'Rehabilitating Roy's Parrot' PORTRAIT OF BRITAIN
The Portrait of Britain
Rehabilitating Roy's Parrot/
Walking upon the beach at Budleigh Salterton, I’d taken the camera that day to ease myself back into photographing England. Having been away for the last 3 and a half months travelling in New Zealand and Asia, the Uk was seen in a fresh light. Luck had it that Roy and Jean would cross our paths, two parrots upon their backs, a dog on the leash. You, I expect much as I did, just upon seeing such a sight would sprint across the beach... camera in hand, asking “please may I take some photographs”. I was curious and wary, intent however on changing my perception and correctly understanding circumstance. It's not every day you see a parrot in a backpack, upon a walk on the beach: ‘let alone two’.
I’d like to introduce you to Roy and Jean,
Upon changing their dentist, in the waiting room they sat. They could hear the sound of parrots. It was a pivoting point for them and their desire to get a parrot soon enough became a reality.
Telephones went to and fro and out of the blue, the dentist connected them with the opportunity of rescuing a parrot.
Not long after, the rescue of the second parrot followed.
Roy told me of the phone call, the man on the line had said that ‘If you don’t come and collect this parrot my girlfriend shall shoot it out of the window”. It occurs to me that this could sound over dramatic, but it made sense that Jean and Roy took no time at all to get another.
”When can you pick him up… Wednesday? I made arrangements”
