Friends recreate 1976 street play photograph

"You wouldn't let your three year old out on the street now, would you?"

Distant memories of a Nottingham childhood have been brought back for three friends thanks to an exhibition of photographs from 1976.

Siblings Andre Keane and Caroline Keane-Hayes and cousin Gerald Costello were snapped by US student John Dean playing outside their homes in the city and they have visited both the location and the exhibition of the pictures.

Keane-Hayes said: "My mum's words were, 'well they were looking after you' - but the oldest was seven!"

Baltimore-based Dean was studying at Nottingham Polytechnic - which went on to become Nottingham Trent University (NTU) - when he toured the area in his spare time, taking informal photographs of people and places.

An exhibition of his images opened at Bonington Gallery earlier this month.

One image, used in some of the publicity for the exhibition showed eight small children on a cobbled Victorian street.

Costello said: "It was my cousin, who lives in Ireland, that let us know the photo was on the internet.

"So we all had a look as friends and it was amazing."

Keane-Hayes said: "The one that we were sent is not the one that is on the wall.

"The one that is used in the publicity for the gallery is the one where I'm pulling my older brother to the floor, so we were looking for that.

"So the boys were at the table and I said, 'I'll go round looking at the walls'.

"So I came round, and I was like a little kid, I came round here [and said] 'Come here! Come here! This one is better!'."

While the three friends do not remember posing for the photograph, they have fond recollections of growing up in the area.

Keane-Hayes said: "I am three years old and I am playing out on the street!

"It is a cul-de-sac so there weren't cars going up and down but you wouldn't let your three year old out on the street now, would you?

"And my mum's words were, 'well they were looking after you' - but the oldest was seven!

"But it was so much safer because everyone looked out for you and there was quite a big Irish community on that road."

Keane said: "It makes us feel old - but it really has gone quick.

"There have been a lot of comments about the fashion and the hair!"

Returning to the street, Costello said: "It looks so narrow - but great memories.

"I just remember playing football - it felt like we didn't have a care in the world.

"We are all friends now, we all meet up and see each other regularly, that's about 90% of the people who were on the road."

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