As It Happens5:59How an abandoned couch brought joy and mystery to an English village
It was a flash of inspiration that set the community photo project in motion.
On a quiet Sunday morning in early April, in the rural village of Lydbrook, England, photographer Alex Elton-Wall leapt out of bed with a mission.
For weeks, he’d passed the same discarded two-seater sofa, abandoned on a patch of waste ground in the middle of the village. But that morning, something clicked.
“I just jumped out of bed and I said, ‘I’m doing it, I’m doing it,'” Elton-Wall told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
Elton-Wall, a self-described amateur photographer with a passion for capturing community life, was inspired by the contrast between the cozy, homely sofa and its wild woodland surroundings — and he saw the unusual setting as a chance to create a “snapshot in time” of his community.
On the day he finally decided to act on the idea that had been brewing for a while. He posted a message in the local village Facebook group, inviting residents to take part.
“I know this is a strange request,” he wrote, “but I’d love to take pictures of people on the sofa.”
Community joins in
To Elton-Wall’s delight, the community didn’t just respond — it rallied.
On the first day of his photoshoot, Elton-Wall arrived with his camera at 10 a.m., and didn’t pack up until 8 p.m.
“There was this steady flow of people who’d seen the post or even people who just drove past and saw there was this strange guy taking pictures,” he said.
Over the next few weeks, he photographed 170 people. Some came alone. Others posed with their families or in groups. The portraits ranged from formal to fantastical — each one a unique reflection of the person sitting on the sofa, said Elton-Wall.
Oliver Gladstone, who runs the local Gladstone Sawmills, showed up with a selection of chainsaws.
Claire and Kit Smart contributed a mannequin of a human’s lower half and a sheep, quickly becoming favourite props in the more whimsical photos.
And some items simply appeared without explanation.
“Quite quickly after the first day of me taking photographs with people, a side table appeared magically out of nowhere, and [then] a lampshade and a potted plant,” said Elton-Wall.
Soon, the abandoned couch had transformed into a full-blown outdoor living room — complete with curtains and a window frame.
Why everyone participated
Lydbrook, home to about 1,500 to 1,600 people, is a former industrial mining village known for its tight-knit community and playful spirit, according to Elton-Wall.
“People like fun and mischief,” he said.
He recalls how a couple of years ago, someone added googly eyes to all the village signs — replacing the Os in Lydbrook with plastic eyes.
The mysterious prankster was dubbed “Tumpsy”— a nod to the elusive street artist Banksy.
So, when household objects started quietly appearing around the sofa, many speculated Tumpsy was back at it again.
“I think people just [think] this is a bit of fun at a time when the world is serious … [with] lots of serious things happening,” said Elton-Wall.
A public Facebook group dedicated to the sofa was created and now has more than 600 members. People post their own portraits, speculate on the origins of the props that mysteriously appear and share behind-the-scenes stories from the growing photo archive.
“The project has really united the community and brought a really nice fun sense of community pride,” said Jenny Hodgson, who donned 1940s attire and a gas mask to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day for her own portrait on the sofa.
The photo project also carries a deeper purpose.
Elton-Wall is now compiling the portraits into a photo book, which will be sold at the village summer fair. All proceeds will go toward a local fundraising effort to build a new children’s playground.
The photo book will also serve as a heartwarming reminder of a one-of-a-kind moment in the village’s history.
But just as memories were being preserved, something unexpected happened.
On Tuesday morning, Elton-Wall made a shocking and disappointing discovery: the sofa was gone.
Along with it vanished the entire makeshift living room — the window frame, curtains, coffee table, side table, potted plant and lampshade — all quietly removed without a trace.
“I’ve taken my last picture of someone sitting on the sofa,” said Elton-Wall.
