Herbert Coates was born in 1874 in Willington and became the town’s first photographer, documenting many local scenes at the turn of the 20th century and selling them on as postcards.

His father John, a printer and a postmaster, ran a shop on the High Street. Herbert started in the business aged eight and he was what we’d call these days, an ‘early adopter’! He was 13 when he acquired Willington’s first “safety bicycle” – a normal- sized pedal cycle that was much safer than being up high on a penny-farthing.

And then in 1903, he became Willington’s first car owner, cruising at a top speed of 40mph!

His vehicles assisted him in developing the photography and postcard side of the business – postcards with local scenes, were the equivalent of a an Instagram or Facebook post in those days!