It is not often I get to photograph a famous Yorkshireman and there is no denying that the man in the picture, Ian McMillan is famously from Barnsley.
Of course Ian is not just famous for being born, growing up and living today in Barnsley, there is much more to him than that. Proud to be known as the Barnsley Bard, Ian McMillan is a poet, writer, newspaper columnist, wit and appears regularly on TV and BBC radio.
By chance a couple of weeks back I heard Ian on BBC radio 4 in pursuit of the Wantley Dragon. A bawdy 17th-century comic poem The Dragon of Wantley that in its day, this Yorkshire-based story was as famous as that of Robin Hood.
Performing as part of the Saltaire Festival his verse autobiography Talking Myself Home, Ian McMillan was invited to Saltaire by David from the Saltaire Bookshop.
In the photo you can see Ian after his performance at the Saltaire United Reformed Church.
Having been in the audience sat on a pew in the church to see Ian perform I am very pleased to have been there, Ian is a natural raconteur and a very amusing man. If I had any influence over it I would make Ian McMillan the next poet laureate, he would make a lot more kids take an interest in poetry.
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Always interesting to meet people like Ian.
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