Laura's friend

I have been asked to take some photos for an exhibition to be called 'Stroud at work and play (paid or unpaid)'. The subject is to be John Marjoram, our venerable Mayor, who I've featured on these pages several times before. He is a colleague and is responsible for my becoming a councillor with him on the Town Council.

His work picture was situated on Kendrick Street, where several years ago he instituted the weekly 'Mayor on the bench', when he is available for anyone to come and talk and ask for advice and possible help for any issues they might have. I am meeting him late this afternoon to film him at play in his garden.

I shot many pictures of the various people he met today, but am not showing them here as they are reserved for the exhibition. I will return on another blipday to show him at work.

John is so well known and liked that there was a constant stream of people passing by and saying hello, between the more serious issues that he helped people with.

This woman is a friend of John's partner, Laura, and she didn't mind me taking a picture of her with Rosie, her daughter, while she was talking to him. I asked Rosie if she minded me photographing her, but she just kept looking at me. I then showed them the picture I'd taken, and I noticed Rosie smiling, which made it all worthwhile.