Graeme Oxby Alfie At Home Elvis Presley Yorkshire Child Star Postcard

POAP19  This is a specialist modern postcard by an award winning photographer which was the photo they used to enter the annual Charity Awards at Charity London called Alfie At Home by Graeme Oxby of Yorkshire's number one child Elvis fan and impersonator unused and mint (full details of the image below).

"Id met Alfie at an Elvis competition in Barnsley the previous year. Alfie was obsessed with the Elvis tribute scene. He stood at the side of the stage handing scarves to the ETAs (Elvis Tribute Artists) just like Charlie Hodge did for the King in Vegas in the seventies. Everyone knew Alfie and Alfie knew everyone.....

...I spoke to his Mum Steph who told me how hes been viciously bullied and how hes escaped into Elvis and wanted to go pro when he was old enough. When I found out that his Dad, Dave had a serious health condition which could result in a trip to A & E at any time of night or day, I figured Alfie had a lot on his plate for a 13 year old. And yet when he was on stage, all his troubles disappeared, leaving behind a confident, joyous lad who loved to entertain. Soon after he won the coveted King Of The Cabin award at Porthcawl Elvis festival and the bullying began to stop. Alfie began to be seen in newspapers and on TV, hed become Somebody.

I arranged to meet Alfie at his home in East Yorkshire and the light was disappearing as I pulled up. Alfie met me, already dressed in his red jumpsuit. I pulled the camera out of the bag and asked him to stand in the last sliver of sunlight. This portrait was the third shot on the roll.

When I pressed the shutter, I knew it would be my cover picture. When I saw the print, I almost cried.  I love his confidence, standing on the lawn of his house and looking to his future. Almost a man, but happily still a child, loved and cherished by a proud Mum and Dad.