'Berwick-upon-Tweed Through Time' is a collection of over 180 photographs, old and new, of Berwick and surrounding villages, providing a fascinating insight into the changes the area has experienced over the last century, with old photos directly compared to the view of today.

Choosing old photographs for the book from the many thousands in Jim's own archives was not only time consuming, but also took up a whole room in his Spittal home!

A spare room was set aside, with the photographs laid out in categories of subject and grades of interest.

Jim said that many were discounted on the grounds that while the old photograph was interesting and attractive, its modern counterpart was not.

And in many instances the capturing of a new photograph to compare to the old was a physical challenge as well. But, whether it was climbing on a wall to get a higher angle or slithering around on the seaweed-strewn foreshore to capture members of the rowing club, Jim, now in his early eighties, was more than up to the task.

His new book, was never really planned, however. Amberley Publishing, who published his last book 'By Net and Coble', got in touch with Jim and asked him if he could put together another book.

Jim told the Advertiser: "Really, I had stopped after the sixth book three years ago, but Amberley got on to me and asked if I would do another because the others have been so successful. This one has taken a year to put together."

The former bank manager has had a long abiding passion for photography, and has collected photographs and photographic antiques for a number of years, building up an extensive collection.

Finding himself in India at the end of the Second World War, Jim sent home for his camera, but it never arrived.

He decided to buy a second-hand camera out there, and began recording his life in India and also his experiences as a trooper in an amphibious tank regiment.

Some of these photos have been used by the Imperial War Museum and Armoured Corps Tank Museum to fill in gaps in their own archives.

And his six previous books, all centred around Berwick, have resulted in a number of accolades, including a fellowship award from the Royal Photographic Society following the publication of his first book in 1988.

Jim has also exhibited in and around Berwick and is still in demand for giving talks on all aspects of Berwick's history and that of the Scottish Borders.

While the new book will be on sale at £12.99, Jim was recently surprised to see his long out of print 'A Wake for the Salmon' on sale through an well-known online book retailer at prices ranging from £54 to £143, despite being sold originally for just £3.95.

Jim will be at Grieves, in Church Street, Berwick, on Saturday, December 5 signing copies of his new book.