Roofer finds photo of baby son he hid under slates in 2002
A roofer has discovered a photo of his son aged 13 months old that he hid on top of a museum more than 20 years ago.
Alan Needham, 60, from Blyth, came across the image of Ross, now 37, when he returned to work with his son on the roof of Newcastle's Grade II-listed Discovery Museum.
The father of two says he has left about 10 secret "time capsule" pictures of family members under slates across the North East during his 42-year career, for future generations to discover.
Needham said: "When I found it, I started to 'fill up', and I showed Ross. The only thing you've got in this life are your family – I constantly do everything for my family."
Needham had worked on many large-scale roofs, including Newcastle City Hall and Gateshead Town Hall, but this was the first time he had worked on the same roof twice.
He, said: "In 2002, I came to the 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, Ross.
"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 am glad I eventually remembered where it was."
He said "It's just something nice" for someone to find many decades later and wonder if he's still alive".
Needham said the photo was from a baby competition at a department store that he had in his wallet.
During his latest stint on the roof, he said he removed a slate, found the photo of Ross and "couldn't believe" he was the person to find it.
He said he was "chuffed to bits" but that he would put it back with the hope that it was not discovered for another 100 years.
Needham said he chose the picture of Ross and not his other son because it was the only picture in his wallet at the time.
He said he would leave more photos of his family, this time of his grandchildren and his other son, Elliot, 30, and possibly his wife who he said thought his secret stash was "fantastic".
"I would say to the person finding it, I hope the world is a better place than it is now," he added.
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