A nice man! ..

I wanted to say a word about the sad passing of a neighbour of mine. David Wilmot died suddenly last month after a short illness, and it makes me glum to think I'll never be able to have a chat with him again. He was always friendly, warm and interested in what I was up to, and even came into my studio once for a new set of portraits..

Yes, this is David - the former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police. When I was a young snapper starting out in the press and nervous about photographing somebody 'famous', my dad would always reassure me that they were 'still just people' at the end of the day, and that helped me drive on through any shoot that came my way. I photographed Sir David every now and again when I worked for the Manchester Evening News. One day, having moved out of Salford after buying the house I live in now, I was walking down my street when I passed a man on his knees, busy weeding in his front garden. He was wearing scruffy dungarees, his backside being the angle he presented to the road! Then he turned round. It was David - The Chief Constable - weeding his garden! Talk about a double-take!..

Still just people! I've met 'celebs' whose fame or power or new-found importance has gone to their heads, and they're horrible when you photograph them .. but not David. He was so much nicer for being 'just a person'. I imagine he's already sorted out all the weeds around the pearly gates..