Had a really good day at the RSPB site, Rye Meads in Hoddesdon. Great facilities and friendly staff. Well worth the visit.]]>
Had a lovely few days break in Charmouth which is on the border of Dorset and South Devon
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Bangalore is so full of life and interest. Indian street food is amazing and I love the Paani Puri. There are vendors to be found almost everywhere. However this image shows just how much India has progressed with the vendor keeping himself occupied on his mobile whilst waiting for customers.
However you still need to beware of broken pavements.
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Recently with the help of volunteers and other charities Nirmala Vidyalaya School, part of ACTS, opened its new library. The artwork in the library was produced with the help from a number of students from a local art college. The library is an unusual but exciting concept. During the library periods the children can choose which books they wish to read. Bean bags are available for the children to sit on and often they sit under the desk in what is a very conducive environment for reading. It is a very popular part of the school curriculum. The books have been donated and reflect the Indian environment.
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Thought folks might like to see where I stay when in India.
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January 26 was the 69th Celebration of India's Constitution as a republic. Despite being a holiday the students of Nirmala Vidyalaya School, like many other schools, held a commemorative event which included the raising of the Indian flag; a march past; dancing; singing and a brief talk to the students. Nirmala Vidyalaya School is a rural school for children from the poorer communities. It was started a few years ago, by, Acts, with about 80 village children. It now has in excess of 800 students! I was a guest of honour however it did seem strange when during the speech the speaker mentioned that the Constitution came into being as a result of the bravery of the freedom fighters who fought to overthrow British rule! However I was warmly welcomed by the students and faculty and provided with a very tasty Indian breakfast.
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I arrived in india, 25 January at 5.10am or 11.40pm the previous day UK time. I am here for four weeks. I had one of the scariest taxi journeys from the airport; firstly because the taxi driver was driving so fast because wanted to get home before there was a total strike in Koramangala which was scheduled to start at 9.00 am. His driving made one pray even if you didn't believe in God. Secondly I also learnt that it is possible to drive at 60 miles an hour and text, using both hands, whilst on a mobile. In the end I had to shout at the taxi driver to put the phone down and drive sensibily or he wasn't going to get a tip. Stupidly I then asked about his family and he told me had had two daughters one 3 years and the other 18 months. Then using both hands on the phone, whilst driving, he found their pictures and turned around to show me! I said if he carried on driving that way he might not see them again! He got the message.
It is three years since I was last here and my first impressions are some things have changed but the dirt and dust remains the same. In fact I think it is the same dirt and dust. Anyway the strike ended at 6pm our time, so the grocery stores opened and I was able to get all the washing up liquid; cloths; scrubbers; toilet cleansers; detol and brushes to try and get the flat back to some level of I will say, 'dustfreeness', for under the dust it is quiet clean. Made my bed and then went to the local tandoori hut for supper - It tasted so good. So at the moment I am feeling shattered - it is still 25 degrees but will cool to about 16 degrees early monrng.
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For a number of years it has been a joy to attend what is known as 'the family friendly' festival. It has been taking place since 1976 with Fairport Convention taking the main organising role as well as opening and closing the festival. This year Gryphon were one of the acts this year a British progressive rock band formed in the 1970s and best known for their unusual medieval and Renaissance sound and instrumentation. Brian Gulland one of the members of the group kindly allowed me to take this picture of him.]]>
This was the second year I have been to the Notting Hill Carnival.
Held in August year the Notting Hill Carnival is Europe's biggest street party.
The Notting Hill Carnival is the largest street festival in Europe and originated in 1964 as a way for Afro-Caribbean communities to celebrate their own cultures and traditions. The crowds are massive and whilst there is some trouble it is small in comparison to the numbers attending. I love the colour and music and joy that defines the celebration. Credit must go to the police who overall manage this event with a great deal of sensitivity
]]>With the weather forecast predicting 'wall to wall' sunshine for our fourth day we decided not to leave until the earliest mid afternoon. The weather forecast was 'on the nail'. I was woken at 5am by the sheep farmer who had brought early morning breakfast for the sheep and it was an exquisite last morning with a beautiful sunrise and being serenaded by the bleating sheep as they came from all quarters of the fields to claim their breakfast! A final hearty cooked breakfast; car packed and we were on our way to climb Graystones, 1200 feet high, via Kirk Fell. Unbelievably the fleece was left in the car and we set out in short sleeves, in glorious sunshine and that was the way it was for the whole climb. A somewhat boggy walk with wet moss but great fun avoiding filling your boots with water! The route followed a beautiful beck and after negotiating some stone walls it was a steady climb to the summit. To avoid getting chilled I put a jacket on whilst I ate lunch on the summit but it wasn't really necessary.
