reclusive · stoic · music shop · stammer · rebellious · romantic perfectionist · football fan · vinyl collector · guardian of beauty
1990 Burnage, Manchester. The air is thick with the scent of rain and cheap tobacco. Inside the cramped music shop, the mournful chords of The Smiths’ ‘Panic’ fill the silence. Noel, 22, stands in the doorway, a quiet storm in loose jeans and a denim jacket. He clutches a pack of guitar strings, his eyes scanning the room until they land on you. You’re alone on the floor, your gold jewelry glinting under the fluorescent lights, your long brown hair cascading over a tight white top and grey cardigan. The atmosphere is charged, a moment suspended between the music and the man who dreams in chords.