Mr Russell was a softly-spoken older gentleman who was one of three attendees at Albert Tatlock's horticulture lecture at the Community Centre in October 1971. Staying silent during a quibble between Albert and the other students, Mr Russell spoke up to ask to hear more about Shakespeare and his garden, referring to the beginning of Albert's lecture in which he talked about the plants featured in the Bard's plays. Mr Russell's earnest story about his grandson visiting him when he was ill and reading Shakespeare to him silenced the rest of the room.