An Old Tradition

There are times when you just smile, particularly when an old tradition is resurrected in these hectic times.

We hadn't visited Wolverhampton for many years.  It used to be a regular haunt for us, usually on a Sunday after we'd been to the health club.  Things have changed, some for the better, others not.  The Mander Centre has undergone a major refurbishment, which is good.  Regrettably  there are large swathes of the centre boarded up because of empty shops, which is bad.  You can tell efforts are being made to attract new people into the city centre.  Car parking is reasonably priced, certainly a lot less than Birmingham City Centre, but even then it struggles to compete with the out of town shopping complexes.

We had a pleasant lunch in the new Debenhams and then popped over to the original Wolverhampton department store.  We used to love visiting this department store in the past, when it was a family run business called Beatties.  Sadly, it was swallowed up by a larger concern a few years ago.  

Anyway, as we left through the main doors, we were met by Colin, who held open the door for us.  He had worked for the store for 43 years, and was recently asked to return to help provide a concierge service before Christmas.  It has been such a success the store has retained the service and he is still there today.  We were delighted to pass a few minutes talking to him and he did me the honour of allowing me to take his portrait.  I was pleased to note that the old Beatties sign has been retained in the entrance.  For other local blippers, I am sure they will echo my sentiments about the old store.

I'm not a great lover of street portraiture and always admire those of you who find it so easy, but having been given some pointers, I recognise that one of the best ways of getting people to pose for you is to engage with them first, and show them some interest.