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I had just finished picking up a tube of oil paint for my wife’s next project and was on my way home on Toronto’s Queen Street. I saw activity in Nathan Phillips Square in front of City Hall and decided to stop and walk my bike through the square. Call me Mr. Curious.
I discovered that the activities were part of the Pan Am and Para Pan Games which Toronto is hosting and which will be starting in the next few days. Athletes from the Americas have already begun arriving at the athletes village and the city is abuzz. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Pan_American_Games) Large letters spelling out “TORONTO” were being erected alongside the reflecting pool in front of City Hall and preparations were underway for some upcoming entertainment.
I thought it would be fun to incorporate the name of my city in a project photo and looked around me. The first thing I saw was this striking young woman who was chatting with another woman who was sporting a camera with a sizeable zoom lens. I approached and explained my request, giving the usual information about the project. She was clearly pleased to have been asked and the other woman also thought it sounded like a great project. Meet Jane.
I had already shared my contact card and some details about 100 Strangers and about Flickr when it occurred to me to check on Jane’s age. She was under-age. My heart sank and I pointed out that we are not supposed to be approaching people under 18 for obvious reasons. Both seemed crestfallen. The other woman’s face then lit up and she said “Surely as Jane’s mother I can give permission can’t I?” I said “You are Jane’s mother?” She laughed and said (with a slight German accent) “Of course. Who did you think I was?” It was another of my classic awkward moments and I said the first thing that came to mind: “I guess I thought you were friends.” We all laughed and I added “How nice for a mother and daughter to also be friends!” Meet Maggie. We put our heads together and I agreed that since both were excited about the project, it would be ok. I even added “Hey, I could also take a photo of the two of you when Jane and I are done.”
I explained to Jane that I wanted to position her in front of the TORONTO letters which were on the other side of the reflecting pond and we proceeded to take the photos – some with her stylish glasses and some without (she handed them to Maggie). I was impressed by Jane’s style and poise as I photographed her. Despite expressing inexperience with posing, she seemed very natural. She struggled a bit with the breeze which was blowing her hair across her face but I set her at ease saying it would give the photo a natural, spontaneous look. Maggie seemed quite proud of her daughter and was enjoying the whole experience, standing nearby. I think she may have been photographing me photographing Jane but I was intent on what I was doing.
Photos taken, I commented on what a photogenic daughter Maggie has and we proceeded to chat together. Jane is in high school and her interest is in drama. She would like to act and said she did some acting in tv and movie productions as an extra “But then I got braces and I didn’t get asked any more.” That surprised me but now with her braces off I think Jane will get asked a lot – perhaps for both acting and modeling. I learned that Maggie is originally from Austria but the family has been living in Berlin. Maggie’s husband is Canadian and “he kept talking about how much he missed Canada so we moved here a year ago.” Jane’s father is a trucker who does mostly long-haul trips to and from the U.S. It’s a job which is hard on family life but he keeps in regular contact and is usually home on weekends. When I asked Jane how Toronto compares to Berlin she said “Berlin has older buildings and lots of spray paint, but in Germany there is a much more relaxed attitude toward the sale of alcohol. It was surprising to see that alcohol is so tightly controlled here in Toronto compared to Germany where it is for sale in every supermarket.”
Jane’s family live in the nearby city of Pickering and Jane and Maggie had come into town today just to stroll around and enjoy the day. “Pickering is ok but it’s pretty boring” Maggie said. “We’d prefer to move to Toronto; do you happen to know of any good apartments for rent in Toronto?” I confessed I didn’t but I did say that although it can be an expensive city, it’s a wonderful place to live. I gave them a bit of advice on where they might continue their stroll today – along Queen Street West with its vintage shops and trendy, interesting people.
When I asked Jane if she had a message she wanted to share with the world she laughed and said “Always look your best. You never know when a photographer is going to want to take your picture!” It was a great comment and she definitely takes her own advice.
Thank you Jane and Maggie for taking the time to meet and for being so enthusiastic about 100 Strangers. You were fun to talk to and Jane, you are #846 in Round 9 of my project. Enjoy Toronto.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by the other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
Update: I received a very nice email from Maggie thanking me for the photos and telling me what a great experience it was meeting and participating in the project. She offered a couple of minor corrections to my text which I've incorporated. She also sent along a few photos of me photographing her daughter. That was fun to receive and I've incorporated one of her photos as a comment photo (below).
Good Bye
An extra thanks to all because although I didn't realize it at the time, this was to be my final 100 Strangers submission. I'm glad it was enjoyed by so many and I wish you all well with your projects. My future strangers work may be found at The Human Family.
Una mattina ho atteso il nascere del sole, qualche scatto, poi, quando il sole era un po' più alto, dell'oro si formava sugli spruzzi e allora ho cercato di fermare un attimo veramente suggestivo. Ecco perchè amo i dettagli.
“Shark said Brief, Brief”
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+ Components Details +
♦️Shape: Kidorable – Personal *Not Sale*
♦️Body: Bebe – Bebe Body Fitted
♦️Head: ToddleeDoo – Bento Head
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+Apparel Details +
♦️Brief: CHUBBIES – SKIVVIES SET – BOM ( 12 Tops / 12 Bottoms ) – Belle Bebe Event
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+Decoration Details +
♦️Crib : AR * Growl – Cribsaurus
♦️Closet: AR * Growl – Closetsaurus (boy)
♦️Doggies: Foxwood – Froggie Doggies // Sit-Lay-Stand
♦️Tictac/Cards: [Starries] Heart Day – Tic Tac Toe / [Starries] Valentines Picture Cards – Matching Pairs Game ( Prize of Crayon Club / [Starries] Crayon Club – Art By YOU! )
Trent Barton Optare Versa V1170 YJ14BRF (846) captured having just passed beneath the Erewash Valley line in Langley Mill whilst operating the 08:35 Rainbow One from Heanor to Nottingham.
Under normal circumstances, the Rainbow One provides a bus every ten minutes between Nottingham and Eastwood Mon-Sat, with two per hour continuing to Heanor, two to Ripley, one to Alfreton via Selston, and one to Alfreton via Jacksdale. It has been following a modified Sunday service for much of the Covid lockdown, seeing an hourly service to Ripley and hourly to Alfreton, combining to provide a half hourly frequency to Eastwood. The Rainbow concept used to cover a few Trent Barton routes, however the others have since been rebranded. 16 Versas currently cover the Rainbow One as has been the case since these vehicles replaced Scania Solars in 2014.
This bus was new to LRT and Lothian Buses as 102 and 846 in 1997.
Seen here at Newhaven on the open doors vintage running day.
846 was the first Lohian bus to be fitted with front LED screens as a trial. This was fitted by Lothian as 846 was new with automatic blinds. This bus remains the only Gemini B7TL/B9TL fitted with front LED screens. Tridents were fitted with LED screens with roller blinds for intermediate destinations. All Gemini 3s were new with LED front screens, possibly as a result of this trial.
102 was new in a large batch of MKII Leyland Nationals. bought by LRT. LRT required more buses at short notice to compete with First Edinburgh, in the bus wars. As LRT had already got Nationals, so more were bought 2nd hand in the form of MKIs. These were quickly sold after the bus wars was over between the two companies and 102 kept and 108 sold to a private owner.
Only one National was used as a training bus and one as the gallery shuttle bus, before being sold also.