Skip to content

Your pictures on the theme of 'back in time'

5 June 2021

We asked our readers to send in their best pictures on the theme "back in time". Here are some of the pictures we received from around the world.

Hannah Bruce: "This was taken by my father in 1984 when he was 26. Three under six-year-olds gaming on the black and white TV."

Hannah Bruce Children playing a computer game on a TV set — Hannah Bruce: "This was taken by my father in 1984 when he was 26. Three under six-year-olds gaming on the black and white TV."

Cy Lim: "While I sat there and admired the statue of the couple from [South Korean TV series] Winter Sonata, for a moment, it was as if I travelled back to 2002. I heard their love song playing, I saw them walking in the snow, hugging each other and I could feel 'love is in the air'."

Cy Lim Statue of a couple from the Korean television programme Winter Sonata — Cy Lim: "While I sat there and admired the statue of the couple from [South Korean TV series] Winter Sonata, for a moment, it was as if I travelled back to 2002. I heard their love song playing, I saw them walking in the snow, hugging each other and I could feel 'love is in the air'."

Richard Brown was at the Harrogate 1940s Day: "I liked the idea that I was photographing a photographer who was photographing a man dressed as a US officer."

Richard Brown People dressed up at a 1940s day — Richard Brown was at the Harrogate 1940s Day: "I liked the idea that I was photographing a photographer who was photographing a man dressed as a US officer."

Transparent line

Weijie Sun: "These cabins were built in Finland in 1820. Now they are in Helsinki to represent a very old-fashioned way of living. The building includes a main room and a smaller room, that are connected by a vestibule that serves as a passageway."

Weijie Sun Cabins in Helsinki — Weijie Sun: "These cabins were built in Finland in 1820. Now they are in Helsinki to represent a very old-fashioned way of living. The building includes a main room and a smaller room, that are connected by a vestibule that serves as a passageway."

Nigel Bruce: "This photograph was taken in February of ice skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada. It wasn't until I got home and converted the image to black-and-white that it reminded me of the famous 'back in time' works by the English painter LS Lowry."

Nigel Bruce Skaters in Ottawa — Nigel Bruce: "This photograph was taken in February of ice skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, Canada. It wasn't until I got home and converted the image to black-and-white that it reminded me of the famous 'back in time' works by the English painter LS Lowry."

Transparent line

Alice Png: "In Singapore, change happens rapidly. Though only a young nation, modern-day Singapore already has remnants of her past swallowed up by nature. This photograph shows some ruins of an abandoned Hainanese village located inside Thomson Nature Park. Today, these ruins of building foundations, walls and wells offer visitors a glimpse of life in a Singapore kampong (village) in the bygone years - of a past that is slowly reclaimed by secondary rainforest."

Alice Png Ruins in a forest — Alice Png: "In Singapore, change happens rapidly. Though only a young nation, modern-day Singapore already has remnants of her past swallowed up by nature. This photograph shows some ruins of an abandoned Hainanese village located inside Thomson Nature Park. Today, these ruins of building foundations, walls and wells offer visitors a glimpse of life in a Singapore kampong (village) in the bygone years - of a past that is slowly reclaimed by secondary rainforest."

Preeti M: "During the Covid-19 lockdown, my brother and I would spend most of the time with our smartphones and laptops. But my mother, who is 70 years old, would often thumb through photo albums, remembering and reviving old and forgotten memories, and telling us interesting stories related to the various photographs."

Preeti M Hand holding a photograph — Preeti M: "During the Covid-19 lockdown, my brother and I would spend most of the time with our smartphones and laptops. But my mother, who is 70 years old, would often thumb through photo albums, remembering and reviving old and forgotten memories, and telling us interesting stories related to the various photographs."

Richard Bowers: "These are some of the books I have inherited, going back in time, through many generations of my family. The family bible has a detailed list of births, marriages and deaths, going back to 1843."

Richard Bowers Old books on a shelf — Richard Bowers: "These are some of the books I have inherited, going back in time, through many generations of my family. The family bible has a detailed list of births, marriages and deaths, going back to 1843."

Rachael Blakey: "I carefully placed some water drops on to a metal spring, and captured the reflection of a clock on the water drops."

Rachael Blakey Water droplets — Rachael Blakey: "I carefully placed some water drops on to a metal spring, and captured the reflection of a clock on the water drops."

Peter Lawrance: "Taken at a re-enactment day, I thought that this captured a traditional way of keeping fit back in the day."

Peter Lawrance Boxing — Peter Lawrance: "Taken at a re-enactment day, I thought that this captured a traditional way of keeping fit back in the day."

Transparent line

Doris Enders: "The school teachers' equipment in former times."

Doris Enders School desk — Doris Enders: "The school teachers' equipment in former times."

Iv Bush: "A classic car seen on the streets of Edinburgh."

Iv Bush Citroen car — Iv Bush: "A classic car seen on the streets of Edinburgh."

Kelley J Curran: "Fun shooting with my pal Rachel, flashback to the 80s!"

Kelley J Curran Women dancing — Kelley J Curran: "Fun shooting with my pal Rachel, flashback to the 80s!"

Eros Dalla Sega: "A different age, a different purpose."

Eros Dalla Sega Old boats — Eros Dalla Sega: "A different age, a different purpose."

Transparent line

Louise Cook: "It was a shock when visiting the abbey to find the Daleks had taken over. A great memory from 2019."

Louise Cook Dalek in an abbey — Louise Cook: "It was a shock when visiting the abbey to find the Daleks had taken over. A great memory from 2019."

Transparent line

Vahe Saboonchian: "My parents have always had photo albums of their children and now grandchildren. This is a photograph of our daughter looking through albums of her photos. She loved it."

Vahe Saboonchian Girl looking at a photo album — Vahe Saboonchian: "My parents have always had photo albums of their children and now grandchildren. This is a photograph of our daughter looking through albums of her photos. She loved it."

Transparent line

Verna Evans: "This photograph of me and my teddy transports me back in time to my childhood and happy memories."

Verna Evans Teddy and a photograph — Verna Evans: "This photograph of me and my teddy transports me back in time to my childhood and happy memories."

Presentational grey line

The next theme is "in my hand", and the deadline for entries is 15 June 2021.

The pictures will be published later that week and you will be able to find them, along with other galleries, on the In Pictures section of the website.

You can upload your entries on this page or email them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk.

Terms and conditions apply.

Further details and themes are at: We set the theme, you take the pictures.

All photographs subject to copyright.

We set the theme, you take the pictures