..unless you're a beautiful bride in a gorgeous photograph, of course! This is another shot from Wendy and Phil's Wedding at Manchester Town Hall on Saturday, caught just as Wendy peeped over her shoulder at me. Now, I look back all the time in this blog, what with my constant reminiscing about my 33 years as a 'snapper', but a pal and I had cause to look back with sadness last week.
We all need a hobby, and I've kept tropical fish since I won a goldfish at the fair in 1973. Ever since then I've more or less always bought my new fish from this one particular chap, who used to have a pet-shop in Eccles. After many years there he moved to Leigh, and doubled the size of the shop but, alas, he's come to the end of the line! At the end of this month he's going to shut his shop door for the last time. He's been ground into the dirt by the likes of Pets at Home and supermarkets that sell dog food. All his skill and expertise, his in-depth knowledge of pet-keeping, his patience with new animal owners, his free advice to the constant stream of worried callers... it all counts for nothing when the bottom line is PRICE! People are happy to buy at the 'Pile 'em high' shops, then go running to him when their fish die, but they won't support him by buying from him in the first place from his shop on the high street. He's got two bright flourescent CLOSING DOWN signs on his shop windows, one of the saddest sights I've seen for a long time, but of course, it's all getting close to home when I hear that constant cry of "We like your photography but my friend has a good camera!" Good luck, Steve! All I can hope is that we laugh when we look back on these hard times!
