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I can hardly recall having told a story that is so full of both joy and sorrow. I had known Chris on and off since the late '80s and a few months ago he called me out of the blue with a conundrum.

Could we trace people 30 years on with only their childhood faces to go on as clues? I might have thought he was joking, but I could tell Chris was serious.

It was his lifelong ambition to catch up with youngsters he'd captured on film on 1981 while he was working on a community project in Newcastle's west end.

However he didn't just want to snap them again with thirty years of experience now etched into their faces. He wanted to know what cards life had dealt them and how they were doing.

In tonight's show he confides that coming from a deprived part of the city there were bound to be some tough stories, but equally there would be some who went on to do great things.

As it turns out he was so right

As you'll see from my earlier blog there are some inspirational stories.

He was sanguine about the fact of the 100 or so people in the pictures not all would be with us today.

As a child psychologist with the NHS he knew only too well the lottery of life. The one thing none of us realised is that fate would snatch him away from us just as he was about to realise his life's ambition.

Having made contact with or been given names for around 70 of the 1981 gang a date had been set for a grand reunion and re-shoot of the self portraits at . With just a couple of weeks to go Chris suffered a heart attack while out pursuing another great love - cycling.

It shocked everyone, but his family, friends and the original participants were all determined to see the project through in tribute to him.

The joy of that makes the grief of losing him a bit more bearable.

The project itself continues. has taken up the reins in Chris's place.

There is more work to be done. Not all the youngsters have been identified.

You can see all the images on the and if you recognise someone then they can get in touch with the project.

It's hoped more incredible stories can be collected and put into an exhibition in what has become a remarkable piece of social history.