Vinnie Jones has spent his adult life being defined by two images. The first is a photograph taken on the pitch during his days as a professional footballer where, scowling with unconcealed menace, he reaches behind him and grabs Paul Gascoigne’s testicles as hard as he can. The second is a promotional photo for Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels where, scowling with unconcealed menace, he holds a pair of shotguns behind his head like a crucifix.
Maybe now it’s time to add a third. A few moments into his new series Vinnie Jones: In the Country, we’re presented with the startling image of Jones standing in the middle of a bluebell-flanked copse, identifying birdsong. “It’s wonderful,” he whispers in an awestruck hush.
