This portrait of my aunt was taken when she was 90. It was the last time I saw her as we do not live close. She died in 2016, one week after her 91st birthday. She was an amazing lady.

Tags:   Betty Auntie Betty portrait 90 auntie bar pub family lunch meeting

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On the morning walk yesterday with Ray and Jinks, I got to thinking, when we met one or two folk and passed the time of day with them, that it was a shame that they, obviously, could not feature in my strangers' portrait project. And then I got to thinking about an alternative project taking shots of people I already know.

What to call it? Non-strangers? No-strangers?

I decided to think about a name again later and, as I had an appointment later that morning, to ask Frank, my hairdresser, to be No.1.

He was happy to agree and also suggested the name I am using, on the basis that everyone is a stranger to everybody else the first time they meet. (It seems strange to think of Ray being a stranger to me nearly 50 years ago....)

Usually I take the photos first but we talked as Frank cut my hair.

I asked him if he remembered me telling him, a short while after I started going to Bridge Cuts, that I was glad to have a male hairdresser as he wouldn't get pregnant and give up work. He did remember, and also remembered saying:

"If I do, you can write my story."

Pause for hilarity............

I was slightly surprised next to find out that Frank thinks that I am brave asking strangers for portraits and that he couldn't do it.

He told me that when he worked at Selfridges in London, part of his job was to go out into the street to offer free cut or colour to passers-by so that trainees could practice their hairdressing skills. He did not relish this aspect of the work and people tended to refuse. The worst and most embarrassing experience was when one lady told him that she had just had her hair done.

Frank next worked as part of the artistic team at Regis, doing demos and in-house training. His area covered from Tunbridge Wells to St Austell and he finally became tired of living out of a suitcase and moved to work and manage salons in Southampton.

The next career move was as a mobile hairdresser and on to the salon at Shawford where he has been for 16 years and where I had the good fortune to meet him. I have never before known a hairdresser who dissuaded me from having my hair coloured, telling me that it looked really good its natural colour. I liked that.

Chat and trim both finished, we went outside to take the photos. I always prefer natural light and although the day was bright and sunny, the front of the salon was in the shade. I took 4 photos with Frank standing in front of the entrance door.

We both really liked one photo.

"It's not quite straight," I commented.

"I know that feeling," said Frank.

Pause for hilarity............

Easy to straighten up the shot, I thought - but when I got it on the computer screen, Frank had part of the no.3 on the door sprouting from one side of his head. (Note to self.........)

So this is the shot I chose. Thank you to Frank for participating and I hope all my friends and acquaintances do not now give me a wide berth.

Tags:   portrait hairdresser Frank no longer a stranger portrait lens smile

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This is the photo where I felt the background spoiled the shot. I did try unsuccessfully to clone out the bit of number!

The full story here:
www.flickr.com/photos/150442566@N07/32816599154/in/datepo...

Tags:   Frank No longer a stranger hairdresser tattoos

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Sylv and I met for lunch. We went for tapas at the Mediterranean restaurant in Bishops Waltham only to find it mysteriously closed. We walked round the corner to The Barleycorn where we had a good lunch.

I'd just taken a small camera in my handbag not really thinking to take any photos.

Partway through lunch, I tentatively suggested to Sylv that she might be in my new series of portraits and was a bit surprised when she readily agreed as she has always said she's not keen on having her photo taken.

She thought of swapping places with me which was a good idea as she was originally sitting with her back to all the paraphernalia of a busy pub. I took 5 shots and liked this one the best.

Ray and I originally knew Sylv and her husband, Bob, through a health club at Marwell Hotel, a small pool but a nice activity first thing in the morning. Fourteen years ago I had one of my bipolar hospitalized stays, being discharged after 4 months. It's always hard and slow for me to re-adjust to 'normal' life and I remember we went to a social evening at the club.

Sylv had kept in touch with Ray, always asking how I was getting on, and came over to welcome us to join their table. It may not sound too much but it was a touching experience for me in the circumstances. (I haven't been back on the psychiatric ward since and sincerely hope that meds plus my own self-management plan mean that I am never there again.)

After that we all became friends and shared afternoon teas in and lunches out.

It's now almost six years since Bob died and, talking to me today, Sylv expressed what a shock it had been but then said she fell to thinking that she still had her life and she determined to make the best of it. She added that, being an only child and having no siblings, she would not have coped without all her friends.

She is often away visiting them in various parts of the UK and undertakes long solo drives such as to Cornwall and back. Three years ago she went on her first cruise - to the Norwegian fjords - and has just come back from the Caribbean. In between, she went to the Baltic, as far as St Petersburg. She has just booked to return to the Norwegian fjords as she didn't see too much on the first visit because the weather was bad and the ship unable to dock.

We share an interest in photography. After Bob died, Sylv took over his dslr but found it too everything and bought herself a camera in the Panasonic Lumix series.

Having been away for a fortnight, Sylv has been catching up on my posts on 365 which she follows quite closely. I sometimes have the feeling that she remembers more about what I post than I do myself..............

She went on a photographic excursion whilst on the cruise and sent me a ref to Ronnie the instructor's website. See his b&w collection **

Since Sylv has been home she has had a walkabout in the medieval market town where she lives and has sent Ronnie b&w photos of 'her world' by email - a nice twist in the tale I think.

** www.ronniecarrington.com/stock_images.cfm?ID=23§ion_=Bla...

Tags:   Sylv friend lunch my photo of the day mi foto del dia el almuerzo

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otro almuerzo

Tags:   lunch mi foto del dia Anne b&w restaurant

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