Still developing: Midland Photo Shop’s 47 years of service in Athlone

In an era when many consumers have been swapping shop windows for browser windows, the retail core of Athlone, and other towns, has been in a struggle to remain vibrant.

But behind it all, some long-standing traditional traders are quietly keeping their crafts alive, adapting to the changing times without abandoning what defines them. Loyal customers return to these traders for something the internet can't replicate: experience, trust and a personal connection built over years, even generations.

In this series, REBEKAH O'REILLY speaks to some of these traders. This week, she spoke with TED CLIFFORD who opened a photography shop in Sean Costello Street 47 years ago, and which continues today under his son, ALAN.

Midland Photo Shop has been operated for more than 47 years by Ted Clifford on Sean Costello Street. Having opened his doors in July 1978, Ted has witnessed the ebbs and flows of commerce in Athlone, from the bustling days of Church Street, to the more recent revival of Sean Costello Street.

“When we first opened, this would have been considered the countryside,” he said. “Church Street was a hub of activity, it wouldn’t have been far off Henry Street in Dublin.”

Ted said recent changes to the town centre have helped to reverse declining footfall in Sean Costello Street.

“Since the pedestrianisation of the street here, it has brought more business. It has helped with footfall.”

In the early years of the business, film photography dominated the trade. Customers dropped off rolls of film which were sent to processing labs in Cork, with turnaround times of four or five days, later improving to overnight service.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ted recognised that relying on external processing would no longer sustain the business. He invested in an in-house photo lab, a move that would prove pivotal.

“From the day we got the lab in, we were the only ones in the Midlands doing it,” he said.

“We were working day and night, six in the morning until ten or eleven at night, just to keep up with the volume.”

As technology advanced, digital photography began to replace film, gradually transforming the industry and consumer habits.

Digital photography soon became the most dominant, and Midlands Photo Shop adapted once again, investing in digital labs and equipment as film processing declined.

Yet in recent years, Ted notes that traditional film has experienced a modest revival.

“We’re probably one of the last places still doing it,” he said.

Today, the shop processes film sent in from across the country, including Longford, Cavan, Meath, Bantry and Cork, evidence of the specialist role it continues to play.

With fewer people printing photographs in the age of smartphones and social media, the business has shifted its focus toward services that cannot be replicated online.

These include photo restoration, framing, canvas prints, and the conversion of old VHS tapes and cine film to digital formats.

“A lot of people don’t even have the machines anymore, so they send them in from all over the country.

“You have to keep thinking of what’s coming next,” he said. “You don’t know what’s coming down the road.”

Throughout the decades, loyalty has remained a constant. Many customers have been returning since the shop first opened, with multiple generations of the same families continuing the relationship.

“Some of them were coming in to me 47 years ago,” Ted said. “Now it’s their sons and daughters.

“We always tried to look after people and give good service. That’s what keeps people coming back.”

Ted formally retired in March last year, handing the reins to his son Alan, who now runs the business alongside a small team of experienced staff including Fiona Lennon and Claire Murray.

While stepping away was not easy, Ted said he knew the time was right.

“You have to know when it’s the right time to go,” he said. “I didn’t want to hang on too long.”

Now enjoying retirement, Ted spends his time walking with his wife Martina, taking short breaks away and attending race meetings - a slower pace after decades behind the counter.

Looking back on his career, he said: “I don’t regret a minute of it."