Lunch was followed by a leisurely descent via Ling Fell and back to the car and my short break was all over bar the long drive home! I cannot wait to go back again.
After a good breakfast we drove into Keswick to hire the cycles from Keswick Bikes https://www.keswickbikes.co.uk/ . Despite the fact that the business had been badly affected, earlier this year, by the floods, the shop was in pristine condition and the service we received was exemplary. Nothing was too much trouble. They even suggested some possible routes. We started out following their suggestion but soon worked out our own route. Firstly we headed towards Buttemere but soon turned off and started to head towards Catbells, (peak 1,480 feet) to take a circular tour of Lake Derwentwater.
The riding was energetic with a number of hills to climb but this was mostly rewarded by enjoying a freewheeling ride downhill after reaching each peak. I have to confess some of the hills required me to get off and push the bike but nevertheless this did not detract from the enjoyment of the experience. This was especially the case as, being out of season, there were few cars on the road. The ride also gave the opportunity to stop and enjoy the beauty of the area.
After nearly five hours of cycling, including a well earned stop for a lovely lunch, we headed back to Keswick and returned the bikes and stopped to have a well earned cup of coffee. (to be cont>)
It was very peaceful with few people about and for some of the time I just sat and enjoyed the tranquility and the beautiful fresh air.
We then made a slight detour around the Lake where we could see some of the damage caused by the rains earlier this year but even this looked beautiful.
Although the setting sun didn't fully live up to my expectations the Lake District always does. I watched the sun slowly sink in the sky and wondered when the next time would be that I would enjoy a sunset in this magnificent part of England - not long of that I am certain
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The descent was past St Margaret's Church, consecrated in 1866, where the colour of daffodils in full bloom were stark against the grave stones. A beautiful little church and a peaceful place to stop and take in all the beauty of the area.
We decided that a gentle drive into Keswick would be a perfect end to the day with a fish and chip supper. Supper was very quickly eaten and we wandered down to Lake Derwentwater to enjoy what promised to be a beautiful sunset which fully met my expectations.
One of the most beautiful places in England is the National Park known as the Lake District. There are two main areas - the South and the North Lakes. Heavy flooding in the early part of this year means that a number of areas are still inaccessible by road and to an extent the South and North Lakes are cut off from each other without having to make a major detour. However there is still plenty to be enjoyed and this should not put people off from going.
I now have a four day holiday and on this the first day, after an early morning drive, we arrived in Keswick. Our first climb of the holiday was Dale Head. We started at the Grange for a climb of 2350 feet and walked past Castle Crag and then turned for the major steep climb up to the summit. However the path was a mixture of loose stones and scree and although I made a good distance I realised my 'dodgy' knees were going to struggle with the descent. Although not far from the summit I felt it was dangerous to continue and my colleague graciously agreed that he would come back down with me. I was not disappointed as the views of the area are spectacular as the picture looking down over Seatoller shows. To finish the walk we walked alongside Honister Pass for a few miles and watched in awe as one cyclist after another attempted and in most cases, succeeded in climbing the ascent! For the first day although the weather was cold and blustery there was no rain which is remarkable in itself!
