First we met this gentleman, a 19th century British soldier (Colonel By, apparently). He interrogated me about the purpose for which I was taking pictures, afraid I was an American spying on the canal under construction. I passed his test, when I said I was from Peterborough and was even able to name Peter Robinson as the founder (yes!) I think he was impressed. At least, he offered me a job as a washerwoman for the troops. Little did he realise that he was interrogating the wrong "American". I wonder if he would have agreed to this picture had he known he was standing between two of them.