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Photography

I've always loved photography. My earliest pictures were taken when I was 13 years old [see below]. Then I progressed from B & W to .... 35 mm slides .... colour film .... and finally digital photography. As I approached my 21st birthday, my father asked me "What would you like for your birthday? A new camera or a trip to the Holy Land?" You can probably guess my reply.  A few samples of my pictures, shown below, are taken from over 30,000 in my picture library. It was a difficult - no, an impossible - job of selection.

When I was 13, we went - as a family - on holiday to southern Ireland. That was in 1952.

Left is my brother, Peter, on the top of Mangerton Mountain, during that holiday

Black & White

Days

My diary of the 1952 holiday reads:

"This photo gives a good view of the church ruins, which stand about 60 yards away from the monastery, situated on a small hill. In the far corner of the church is a well preserved altar."

My final tour of Ireland-Connemara, Donegal and the Mourne Mountains - took place in 1957. Faintly on the skyline is the outline of Croagh Patrick, which I climbed during this wonderful holiday. Enough!   It was all over 60 years ago.....

I was 18 and the diary was typed - on a typewriter! It lists the total miles as "By air, 800: by car, 520:  by bike, 530: rowing, 11: walking 30=total 1,891."   Yes, on this occasion I 'cheated' and had to hire a car, as my legs were badly sun-burned, and cycling finally became impossible.

I was 22 years old, on honeymoon, when this one was taken. I have earlier pictures, but they wouldn't show to advantage on a web site! This - and the picture opposite - were taken from 35mm slides.

35mm Days

In 1963 I bought an ambulance from Southampton Motor Auctions. It cost me £60. On the way home from the auction, the police held up traffic to let me pass. Then my wife made me take off the "Ambulance" signs ..... We pulled a collapsible, tiny caravan behind us .... Happy days! I finally sold the ambulance, two years later - for £60!

Taken around 1980: our family was complete. Sadly, over 2,000 35mm slides were destroyed in flooding. Some could be rescued, but with severe damage. This rescued slide shows John-Paul, Lucy and Mark.

35mm Days

By 1970: I was working as a consultant with W.H.Smith in London. Our transport and caravan had gone a bit up-market! We spent many happy week-ends caravanning, and I formed the "Thousand Caravan Club" driving to over 25 rallies one year.

From the late 1960's until the early 1990's I used photography in my work as an Industrial Engineer, in factories in the UK, Europe and Russia. These pictures are long gone. However, I do have some colour photo's from the 90's, and two are shown below...

We went to the island of Gozo in 1997. This is one of the 365 churches on the Island - one for each day of the year!

A delight for photographers - we even saw a church with two clocks, each telling a different time! When we asked why, we were told it was to confuse the devil if he visited. It certainly confused us!

Colour Photo Days

Gill came with me on this trip to Goa in 1998, and you have to admit that we travelled in style. There was a small problem with the scooter.... the headlight illuminated the road only when it was travelling at 30 m.p.h. or more. So when, at night, you were driving along a pot-holed road and came to a cross roads, you did NOT slow down or stop, or you were in complete darkness!

DigitalDays

Digital Days? With over 18,000 pictures to choose from, the choice is impossible! So here we have one of the earliest - and one of the latest!

I think this was taken in 2003. Gill, Grand-daughter Ella, and me.

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And finally, taken in December 2013. our local choir's Christmas Tree, which won the competition for the best tree in the church Tree Festival.

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