While talking to Charlie about my 100 strangers series he told me I should go and meet the wood turner as he had an interesting background. When I came out of the forge I saw a man with a steam bicycle and went off to talk with him but I did return to the wood turner straight afterwards. Meet Mark.
Mark was operating an original foot powered lathe. Like Charlie he is a hobby volunteer and he teaches and demonstrates foot powered wood turning at the centre. During the winter he does what he calls ‘woody’ type jobs. By this he explained he helps to manage the woodlands site as well as teaching his craft and wood badging. From what I understand ‘Wood Badging’ is a Scouting Leadership Programme and the recognised award for Adult Leaders in the Scout Association Programme worldwide.
I went on to ask Mark what made him go into this work and he told me he only came into it after leaving his previous career. He wasn’t forthcoming with any more information so I asked what that career was. It was then he told me he was a Rocket Scientist. I didn’t think he was serious but after a long conversation I realised that’s exactly what his career had been. I said to a young boy near me ‘have you ever met a rocket scientist’ and wide eyed he replied ‘no’.
Amazed I asked Mark what skills and qualifications you needed to be a rocket scientist and he told me he started out as an Aerospace Engineer but his other qualifications included Satellite Communications, Physics, IT, Maths ………. need I go on? I have to say Mark didn’t reel these qualifications of, I had to keep prompting to find out more. He came across as a modest and unassuming guy.
Lastly I ask him why he gave up such a fascinating career and he told me it was stress and exhaustion. I asked what was stressful about being a rocket scientist and his reply was simply ‘working between the Russians and the Americans’. I ran out of questions then.
Check out the rest of the stranger portraits in my project at Chris’s 100 Strangers Project:
www.flickr.com/photos/chris_marina/sets/72157644764299551/
And find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
