IN an age where people can whirl through years of photographs with a few swipes of their thumb, taking the time to peel through family albums may seem a rare treat.

Recognising relatives in the sepia tones of stern-faced toddlers in silver cross prams and Brylcreemed teenagers affecting nonchalance is an activity with the power to bond generations.

And a pair of North-East entrepreneurs have launched a tool they hope will join the joy of nostalgia to the swift convenience of the 21st century.

Co-founders Shaun Cutler and Dean Newsome describe their app, Clixta, as a photo sharing social network for the past.

Clixta was launched regionally in Corbridge earlier this month.

The smartphone app allows people to upload, store and share their old photographs in a digital archive.

Users can then share their old photos privately among family and friends or make them available within a public archive.

Shaun, who owns the Pele Tower in Corbridge, and Dean came up with the idea for Clixta two years ago after meeting on the sidelines as their sons played football.

Shaun said: “When our home was flooded, the only thing I really wanted to save was some old photographs in a desk drawer.

“We want people to see that their personal archives have value and that if you don’t do something with them, they will just fade away.”

Over the next six months, Dean and Shaun discussed their embryonic idea for a photo sharing app.

They then built up a team, based in London, to help them develop their vision.

Users upload photos to Clixta either by scanning them or by taking a photo with their smartphone.

They can choose whether to share them publicly or limit the images to a specified group.

Dean and Shaun are working with the Copyright Hub to ensure each photograph has a digital identifier. They hope people will share photos publicly to transform Clixta into an archive for British social history.

Northumberland National Park is already using Clixta to chart the park’s history as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations.

Shaun said: “People can search years, decades or locations to build up a great snapshot of the past. And it’s not just one person’s perspective, it’s hundreds of people’s perspectives.

“But Clixta goes beyond a great way to share old photos.

“We all have hidden treasures and it’s also about making sure people have control over that.

“The next stage is putting a value on photos, so if publishers want the image they can pay the user for its publication.

“Effectively it becomes a bit like Getty Images for the people. We’re a North-East company trying to take on Silicon Valley.”

Clixta is available via Android’s Google Play store and Apple’s iTunes. For more information visit: www.clixta.com