And Then Some.......

Phillippa and Dec (short for Declan; he has Irish ancestry, you know) live just up the road from Jeremy and Jo; yes, their houses look similar from the outside, with each having a porch through which you reach the front door, then down a short hallway to another door giving access to the living/dining.sitting areas.
That's where the similarity ends.
I said in an earlier blog that many of the ex-Snuff-employees' houses at the top of Victoria Road have been extended and Phillippa and Dec's place shows what an estate agent might call an 'architect-designed' extension. 'Cool' doesn't do it justice; if it were an item for sale it might be described as 'Mint', with a + or two from an enthusiastic copywriter. Whatever you call it, it's great and photogenic:

But there's more. Sitting in a dining-area alcove is nothing less than a fifties'-style Juke Box; yes, a Wurlitzer, no less, and if you think it's just for decoration, think again. It works; it plays, it lights up and it's genuine!  I was treated to a short performance and if I were anything approaching normal, I might have danced. As it was, i'm not and I didn't.

Phillippa and Dec were good enough to invite me back after the first shoot, and this time, after a very enjoyable and instructive craic, we made some more pictures in their Front Room: 

Thanks lots Philippa and Dec, for your time, company and involvement; let's do some location shots!

Which is what we did one bright early summer's evening in our courtyard; I had learned that both Philippa and Dec play the ukelele. Being of a certain generation, that triggered a memory of an old music-hall performer called George Formby who played that instrument on stage and sang. One of his favourite songs started "I'm leaning on a lampost at the corner of the street, in case a certain litte lady passes by......" (Lord, they were innocent days).

Our models agreed to drop by on their way out so I set some lights up, hoping for an atmospheric shot, using the lamplight. Sadly they had to go on to their other appointment before it started to get dark, but we shot anyway and had some fun: