DEVIZES-based photographer John Chillingworth has achieved an accolade only dreamed of by many - to have one of his pictures featured on a national postage stamp.

One of his pictures of a street party in London is reproduced on the stamps recently issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the Queen's coronation in 1953.

Fifty years ago Mr Chillingworth, who is still a working journalist at the age of 75, was one of a team of photo-journalists travelling the world for Picture Post, the country's favourite picture magazine of the time.

Mr Chillingworth remembered: "Of course, the coronation was a time of great celebration, with feelings of joy unleashed in a variety of ways, after the easing of restrictions imposed by wartime conditions.

"Across the country in villages, towns and cities there were parades and street parties, which matched the enthusiasm for pomp and ceremony by the crowds in central London."

When the photographs for the ten black-and-white stamps in the 50th anniversary series were selected by the Royal Mail, only one of the street locations could be identified.

Mr Chillingworth had taken it at a coronation street party in Morpeth Street, Bethnal Green, in London's East End on the weekend before the actual day of the coronation.

Amazingly, within 24 hours of the issue of the stamps on June 2, the two leading girls in his picture had been identified by the Royal Mail.

The winner of the race, Lorraine Cross, works on a fruit and vegetable stall at Liverpool Street Station and June Roffey, who came second, lives close by in Whitechapel.

Extensively reported in London newspapers and one of the London TV programmes, all the fuss brought a wry smile to Mr Chillingworth's face.

In the eight years that he worked in Fleet Street, he had created around 400 picture stories, recording the various social conditions and events, which helped to influence our understanding of Britain's relationship with the rest of the world.

"That story, in particular brings back some amusing memories," he said.

"Not least the fact that I had had so many colour and black-and-white pictures to be published in the coronation issues of Picture Post that the editor would not let me join my colleagues to shoot pictures on the great day.

"Having watched the event on TV with the office staff, I was berated roundly by my seven colleagues. All were soaked to the skin by the torrential rain and had returned to the office with little to show for their efforts."