Halifax best friends recreate Torquay photo 50 years later

In the summer of 1972, four teenagers travelled from their home in Halifax, Yorkshire, to the English Riviera on their first-ever holiday without their parents, returning home with a distinctive photograph to mark the occasion.

The image shows four 17-year-old girls, arm in arm and dressed in vibrant clothing, strolling blissfully along a sun-soaked Torquay Promenade.

Fifty-two years later, school friends Marion Bamforth, Susan Morris, Carol Ansbro, and Mary Helliwell, who remain as close as ever, revisited Torquay and spontaneously decided to recreate the moment at the same location.

Above: Marion Bamforth, Susan Morris, Carol Ansbro, and Mary Helliwell in Torquay 2024

Little did they know that the 2024 version of their cherished photograph would go viral, capturing thousands of hearts online.

Speaking with the four of them on a WhatsApp call, it was clear that their longstanding friendship is one built from many years of love and laughter.

Having known each other since they were 11, this week-long summer holiday to Torquay was an exciting rite of passage. 

“It was all very exotic the first time around,” Sue recalls.

“Only posh people went down there in those days, didn’t they? It was the furthest any of us had ever travelled, and it was the first time I’d ever seen a palm tree, so we felt as though we were abroad!”

Staying at a caravan site in Babbacombe, the four friends made the most of their unsupervised freedom, journeying into Torquay for the evening to drink cider and enjoy walks along the beach.

One night, Carol’s charms even got them a lift home from a police officer. 

Marion explained: “We were hitching home, and this police car pulled up. The officer asked us where we were going, so we told him. It must have been about 3 miles outside of Torquay.

“Carol asked, ‘Is it a long, dark, lonely road?’ and he said, ‘Get in,’” Marion laughs at the recollection while Carol nods along smiling. 

Returning to the area more than half a century later, it was Susan’s idea to mock up a 2024 version of the photograph.

“These silly things come into my mind, and I don’t know where they come from,” Sue says.

“I said to them, ‘How do you fancy doing this, girls?’ and they all looked horrified!”

As everyone broke into laughter, conversation turned to the details of their having to get changed into 70s-inspired clothing in Torquay’s seafront public toilets. 

Carol, who spends her time between Spain and Halifax and is used to Mediterranean weather, says: “Getting changed into mini skirts in late October was freezing!”

Raiding charity shops and online second-hand clothes retailers, the four friends managed to obtain some fairly authentic replicas despite their not quite fitting.

"I'd bought my dress online, and it took two of them to zip me up into it," Mary laughs. "It was a bit tight!

"But once we got out there on the promenade, it was nice. There were people watching what we were doing, and it was a good laugh."

When asked how Torquay had changed over the past 50 years, the group reflected that their younger selves had been less discerning in certain respects.

Carol noted that, having such lovely sandy beaches in Yorkshire, they were perhaps slightly underwhelmed by the appearance of Torre Abbey Sands—a detail they hadn’t even noticed when they were 17. 

However, they did remark on how friendly Torquay felt this time around, noting that many people were attentive and seemed genuinely appreciative of their custom.

Marion adds: “We could see that it was a work in progress as there was a lot of regeneration work going on, but it will look lovely when it's finished.”

The four did experience some initial difficulties when trying to place where the original photo was taken.

The glamorous white hotel in the background, which they were using as their landmark, has since been replaced by flats and restaurants.

It was actually the manager of the Riviera Hotel, where they were staying, who guided them towards the exact spot. 

With seven children and 15 grandchildren now between them, the four friends shared that the secret behind maintaining such a strong friendship is making sure to keep in touch. 

Marion says: “We’ve all had moments where we had children and didn’t have as much time as when we were younger to see each other, but we’ve just kept in touch all along—meeting up regularly for birthdays and get-togethers.”

Sue then explains that WhatsApp makes keeping in touch all the more easy. 

The quartet even has another holiday on the horizon in January, when they have arranged to go on holiday in Blackpool to celebrate Sue and Marion’s 70th birthdays. 

When asked whether they think it’ll be a wild one, the group burst into laughter, with Marion saying: “It’ll be good fun, but not as wild as they used to be!”