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Connecting Adsheads fifty years apart

My friend Stuart rang me yesterday to tell me I was mentioned in a local East Midlands paper, the Derby Telegraph.

He had written a long article for the paper reminiscing about his wedding 50 years ago comparing it to the prices and times of nowadays. He regularly writes articles for their “Bygones” features describing his life and the things he remembers of his childhood and younger days working for a bookmakers by the name of  Norton Adshead in Burton on Trent. I asked him if he could get me a copy and he said he’d already got one and would send the relevant sheets on to me…… and they duly arrived this morning.

I read it with a mixture of warmth and general happiness as he writes informatively and interestingly about his life. But it was the final couple of paragraphs of the article that caught my attention most…

“I have recently tried my hand at being a life model for a talented local artist. By a strange coincidence, her name is Jackie Adshead, but she has no connection with my former employer.

I found it a very interesting experience but really hard work. She has drawn six nude studies of me of which I am very proud. There’s life in the old dog yet!”

I’ll ring him later to thank him for the article, and the mention, but I know how much he loves the drawings I’ve done of him, as he shows them to everyone in his life close and far. I think he’s a wonderful example of trying new things even later on in life, and enjoying the contact of communication. Cheers Stuart!