How an abandoned couch brought joy and secret to an English village

It was an inspiration flash that started the community photo project.

On a quiet Sunday morning in early April in the rural village of Lydbrook, photographer Alex Elton-Wall jumped out of bed with a mission.

Week had passed the same, thrown away two-seater sofa, which was given up in a piece of waste space in the middle of the village. But something clicked that morning.

“I just jumped out of bed and said: ‘I’ll do it, I do it,'” said Elton-Wall How it happens Host Nil Köksal.

Elton-Wall, a self-described amateur photographer with a passion for taking community life, could be inspired by the contrast between the cozy, cozy sofa and his wild forest environment-and he saw the unusual environment as an opportunity to temporarily create a “snapshot” of his community.

That day he finally decided to react to the idea that had brewed for a while. He published a message in the Facebook group of the local village, in which he invited the residents to participate.

“I know that this is a strange request,” he wrote, “but I would like to take photos of people on the sofa.”

Community is being accompanied

The community not only gathered to Elton-Wall’s joy.

On the first day of his photo shoot, Elton-Wall arrived with his camera at 10 a.m. and only packed together at 8 p.m.

“There was this constant flow of people who had seen the post, or even people who had just driven past and saw that this strange guy photographed,” he said.

In the next few weeks he photographed 170 people. Some came alone. Others posed with their families or in groups. The portraits ranged from formally to fantastic jewels a unique reflection of the person sitting on the sofa, said Elton-Wall.

Oliver Gladstone, who heads the local Gladstone Sawmills, appeared with a selection of chainsaws.

Claire and Kit Smart have contributed a manure doll of the lower half of a person and a sheep and quickly became the most popular props in the bizarre photos.

And some elements simply appeared without explanation.

“After the first day on which I photographed with people, a side table appeared magically from nowhere and (back then) a lampshade and a potted plant,” said Elton-Wall.

Soon the abandoned couch had transformed into a full-grown living room outdoors-complete with curtains and window frames.

Why everyone took part

According to Elton-Wall, a former industrial building village is known in Lydbrook, in which there are around 1,500 to 1,600 people, which is known for its close-meshed community and its playful spirit.

“People like fun and disaster,” he said.

He remembers how someone added to all village signs Googly eyes a few years ago and replaces the operating system in Lydbrook with plastic eyes.

The mysterious joke was referred to as “tumpsy” – an allusion to the difficult to grasp street artist Banksy.

When household items appeared quietly on the sofa, many speculated Tumpsy were there again.

“I think people only think (think) that is a bit of fun at a time when the world is serious … (with) many serious things,” said Elton-Wall.

A public Facebook group dedicated to the sofa has been created and now has more than 600 members. People publish their own portraits and speculate about the origins of the props that mysteriously appear on the scenes of stories from the growing photo archive and share the stories about the scenes.

“The project really combined the community and brought it really fun for the pride of the community,” said Jenny Hodgson, who attracted the clothing of the 1940s and a gas mask to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe for their own portrait on the sofa.

The photo project also has a deeper purpose.

Elton-Wall is now putting together the portraits of a photo book that is sold at the village summer fair. All revenues are drawn to a local fundraiser to build a new children’s playground.

The photo book will also serve as a heart -warming memory of a unique moment in the history of the village.

But as memories were preserved, something unexpected happened.

On Tuesday morning, Elton-Wall made a shocking and disappointing discovery: the sofa was gone.

Therefore, the entire provisional living room – the window frame, curtains, coffee table, converting, potted plant and lampshade – all disappeared quietly away.

“I took my last picture of someone sitting on the sofa,” said Elton-Wall.