a vintage military uniform standing with hands clasped in front, wearing a peaked cap and serious expression.
Two young girls sitting on a wooden fence overlooking a rocky coastal landscape with cliffs and the ocean.
A stone church with a tall steeple and a sloped roof, surrounded by a graveyard with white daisies in the foreground, under a partly cloudy sky during daylight.
Black and white photo of a riverside neighborhood with houses, trees, parked cars, and a calm water body reflecting the scene, under a cloudy sky.

Whose story would you like to hear?

Have you lived in Rottingdean, Saltdean or Ovingdean? Would you like to share some of your memories—or introduce someone whose story you would love to hear?

If you work with a local community group, school, library or heritage organisation, we would welcome a conversation about working together.

Every portrait begins with getting to know someone. Tell us a little about yourself.

Share a story