On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a Woking man is exhibiting a deeply personal photography project in Petersfield inspired by his late father’s time in the city as a teenage soldier — and a hidden friendship that spanned a lifetime.

Nick Diprose, founder of the Woking-based recruitment firm Holdsway, is completing his MA in Photography through Falmouth University. His final portfolio, currently on display, draws on his father’s experience as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in post-war Japan.

Nick’s father arrived in Hiroshima, aged just eighteen, during cherry blossom season as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in 1947. There he began a fleeting friendship with a local girl, Setsuko. His MA project is inspired by this story of two teenagers from opposite sides of the war, who grew up seeing their home cities of Portsmouth and Hiroshima destroyed, before a chance meeting in Japan.

“After my father died, I found letters he’d kept hidden all his life,” said Nick. “They were written in Japanese and revealed a secret love affair, set against the emotional and traumatic backdrop of war. I believe he spent the rest of his life longing to return to be with Setsuko. This work is a tribute to that longing, and the deep emotion I feel for him.”

Nick collaborated with Knaphill-based printer Jon Davies to produce the images, which are on display at Loam Studio in Petersfield. The contemporary pottery studio is part of Hampshire Open Studios, a county-wide celebration of local artists and makers. Loam Studio is open to visitors from 10am to 4pm, from August 16 to 18.

Surrey Artists’ Open Studios, which Nick will also be part of, runs from November 29 to December 7, 2025.