The one he was protesting against costs 8 (or was it 40?) thousand pounds. He went on and on, inserting the f word between every 3 or 4 words, standing too close for comfort, and looking straight into my eyes, and even moving his position to stop me continuing to walk along a narrow pavement...

...Unable to escape I decide to stay and look for what I like about him and to listen to what he is saying... He has fine pale blue eyes and much spirit and looks as if he's lived a hard life. Some of his front teeth are missing (and I'd just come from having an artificial front tooth replaced after it got loose).

He seems to be affronted by all the cameras, mobile phones, professional or amateur, that he sees on tv and everywhere. He kept speaking angrily about the price and the inexplicable circuitry, the vast magnification, and the minute size of this new kind of equipment - and how people like 'you and I' can't afford, understand, use, repair, or otherwise partake of it... But he said it in ordinary speech without technical language and with f words.

Eventually I told him that thinking about such things is my occupation and that, though I agree with his complaint in the short run, I believe that in the long run the protests of ordinary people will be heard and will change things. I don't know if he believed me but he ceased to be quite so insistent... I was sorry to leave him but I could see no sign of him stopping.