EP61 - Neil ‘Twink‘ Tinnings - Photographer - Mental Health Ambassador - ”I‘ve got the gift of life can‘t you see it in the twinkle of my eye?”

In this episode, we hear from Neil 'Twink' Tinnings.

Commissioned by The Jam to be their official photographer in 1981, he not only captured them on stage, but also their life out of the public eye.

To quote the band "Twink was the ideal photographer for The Jam. For him, it was more than just a job. His passion for the music and the whole vibe of that period made for a perfect working relationship. We knew him, he was easy to get along with and, importantly for us, Twink knew exactly what to look for. When we needed a photographer to come on the road with us – someone who could ‘access all areas’ and take candid fly-on-the-wall shots – we had no doubt that he was our man.

Twink’s photographs appeared on the cover of The Jam’s platinum-selling final studio album The Gift.

After photographing the band for press and promotional activity in their final, most successful year, Twink put his camera down for two decades.

A sufferer of bi-polar disorder, Twink’s main occupation later in life has been as an ambassador for mental health awareness in the press and media, using his photography to de-stigmatise mental health issues. 

You can watch his film - One Last Saloon - here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbA5T9z2PEg

And more about The Wellcome Trust here - https://wellcome.org/

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