#1 Joe
My husband, Ray, and I were returning from a walk in the park with our Cairn terrier, Jinks, when Ray suddenly said, 'There's a good portrait for you.'
I looked and there he was, coming across the road, oh so smart and resplendent wearing all his medals, a WW2 veteran with poppies and a collection box, on his way to a spot to collect for the Poppy Appeal.
I tried not to rush straight across as he neared our side of the road but I think he had already spotted me with my camera indiscreetly visible. After saying hello, I introduced myself and found that this was Joe. I explained my strangers' project and he was only too willing to let me take a portrait and told me that lots of people had taken shots of him.
Luckily Joe was very patient and I took several shots as the background was a bit tricky: straight across the road, a rubbish bin and a large white notice strung across the front of the church; in the road, vehicles passing constantly and a traffic-light controlled pedestrian crossing; and on our side of the road, all the forecourt paraphernalia of Tesco Express.
In addition, I wanted to include not only the bright red knitted poppy atop Joe's cap but also the French Légion d'Honneur (in the centre of all his medals and on his jumper). Joe told me this was awarded to him by Francois Hollande last year and presented at a ceremony at the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth.
I had no pen or paper with me as I hadn't expected to take any strangers' photos but Joe produced a pen from his inside jacket pocket and resourcefully used the reverse of a small strip of stick-on poppies to write me his email address so I could send him a photo.
Although Joe had an eventful time in the war, luckily he was not wounded. He was in the D-Day forces who landed on Gold Beach. He directed me to his Facebook page for further information which was good as Ray and Jinks were patiently waiting to go home. (Ray is always patient and Jinks does not like the 'pack' to split up.)
In 2014, Joe was, by chance, reunited with his wartime comrade Denys for the first time in 70 years when they took the ferry to France for the D-Day 70th anniversary celebrations.
They were both in the 86th Hertfordshire Yeomanry Field Regiment, which was part of the British advance through Europe and which helped free Eindhoven from Nazi occupation, and had not seen each other since then.
I read online that the battle of the Reichswald Forest, Feb 1945, was one of the Second World War’s lesser-known battles and also one of its toughest. Joe was an ammunition truck driver
I asked Joe if he minded me enquiring about his age and found that is 93.
One headline in an article I found in the Daily Telegraph referred to Joe as:
'the face of the D-Day commemorations'
I had no idea that Joe was living in the same neighbourhood as us and was really happy to meet him.
Having omitted to ask Joe what he did on his return from the war, I emailed him to ask and received this reply, ' I returned to my local council job to finish my apprenticeship as an electrician.' I think that it must have been strange after the horrors of war to return to 'normal' life.
I realised after taking Joe's portrait that a wider aperture would have blurred the background, also in my determination to include his Légion d'Honneur in the portrait I cut off a portion of the splendid knitted red poppy he was wearing on his cap.
At the time of taking this portrait (around Remembrance Day) Joe told me that his beard was rather bushy because he was growing it at the request of a family member for a special role nearer Christmas.
I have been pursuing a strangers' portrait project elsewhere and I hope, by joining this group, to gain inspiration from other members to improve my own skills.
This is my #1 submission to the Human Family Group. To view more street portraits and stories visit:
#1 Joe
My husband, Ray, and I were returning from a walk in the park with our Cairn terrier, Jinks, when Ray suddenly said, 'There's a good portrait for you.'
I looked and there he was, coming across the road, oh so smart and resplendent wearing all his medals, a WW2 veteran with poppies and a collection box, on his way to a spot to collect for the Poppy Appeal.
I tried not to rush straight across as he neared our side of the road but I think he had already spotted me with my camera indiscreetly visible. After saying hello, I introduced myself and found that this was Joe. I explained my strangers' project and he was only too willing to let me take a portrait and told me that lots of people had taken shots of him.
Luckily Joe was very patient and I took several shots as the background was a bit tricky: straight across the road, a rubbish bin and a large white notice strung across the front of the church; in the road, vehicles passing constantly and a traffic-light controlled pedestrian crossing; and on our side of the road, all the forecourt paraphernalia of Tesco Express.
In addition, I wanted to include not only the bright red knitted poppy atop Joe's cap but also the French Légion d'Honneur (in the centre of all his medals and on his jumper). Joe told me this was awarded to him by Francois Hollande last year and presented at a ceremony at the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth.
I had no pen or paper with me as I hadn't expected to take any strangers' photos but Joe produced a pen from his inside jacket pocket and resourcefully used the reverse of a small strip of stick-on poppies to write me his email address so I could send him a photo.
Although Joe had an eventful time in the war, luckily he was not wounded. He was in the D-Day forces who landed on Gold Beach. He directed me to his Facebook page for further information which was good as Ray and Jinks were patiently waiting to go home. (Ray is always patient and Jinks does not like the 'pack' to split up.)
In 2014, Joe was, by chance, reunited with his wartime comrade Denys for the first time in 70 years when they took the ferry to France for the D-Day 70th anniversary celebrations.
They were both in the 86th Hertfordshire Yeomanry Field Regiment, which was part of the British advance through Europe and which helped free Eindhoven from Nazi occupation, and had not seen each other since then.
I read online that the battle of the Reichswald Forest, Feb 1945, was one of the Second World War’s lesser-known battles and also one of its toughest. Joe was an ammunition truck driver
I asked Joe if he minded me enquiring about his age and found that is 93.
One headline in an article I found in the Daily Telegraph referred to Joe as:
'the face of the D-Day commemorations'
I had no idea that Joe was living in the same neighbourhood as us and was really happy to meet him.
Having omitted to ask Joe what he did on his return from the war, I emailed him to ask and received this reply, ' I returned to my local council job to finish my apprenticeship as an electrician.' I think that it must have been strange after the horrors of war to return to 'normal' life.
I realised after taking Joe's portrait that a wider aperture would have blurred the background, also in my determination to include his Légion d'Honneur in the portrait I cut off a portion of the splendid knitted red poppy he was wearing on his cap.
At the time of taking this portrait (around Remembrance Day) Joe told me that his beard was rather bushy because he was growing it at the request of a family member for a special role nearer Christmas.
I have been pursuing a strangers' portrait project elsewhere and I hope, by joining this group, to gain inspiration from other members to improve my own skills.
This is my #1 submission to the Human Family Group. To view more street portraits and stories visit: