A PHOTOGRAPHY project by local people, which is celebrating Westbury residents, is under way.
The ‘Westbury & Me’ project is led by artist, Penney Ellis, who has been passing on her photography skills to Westbury residents who selected people they would like to feature.
Commissioned by Wiltshire Council, the project teaches people how to take better photographs and with their improved skills, they photographed someone they consider to have made a contribution to community life.
The people they identify will also be asked to complete a set of phrases to reveal a bit about themselves. This will form the content of a set of posters featuring Westbury people. The ‘Westbury & Me’ photographs are then made into posters, which will go up in places such as the library, the community centres and town hall, schools and a selection of shops and pubs.
Penney said, “It is an insight into the lives of local residents, people who contribute to community life, are involved with local groups and societies, and provide a service in the town. People doing interesting and extraordinary things.”
If you would like to nominate a Westbury resident, please contact Penney Ellis 07896 315778.
The Westbury people who have been chosen to feature in the project will also appear in the White Horse News, with the first personality, Jason Curtis, featured in our last issue and Debbie Cole, manager of the Leigh Park Community Centre, featured below.
To find out more please visit Westbury and me at www.photo-sensitive.co.uk
Question and Answer Session: Debbie Cole
Debbie Cole has been manager of the Leigh Park Community Centre since it opened in January 2013.
She also runs Cafe Chic and provides a catering service at the centre for events ranging from breakfast meetings to weddings.
Debbie has lived in Westbury for 12 years. She was born and raised in Bristol and moved to Westbury after meeting her partner John. She has a 15-year-old son and 22-year-old step daughter.
Debbie plays skittles and is a keen photographer. She enjoys walking her two chocolate labrador dogs.
The house I grew up in…Lots of them. Mum and Dad were always moving, it felt like it anyway. And it always seemed to be around my birthday.
When I was a child I wanted to be…a fashion designer but I can’t draw for toffee.
You may not know this but I am very good at… organising.
You may not know this but I am very bad at… saying ‘no’.
It might be fashionable but I don’t like…visible tattoos on women, I hate them.
The thing that makes me laugh…Russell Howard.
The living person I admire…My partner John and my son Jay, I can’t decide between them.
I admire them because…John is really hard-working and he always puts me first, without even realising it. And Jay for his strength and determination.
When I have time to myself I...sit in my spa with a proper cuppa, with tea leaves and everything, and facebook!
My proudest achievement…My first Race for Life. 5k about eight years ago.
If I could change one thing about myself…I’d remember more things.
It changed my life… Having Jay – in many ways!
My most treasured possession...My memories.
I wish I had never given up…believing in myself.
My happiest memory… One of my happiest memories was when I was about three or four and Dad came home with a toy panda for me. I used to play with it with my Lego, building a house for it.
My favourite bit of Westbury…Salisbury Plain.
Westbury would be the perfect place to live if…people were more open, wanting to belong to a community.
If the iconic Westbury Horse galloped away, I would like to see it replaced by…a big fort castle.
