'' Normal people Outwood, but they take a bit of spotting. ''

That's really a subtle hint after all the good years, (by our old friend sinky ) his eyesight is getting much weaker ,and clearly not as in his courting days, where he could spot ' lasses' 500 yards away. I think he was offered a service in the Army, to shoot 'snipers' but turned it down as he thought, being a man of the countryside they meant the bird 'a Snipe,( Gallinago gallinago )' Being from that Castle town of Clitheroe, and surrounded by nature clearly he thought they meant for him to shoot them.