David takes shot at glory

A BUSINESSMAN who started a degree in his 60s after his company folded has won a photography competition celebrating the regeneration of Fountainbridge.

David Kelbie’s black and white image – Three Ages of Fountainbridge – won him the top spot in the contest.

The 65-year-old’s shot features a 19th century tenement, the 1930s Lothian House and a 21st century office development.

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Mr Kelbie, who worked in Fountainbridge for many years, said he wanted to capture the area’s history.

His pictures, and those of the runners-up, will now be displayed to prospective buyers in the area’s new Springside housing development.

Mr Kelbie, from Longstone, said: “I’ve always been an amateur photographer but it was only when my company collapsed three or four years ago that I got really into it.

“I ended up going to college and doing a Bachelor of Arts.

“I’d taken a number of pictures of Fountainbridge over three or four months for my course, but when I heard about the competition I thought ‘this is what I’ve been looking for’.”

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Speaking about the winning picture, Scotsman Publications group picture editor Roger Jonathan, one of the judges, said: “The vertical lines give the picture a dynamic and imposing quality, enhanced by the use of black and white, while the quiet pavement and empty road suggest calm.

“It looks as if the place is waking up and about to come alive.”

Although Mr Kelbie was born in Abbeyhill, Fountainbridge has always been part of his life.

He said: “My wife comes from Yeaman Place. I worked at Lothian House, met her there, went to the Palais, and had my first drink in Fountainbridge, so over the years it’s been an important part of my life.

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“Fountainbridge is a great place, but the area is badly in need of regeneration.”

The competition is part of the Fountainbridge Comes Alive campaign which celebrates the regeneration of the area.

Robin Blacklock from Grosvenor, the company behind Springside, said: “We wanted to show how Fountainbridge is changing and to mark a new chapter in the fascinating evolution of the area.”