A COLLECTION of intimate portraits of boxers from Lydney has gone on show in the Podgorskii Dom gallery in Krakow, Poland.

The likes of Darrell Thomas, Chris Higgs and Mikey Biggs have all been immortalised in John Stadnicki's haunting collection of fighters, entitled 'You're a Man Now My Son'.

The collection was also nominated for the Silvershotz Folios prize.

John told The Forester: "I did the project for an MA.

"Originally, I was going to do something on Eastern Europe but I remember seeing Joe Calzaghe fight in a pub in Stroud and getting the idea to do something on boxers.

"A guy who lived on a barge at Bullo Pill introduced me to Lydney Boxing Club and I ended up going down there twice a week for about two years."

Lydney Boxing Club coach Bryan Higgs said: "John just came along out of the blue and he was a really nice guy.

"It was a couple of years ago, and we probably had a few more people in the gym at the time.

"I think his photographs are absolutely fantastic and I've got one of my son Chris up on the wall at home."

To view the full collection go to johnstadnicki.co.uk