Heathrow photographer Dennis Stone reveals his favourite snapshots from career spanning 64 years

But when your job leads to you playing squash with singer Tommy Steele, jetting off on Concorde seven times and being on Joan Collins’ Christmas card list, it’s no wonder Dennis Stone has been reluctant to give up his post as Heathrow’s resident photographer.

The 78-year-old, from Strawberry Hill, has spent the past seven decades capturing some of the world’s greatest stars, including Frank Sinatra, Princess Diana and the Beatles, as they passed through the airport.

His iconic pictures can now be seen in a new book, A Life at the Airport: A Heathrow Photographer, which features some of his favourite images and insights into the stars he has met along the way.

Born in Chelsea in June 1932, Dennis began his career with the airline British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) aged 14 as a post boy.

He joined the company’s photographic unit at 16 where he was responsible for mixing the photographic chemicals and making the tea.

However, at 18 Dennis was forced to leave the job after he received his call up details and was sent to join the Royal Air Force.

He said: “As I hadn’t had much education during the war years, I spent most of my two years National Service marching up and down and learning how to protect an air field.

“During those two years the king died and I was chosen to march at his funeral.”

When his conscription ended Dennis was able to return to his job and began focusing his attention on taking pictures around Heathrow.

Three years later he was made a junior photographer for the press department and spent the next 10 years flying around the world, documenting the development of aviation and taking photographs of famous faces.

One of the first he captured was Cliff Richard in the late 1950s as he boarded a flight to New York.

At the age of 34 Dennis decided to go freelance at the airport, and got his big break with the papers after being in the right place at the right time.

He said: “I got to hear that a BOAC 707 was coming to land with its nose wheel not down, so I rushed out to the runway with my Rolleiflex and captured the moment it crashed.

“The Daily Mirror used it big and it gave me the chance to work as a freelance every Friday and when their staff man was onholiday.”

Since then Dennis’ photographs of the most well-known and loved musicians and actors, royalty and members of state, have gone on to feature in many of the leading national papers.

Among his favourite stars to shoot are Twiggy, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart and Tommy Steele.

He lists Joan Collins as his all-time favourite after capturing her image over the years and receives a card from her every Christmas.

“She always asks ‘How are you doing Dennis?’,” he added.

Dennis has also become firm friends with Sir Richard Branson.

He recalled the time he played a prank on the entrepreneur when on a Virgin flight with Mr Branson and his parents.

Dennis convinced Sir Richard’s mum to dress up as an air stewardess – her former job – and surprise her son by serving him on the flight.

In the foreword to Dennis’ book Mr Branson recalls the moment.

He wrote: “It’s just one of many examples of Dennis’ fun-loving, cheeky personality, as well as his amazing way of making people feel special.

“My mum loved reliving her stewardess days and I know my dad was over the moon to see her in a Virgin stewardess outfit.”

Dennis still works three days a week at Heathrow and is hoping to achieve 65 years of photographing the sights and sounds of the airport.

When not working he spends his time with his wife Dorothy, who he has been married to for 54 years, his three sons Duncan, David and Darren and their children.

He still has all 27 of his old cameras, including his first Box Brownie Kodak camera, which his mum bought him at 13 for two shillings.

Talking about his job, Dennis said: “I feel very fortunate to have worked at Heathrow for the past 64 years carrying out a job I see less as work and more as a passion.

“I have made many good friends here and been privy to a world that has allowed me to capture unique moments and events.”

To mark Dennis’ contribution to life at Heathrow he has been presented with a golden key giving him the freedom of the terminals.

He is the only person to have received the accolade.

Dennis said: “I wear it with pride everywhere I go at the airport.

“All the alarms go off when I wear it, but I have a steel pin in my hip so they go off anyway.”

Heathrow’s chief executive Colin Matthews, who presented Dennis with the key last month, said: “The key to Heathrow is a sign of our appreciation for Dennis’ work and a celebration of his long and loyal tenure.

“Dennis has witnessed phenomenal advances in aviation and has photographed Heathrow’s transformation from a small airfield to one of the world’s busiest hubs for global connections.

“There have been thousands of notable events, but surely it is the personalities travelling through Heathrow every day which have provided such a rich source of images and emotions.”

My favourite snaps

Joan Collins. Pic: Dennis Stone/Rex Features

“Joan used this picture of her with her luggage in her book. She has JC on her luggage of course, which I think is great. Joan always looks very smart and fashionable. In those days it would be fur and everything.”

Sir Richard Branson. Pic: Dennis Stone/Rex Features

“This was a promotional trip to New York to celebrate Virgin’s 20th birthday. The photographers disembarked first so we could take shots of Richard with the celebrity he’d recruited for the occasion. I liked the fact she put Richard’s hat on as it’s all co-ordinated. I’ve taken pictures of Richard in so many uniforms now; he’s a great dresser upper.”

Sir Paul McCartney and family. Pic: Dennis Stone/Rex Features

“Paul didn’t mind his kids being photographed in the early days. This is in the BOAC era when they’d disembark planes on to the tarmac. Paul’s always been very pleasant to me and Linda was lovely too. This must be in the late 1970s. Paul’s a great family man and would travel a lot with them.”

A Life at the Airport: A Heathrow Photographer is out now.