DOWN – BUT NOT OUT

You might well have heard of Gyles Carpenter because if you’re a regular reader then you’ll have certainly seen his expertise with the camera. For more than 15 years, Gyles has passionately followed both the preservation and modern day, commercial vehicle scene and recorded the action for posterity wherever he’s gone. However, not only has his stunning photography regularly adorned the pages of Heritage Commercials (and our sister publication Classic & Vintage Commercials) they have also gone on to cover the walls – and computer screens – of many thankful recipients across the length and breadth of the land.

In his 46 years of life, Gyles must have taken millions of photographs but he’s now aware that this totally consuming part of his life has come to an end. In November ’17 he suffered a stroke and while in hospital, he had a bleed on the brain. Apparently Gyles wasn’t expected to survive the trauma but his resilient spirit saw him through. His sight is now almost gone – although he can make out odd shapes and the difference between light and dark – while the fact that he has no feeling in the left side of his body means he’s totally reliant on a wheelchair for any form of mobility.

With both of his parents having passed away, he’s also now totally reliant on the hardworking staff of Millfield House in Folkestone to look after him. But he wants all his friends to be aware that he can still talk on the phone and would love to hear the voices of so many people who have allowed him to photograph their pride and joy – and then perhaps reward him with some coffee and cake.

As we discovered when we made the trip down to the