How independent Oxfordshire business Be Golden is supporting the revival of physical photo albums

We chat to Bobby Adams, owner of Be Golden on Howbery Park in Crowmarsh, about her mission to help us all make the most of our best memories.

In a world where our photos live in “the cloud”, buried in camera rolls or lost behind forgotten passwords, the humble photo album is making a quiet but meaningful return.

No longer just a place to store pictures, today’s albums are becoming modern heirlooms – carefully curated, deeply personal and designed to last for generations.

“People don’t just want storage – they want to curate their photos to tell the story of their life’s big events,” says Bobby Adams, founder of Be Golden.

“We all take thousands of photos a year, but most of them never get seen again. Adding them to an album preserves your best moments for posterity.”

This is a shift that speaks to something more tactile, more human. Here at Round & About we love printed products. While digital galleries are convenient, they rarely invite connection in the same way.

“You don’t gather the family around a phone,” adds Bobby. “But you absolutely gather around an album. That’s when stories unfold – grandparents reminiscing, children asking questions. It becomes an experience, and not just a collection.”

Founded 15 years ago, Be Golden began with a mission to bring colour and individuality to the stationery market. Today, the family-run business has honed its focus, specialising in beautifully hand-bound photo albums and guest books, all made using traditional techniques.

Each piece is crafted by hand in the UK, from binding through to printing. Covers are pressed using hot foil on traditional machines – eschewing digital methods in favour of a process that creates a crisp, tactile finish you can feel beneath your fingertips.

Materials range from recycled leather to soft linen and shimmering “jewel” bookcloth, offering a spectrum of textures and styles to suit every occasion.

And it is occasions – big and small – that sit at the heart of the brand. While summer brings a surge in wedding albums and guest books, Be Golden’s creations mark everything from new arrivals and milestone birthdays to retirements and remembrances.

At its core, the appeal is simple: permanence. In an age of endless scrolling, these albums offer something more intentional.

They are objects to hold, revisit and pass on – investments not just in photographs, but in the stories they tell.

For more info, visit begolden.co.uk.

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