Four Lifelong Friends Recreate Their 1972 Vacation Photo Over 50 Years Later

December 4, 2024

In a beautiful celebration of friendship and nostalgia, four childhood friends reunited to recreate a treasured photo from their first holiday together more than 50 years ago.

Carol Ansbro, Marion Bamforth, Susan Morris, and Mary Helliwell, who have been friends since primary school, returned to the seaside town of Torquay, Devon, where they had vacationed in 1972, to relive their cherished getaway.

“We always said, when we were younger, that one day we would go back to Torquay,” Carol told CNN Travel. “And because we were reaching the big 7-0, we decided to finally go. Then Susan decided she’d love to recreate the picture that we’d taken when we were 17.”

four friends recreate vacation photo 50 years later
Marion, Susan, Carol, Mary / Credit: Susan Morris

Back then, as teenagers, the group stayed in a cramped caravan, shared clothes, and soaked in the excitement of being on their own for the first time.

“It felt really exotic and grown-up being on our own without parents in the English Riviera,” recalled Susan, now a grandmother of five.

Their original snapshot was taken on the promenade by a roaming photographer—a common sight at tourist destinations in those days.

Recreating the photo proved to be a challenge, as the white building featured in the 1972 shot had been demolished. Fortunately, a helpful hotel staff member guided them to the exact location, with the same bridge visible in the background.

The result? A near-perfect recreation.

four friends recreate vacation photo 50 years later