Celebration day down by the canal bridge

I was phoned yesterday with a request for me to attend a photo-call at Wallbridge at lunchtime today. It was arranged by our Mayor, John M, who has been actively campaigning for the old road running from the town centre over Wallbridge to remain for pedestrians only, following the installation of the new adjacent A46 road bridge over the canal. (You can see the canal running under it in the background, beyond the railings on Wallbridge). There has been an official consultation procedure recently, organised by Gloucestershire County Council, and they announced the result yesterday to much approval.

Five town councillors, including myself, came along, but I'd thought there'd be many more people. Nevertheless, we had a good jovial bunch of all ages, and Carl, the staff photographer for the Stroud News and Journal, thought he could get a suitable picture for next week's paper. When he had finished, I stepped out of the group picture and took a couple of shots that we can use for the council's website.

Carl arrived early as did I, and I hailed him from the canal towpath as he stood up on the old bridge, rather forlornly. He has been taking pictures of me and John for several years and we usually manage a laugh when we are hanging about waiting for people to turn up. He suggested that I take a picture of him and he would get one of me, but others arrived before I had time to grab one.

One of the people who turned up was Wendy, the owner of the Lock Keeper's Cafe which she opened beside Wallbridge lock, which runs under the bridge. She is really pleased as this allows and will encourage many more people to get easy safe access to the lock, the canal and its towpath and hopefully her waterside cafe. I told Wendy that I had taken this blip of her recently, and that I would send her the link. I told the powerful story of how she set up the cafe on that blip. Then I asked her if I could take another picture, and because she is so kind, she happily agreed but all I took was this one quick snap.

I don't photograph people very much, but I'm keen to try more often. I thought this might look better in black and white, and it does, probably because it wasn't a very good image in the first place. I must think more about what I am doing when taking portraits, but practice and experiment is the only way.

Other recent related blips:

Princees Anne

The towpath under the new bridge

Refurbishing the canal lock in Stroud

Meeting Clive on the new road bridge over the canal