Bet Lynch is waiting for a taxi with a fag on the go at the back of Debenhams

A month or so ago I ventured out to get myself a new pair of glasses from the optician. I had by that time got into the habit of taking out my street photographers camera, the Ricoh GR III and I was glad I did. When waiting for a taxi back home I sat down at the pick up point behind the old Debenhams store in a place called 'Area D.' Waiting there also was another lady who to me caught my eye as a great subject to photograph. She reminded me of the character Bet Lynch from Coronation Street played by actress Julie Goodyear all dressed in her faux leopard print jacket and leggings clothing and having a cigarette, with a shock of blond hair. I asked her if I could take her picture and told her what it was for, she agreed and asked if I wanted her to smile. I said she did not have to smile if she did not want to and just carry on have a smoke. So she did and I snapped away till a black SUV pulled up in front of her. Sadly as I got into my taxi leaving her sitting there still, I failed to get her name I regret that. I should have asked her but was taken up by the excitement of the shoot.

I live currently in a town that people are on the most part very friendly and will just break into a conversation at a moments notice. Two points in case was a man in a wheelchair who asked me for a lighter so he could have a smoke? He then told me that he was looking forward to leaving the hospital and going home to play his Elvis records. The Hospital / G..P..s we were both in at the time had no radio and certainly no record player. So I sat and listened to him while I waited for my taxi, where he went on to say that he found out that his lodger had stolen the record player and sold it while he was away. To his dismay. He genuinely sounded remorseful for it and it dampened his excitement at leaving the Hospital. Then there was another occasion when I was standing outside SAVERS waiting for my wife to go buy some house hold products/ When this lady just came and stood next to me and announced that she had been to Majorca that year with her girl friends and just how much see enjoyed it. So much so that she wanted to go back again. Once again cigarettes were involved and as soon as she had finished her fag and stubbed it out she said her goodbyes. Why she thought I needed to know about her holiday puzzles me, but I guess she just wanted to tell someone, anyone ! and get it off her chest. I didn't mind and so just stood there quietly taking it all in.

This is the kind of town I live. Random strangers will just spark up a conversation with you at the drop of the hat about anything. You would not get that in a big City like London. You would get arrested just for looking at someone on the underground the wrong way. At the end of the day I like it when the locals do stop for a chat, that's why it is a pleasure to photograph them and add them to this street photography site.

God bless this town and its characters.