Marjorie

The weather forecast was pretty miserable today, although the rain didn't really set in until later than predicted. The lads got a bit of cricket in but in the end both matches had to be abandoned without a result. That's meant more time for me to work today, trying to tick off some of the items on my long list of bugs that need fixing. It's been the case of the usual slow progress. A bit of a grind but there is some satisfaction at least in checking those boxes and seeing the list reduce in length a little.

I popped into town first thing with the camera, with that attitude talked about yesterday, of being open to amazement. Ilkley seemed very quiet, perhaps too quiet to throw up any surreality, but I did meet a few amazing people. I spotted Marjorie here having a coffee and a smoke, sitting with an old fellow whom I presumed to be her husband. I was really drawn to photograph her but I wasn't sure how to make my approach. I then noticed that a friend was sitting at the next table.

I went across for a chat (which was lovely), and took a few pictures (naturally enough), and when I said my goodbyes I took the chance to apologise to Marjorie for perhaps being a bit intrusive. She was wonderful, every bit the character I had suspected her to be. She lives in a new retirement home and was bemoaning the fact that she's not allowed to smoke there. By this time her husband had gone, "buggered off somewhere", in her words, which made it a little easier to chat her up some more and ask for a photograph. I suggested that she probably gave the boys the run around when she was young and the sparkle that was already in her eyes grew a little brighter still! I have a feeling she's enjoyed some pretty good times.