Frank

Frank is a resident of our retirement village and, because of a conversation I had with him, I asked if I could do an interview for our village newsletter.  He was quietly flattered.
Frank is in his eighties and has always worked with his hands - plumbing, sheet metal work, gas fitting, etc. Yes I know, he looks like a retired bank manager here, and you might think he dressed up for the photo, but no. I arrived at his front door and apologised for intruding when he was obviously about to go out. No, Frank just never does "casual".  He led me into his immaculate garage where, at one end he has set up the workspace you see here.  When he first retired, he became very involved in wood turning and has quite a "brag book" to demonstrate this, but moving to the village, he had to leave his beloved shed and machinery behind.  Not to be deterred, through a charity, Frank responded to a need for laundry bags, nappies (diapers) and cot quilts for a hospital in East Timor. He has found a new interest, something regular to shape each day. To date he has made over 800 such items. He had the challenge of setting himself up and acquiring a skill set to ensure the best possible outcomes for the materials supplied to him.  As you will have gathered from this shot, Frank is meticulous about everything he does. He sews a beautifully executed flat seam and presses all his hems before putting them under the foot of the Pfaff. I doubt many at the village know what he does, he doesn't talk about himself much. Well they will now!