A roofer was left fighting back tears after uncovering a photograph of his teenage son that he had secretly hidden beneath a roof slate 24 years earlier.
Alan Needham made the emotional discovery while working on the same section of roof where he had tucked away the picture back in 2002.
In an incredible twist, his son Ross – now grown up – was working alongside him when the long-lost photo reappeared.
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The 60-year-old was carrying out restoration work on the Grade II-listed roof of Discovery Museum in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Despite spending more than four decades working on major roofing projects across the North East, Alan said he had never before returned to the same section of roof and found one of his hidden mementoes, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Alan said: “In 2002 I came to Discovery Museum to take a section of the roof off at the front, and I decided – again – to leave a little treasure, of my son, one of my sons, Ross Alan Needham, a picture from when he was 13.
“I never thought I would come back to this job 24 years later, doing the same area of roof and finding what I had left.
“I’m 60 now and I am glad I – eventually – remembered where it was.
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“When I found it, I started to ‘fill up’, and I showed Ross.
“The only thing you’ve got in this life is your family.
“I constantly do everything for my family, everything I have ever done, I’m not interested in material goods.”
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Alan revealed he has hidden similar photographs at several landmark buildings over the years, including Newcastle City Hall and Gateshead Town Hall.
He added: “It’s just something nice for someone to find in 50 or 60 years to say ‘I wonder if he’s still alive?’
“That’s why I leave them.
“I will leave something again – with my two sons on, my grandchildren, whatever foster child I have at the time – and possibly my wife.
“I would say to the person finding it, I hope the world is a better place than it is now.”
Alan said he chose the picture of Ross simply because it was the only photograph he happened to have in his wallet at the time.
Nick Butterley, customer and facilities manager at Discovery Museum, said: “It’s pretty amazing to meet Alan – knowing that Alan was the man to have worked on that specific part of the roof 24 years ago – and where better to leave a personal time capsule than on a museum roof?
“The big Burlington slate tiles have to be removed one by one and stored carefully before being replaced in exactly the same order.
“Alan is the man removing each tile and has to work along each row to remove them.
“It’s a very tricky, precarious job, and it has been great to hear such a story from Alan during the process.”
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