FROM carnivals to the Court Leet, pantomimes to parades — name any of the scores of happenings all around the Holsworthy area every year, and there’s one man who’s likely to have made a record of it.

A photographic record, that is. He’s Rodney ‘Paparazzi’ Parrish, creator of hundreds of thousands of images that will live for posterity online, in books and prints, and in the eyes of followers of all things local.

Rodney, “Holsworthy born and bred”, now bears that middle Italian nickname Paparazzi. That was thanks to the suggestion of a former town mayor who thought Rodney’s habit of popping up with a camera in various situations was similar to the style of the “Paps” who feed the national papers with sneak pics of the rich and famous.

Rodney’s pictures were certainly popular with his audience when he was guest speaker at the latest meeting of the Thursday Friendship Group at Holsworthy Methodist Church.

On a topical note, he explained that after working in the water industry for 40 years – first for the old North Devon Water Board, and latterly as an inspector with South West Water – he knew all about the cryptosporidium bug and its challenges.

By 2012, Rodney had invested in a selection of quality digital cameras, he was in demand locally for his photographic skills, and his website – www.paparazziparrish.co.uk – was up and running as a showcase for his work.

During COVID lockdown, Rodney was able to make the most of the enforced indoor time to organise his thousands of digital pictures into 60 hard-copy, hardback photograph albums.

“Those books mean the world to me,” said Rodney. “I hope eventually that they’ll be housed in Holsworthy Museum.”

Rodney enjoys all aspects of his “Paps” status, and has made many friends along the way. A member of the town’s Court Leet, highlights for him are Holsworthy’s St Peter’s Fair week, and a bit further afield, the Great Torrington May Fair and associated Cavaliers charity events in that town.

There have been brushes with royalty: when the Princess Royal opened the Holsworthy agri-business centre, and when Prince Edward visited Roadford reservoir to unveil the Diamond Jubilee sundial.

More recently, Rodney was asked to cover the patronal festival of St Petroc at Hollacombe church, with the Bishop of Oswestry in attendance and guests sitting on hay bales for the reception.

Mrs Michelle Hogarth of the Thursday Friendship gave a vote of thanks to Rodney for a very enjoyable and interesting afternoon.

The Thursday Friendship Group meets in the Bodmin Street Blue Room or chapel hall, from 2pm to 3.30pm, where everyone is welcome to come and share tea or coffee, cake, biscuits, and a chat.