Iain McCartney - St Andrews, Scotland

Camera Thirteen

"So, the mission to photograph a stranger was on, and a potential candidate was walking down the hill and she very kindly obliged and then after the pose Lynn passed it on to me :-)



We headed back into town and stopped to watch a couple of weddings. Breagha decided that the lady piper needed an accompaniment so she started howling along much to the amusement of the people waiting to see the bride!! Funny wee dog she is - cute though!



As we walked along the main street, this Cowboy came out of the Fruit and Veg shop just as we were walking past. We made eye contact and started talking. I got to thinking as we were chatting that he just had to be the subject of my 1 shot with the little Ilford! I asked him if he was from St Andrews and he said that he lived just outside and that he was a Country/Folk and a little rock type music singer and he played a Gibson SG 400 (seems like it's a good guitar but lost on us!). So I asked him if I could take his picture and explained what it was all about and there was no hesitation, he jumped at the chance and said that he wanted to stand in the road in front of the arch as it's part of the really old St Andrews!

Trouble with that was that there was traffic coming! He said that after I took his picture he would serenade me with a song, so he walked up, put his hand on my shoulder and started singing Don Williams song, I Recall A Gypsy Woman - when he got to the part about the silver spangles in her eyes he leaned over and kissed my cheek.

Cars were having to manoeuvre themselves round us so I decided one verse and chorus was enough and we moved to this bench where I found out a bit more about him and asked to take a picture with my proper camera! So he has been all round the world and used to be a MD of a major silk exporter, but now his life is all about music. I got his card and his name and address - his name is Iain McCartney!"

Stranger by: trishar