Allan Clarke's 'Separated' dates from 1970 and clearly WAS about Nash's leaving his life, (as were the two 1969 songs Allan had on 'Sing Hollies') and that is a track dating from some TWO years later
Allan went through a very bad time in 1969 that was largely kept from public view, but it was to a large extent due to Nash's exit from his life causing him great depression - probably why Tony wrote 'Don't Give Up Easily' in 1969
the balance of The Hollies had been upset alot by Nash's exit - note that Clarke teams with Sylvester while Hicks paired with Kenny Lynch or they wrote solo, the two notably drifted apart minus Nash despite two efforts with Sylvester only one other Clarke-Hicks song resulted then 'Please Let Me Please' and the 'distance' between Hicks and Clarke as artists and personalities minus Nash as the 'glue' holding them together was quite a major factor over that 1969-71 period
so the band clearly WERE really feeling the loss of Nash, not as a singer (Terry had filled the gap perfectly) but re the 'power play' in the band (Clarke v Hicks / Elliott) and the group balance which was out of sorts minus Nash then
Terry was the 'new boy' just beginning to write songs, so the bulk of songwriting creativity fell on Clarke and Hicks BUT note they very seldom wrote together over that 'post Nash' period of 1969-71 (as later in the seventies The Hollies never really delved into Clarke's solo career songs for material - in retrospect an error I think) so clearly there was some notable 'Distance' between the two main men of the band at that time
those images in the pool on 'Distant Light' cover...including a 'long dark road' winding away to the distance and future, DID relate to various band issues of the past few years and the fish leaping out of the river was meant to represent Nash jumping ship as it were... (I have been told this by members of The Hollies Limited some years ago)
Romany - which you love so much - depicts the SAME woodland scenario however note that the pool on the front cover is now frozen over and is CLEAR as all 'issues' are now resolved
the crouching depressed looking figure on 'Distant Light' cover (reflecting a troubled period) is replaced by a figure now walking upright off into the future which represents the past issues all now resolved and a clearer path ahead (ie for The Rickfors Hollies) hence the two albums had related cover paintings
a few guys who worked for The Hollies told me the relevance of the two cover paintings by Colin Elgie and it WOULD explain those items depicted in the pool on 'Distant Light'
later on when he returned Clarke and Hicks were still 'cool' to each other (they were never close friends at all) and in 1974 it was Terry Sylvester who pulled the pair back together as songwriters