Alan

On my way back home from taking Little Dog for a walk, I was looking in the trees after hearing a woodpecker and a chap, whose house I pass regularly, told me I wouldn’t catch it whatever it was!  I laughed and asked if he’d heard the woodpecker.  He told me it was in his garden a short while ago.  I was going to continue on my way.  But I chose not to.  Instead, I wandered in his direction.  

His garden is rather a talking point; with people made out of plant pots, herons and various little statues - I seem to spot a new one every time.  I told him so.  

Anyway, we got chatting and he told me he’d made two deer which he told me I couldn’t see from there so he invited me in to have a look.  He’s quite the craftsman - I had no idea he made all these things himself.  It turns out he was the head gardener for various hospitals in the locality and he’d lived here for 55 years.  Such a lovely man who also told me where the real deer wander as they come through the village.  

He’d created a pond out of a stream that runs through and apparently, trout come up that far to spawn which amazed me.  He also used to breed whippets and had made one out of a telegraph pole!

It didn’t feel right to ask for his photo.  So I didn’t.  Portraits, I reminded myself aren’t for me.

Later on today, I went over to Saltaire and got chatting to a man who came out of his house to say hello; Alan.  After he’d talked about the neighbours like he’d known them all his life, I asked him how long he’d been there, to which he replied, “Since 1935.”  He was born there and his dad worked in Salts Mill as the engineer.  He reckoned they got a house close by as a little bit of special treatment because of his job.  He barely saw his dad, particularly in the war as he was up early and working late to keep the mill running.  I wondered if Alan worked there ever.  He said was the black sheep of the family and became an accountant!

When it just seemed right to ask him for a photo, I took the opportunity.  It felt right. At which point, he showed me his new haircut which I duly took a photo of.  But, I liked him in his flat cap and, when he said it was his dad’s, well, that was that!

Two very lovely encounters in the day.