Bicycle Repairman

Stig Nordén repairs bicycles in Vendelsö. I noticed a big hand made sign advertising his repair shop earlier in the week and decided to check it out. He has had the business for 26 years. I didn't ask about his age, but he told me that he worked as a bus conductor back in the early 1950s. Stig seems to be a great guy. He started telling me stories from that time while selling me a bike tire and fixing a bike in the shop. One of his hobbies includes painting, and some of the art he has made was hanging on the walls in the tiny shop.

Jazz Legend

I met a jazz legend yesterday. Ronnie Gardiner. He is an American musician who has lived in Sweden for nearly 50 years. He is a drummer, and has played with some of the most famous jazz musicians, like Dizzy Gillespie and Gerry Mulligan. He told me that he recently moved to Vendelsö in Haninge and that's where we met. When Ronnie isn't touring the world playing music he works a lot with something called the RGRM Method, and if you would like to find out more about that have a look at his web site. I also believe that Ronnie is the only American that has received the St Erik Medal from the city of Stockholm.

The Goth Girl

Meet the Goth girl. This is Malin. A student from Gothenburg. Interested in photography. She's in Stockholm visiting family. I have a thing for girls with red hair, so when I noticed Malin in a store at Vendelsö, I knew I had to take her photo. The only reason for my visit to the store was to buy a few pens. I always take notes when I meet and photograph people, and on this occasion I had left them on the kitchen table. Which only proves that having a poor memory can sometimes lead to great photo opportunities!

Clean House

Artwork. Believe it or not. It's called Clean House, or Rent Hus. You will find it in the middle of a roundabout in Vendelsömalm in Haninge. Made by Peter Johansson in 2002. Peter lives in Malmö. He made the poster for the Gothenburg film festival a few years ago. All he wanted in return was to see all the movies for free. He got what he wanted. Not sure how much money he made from this.