Looking to exit the grounds of Hinton Ampner through the shop on my scooter, I found one of the lady assistants ready to open the double doors for me. She also showed me where to find some confectionery I wanted to buy. I suddenly found myself, as in the days before lockdown, asking if I could take her photo. She laughed in amusement, maybe disbelief, and was happy to agree, posing before the display of postcards for sale. Meet Jan.
I took a few shots and then Jan was very keen for her co-worker, Tracy, also to take part and with a little bit of persuasion, this was agreed. Tracy manages the shop and organises all the displays of lovely wares. Jan told me she had always wanted to work for the National Trust and has now been employed in the shop at Hinton Ampner for 9 years.
I explained my work for the strangers' project and asked if they could each tell me a little about themself to accompany the photo. They explained that, when not working, they have in common the love of being out and about in the open air.
Tracy likes to be out walking with her partner and they have completed a walk around the Isle of Portland. She sometimes looks after her daughter's two pug dogs but does not walk on those days as one of them has that typical pug asthma-type wheeziness.
Jan disclosed she has recently become a 'camper van fan'. She, her husband and their two cocker spaniels enjoy outings. She painted a picture of driving to a quiet spot, opening up the doors of the van and settling down with a pot of tea. She confessed that if she cannot sleep indoors at night she sometimes finds refuge in the camper van parked on their drive.
Time was getting on for the ladies to lock up the shop so I offered photos and Jan gave me her email address. However, as we set off down the path to the exit from the estate I heard Ray say 'We're locked in - and so we were, the tall wooden gates firmly padlocked closed. He hot-footed it back to the shop. Luckily the ladies had not closed the shop and gone home via another exit, and Tracy came to free us.
A lovely and somewhat unexpected encounter and I could not help wondering what we would have done, if we really had been locked in for the night. (Slept with the resident scarecrow and his dog perhaps?!!)
https://flic.kr/p/2mfWD1S
That fleetingly crossed my mind. It would not have been very warm!!
I hope you didn't spend the night there! Still I guess there was a couch to lie on if so!
That's good !!