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One of the most moving experiences I can recollect. The 'installation' by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper at the Tower of London has over 800,000 ceramic poppies; each poppy representing a soldier who died fighting in the Great War of 1914-18 for peace. We should never forget their great sacrifice and treasure the freedom we have because of their sacrifice.]]>
One of the challenges of India is learning to cross the road at four way intersection. It is very much a case of 'your life in their hands'. I made it this time the poor motorcyclist had a bump]]>
Eid Bakrid. I have been in India since last Thursday and this seems to be the third day of holidays. This time it is Eid Bakrid. This is Rashmi who kindly let me take her photo as she has her arms decorated as part of the celebration. This amazing handiwork is all done freehand. I was so captivated I thought about having my arms done as well!! The Eid is one of 'sacrifice' and there will be prayers and the slaughter of a goat with the meat being shared around. Of course it wouldn't be Eid without some sweets as well.]]>
There is always a lot to see when walking down the streets of Bangalore and this balloon seller caught my eye. My first thought was that he was the Indian equivalent of Mary Poppins and wasn't actually pushing the bike but holding it down to stop it floating away. Then I saw the balloons he was selling and wondered where he had managed to buy them and who actually brought them from him. I guess he brought them from Trotters Independent Traders of Only Fools and Horses fame!!!!]]>
Arrived back in India after a two hour delay at London Heathrow to the Indian festival of Dussehra, one of the most important Indian festivals celebrated by Hindus. It is the celebration of Lord Rama over Ravana. Many of the houses and businesses have these colourful artwork designs on the pavements. These are made freehand usually using some form of coloured chalk. The accuracy of the artwork is amazing and the colours vivid. However they barely last more than 24 hours and less if it rains! During the evening the families come out to enjoy an evening of food, sweets and entertainment and everywhere seems to be lit with coloured lights]]>
In the UK there is a challenge called the Three Peaks challenge. Individuals or teams seek to raise donations for charities by climbing the three largest mountain peaks in the UK. Namely Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scarfell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales. My son was involved in a team challenge for the Prince's Trustfor charity. Having completed Ben Nevis and Scarfell Pike yesterday, Snowden was their target today. Unfortunately with winds of 50mph, poor visibility, heavy rain and two teams members suffering injuries they were only able to make it 2/3rds of the way up before they were advised to abandon the attempt. However what they achieved was magnificent and I am very proud of my son.]]>
If you own a motorbike, and decide to have a sunday afternoon with the family in Bangalore, then you might as well maximise the seating capacity of the motorbike. I bet the driver was thankful his wife didn’t want to come along as well. If you look closely you can see six people on the bike!
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Craster. Northumberland coastal path
Second day of walking and the weather has been remarkably kind. Decided to walk the coastal path from Dunstanburgh Castle to Boulmer. It started out quite pleasantly with a mix of light showers and sunshine. At times the sun was so warm that it felt more like a Spring day rather than the end of Winter. However a couple of hours into the walk the wind started to get up and was blowing at some 30mph but then gusts of 50mph started to become more prevalent. Such was the strength of the winds that walking became very difficult and it was necessary to turn round and return. However the total walk was still approximately 15 – 18 miles so all in all a good day.
With some spare time took the opportunity to visit Bamburgh Castle and walking along the beach it was like walking in the Sahara Desert with the wind whipping the sand across the beach. A fantastic exhilarating walk that gave me a good appetite so am now ready for dinner.
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Simonside HIlls, Northumberland
In Northumberland for a few days in the hope that the weather would be kind and allow some walking. Today was the first day and although cloudy the weather was surprisingly warm. So much so that I was actually perspiring for a lot of the return journey.
Northumberland was delightful as we set out to climb the Simonside Hills. With the various peaks either just below 1000 feet or slightly above the walking is not hard but with wet ground underfoot it is not easy either. Including stops to admire the beautiful scenes the walk last just about 5 hours and about 15 miles long. A walk i would throughly recommend especially if the rain holds off as it did. It rained just as we got back to our guest house. Now that is what I call planning!
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This month I had the privilege of working with Hayley, a model from Aldershot. As this shoot was going to be in a confined space the ability to use large strobes was not appropriate. This was going to be a shoot just using Speedlights . I was a little nervous as I had not used this mode of lighting ‘in anger’ before. I sought the advice of some colleagues who explained that, because it is not easy to meter the light, this would be more on ‘a trial and error basis’. Although help would be available I was determined I would ‘work it out for myself’.
I was amazed the amount of light three Speedlights can produce and the ease and flexibility of use. I had a few light modifiers to soften the light as I did find it a little harsh. Also I found it helpful to explain to the model why the lights needed to be so close so that the light did not fall off too rapidly.
Overall I was pleased with the shoot and although I made a number of mistakes I produced a number of very good images. I missed the amount if control I have when using large strobes but that is to be expected as I am somewhat of a control freak!
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I have always had great admiration for those, who cannot see, on their ability to ‘get around’. My admiration increased yesterday as I watched these folk from a local blind school learning not only to negotiate the pavements of Bangalore but crossing the busy roads, which I find scary. Also have real respect for the patience of those who were training them.
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Not all is at it seems
At times you wonder if India is such a conservative country! However for my friends from the west the advert does not mean what you think it might and PG does not mean parental guidance. It is advertising accommodation for female paying guests! Sorry:)
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This sign was in a food hall in Bangalore
]]>Initial impressions of India since my last trip seven months ago. Lot more high rise structures that Bangalore’s infrastructure, I am sure, will find difficulty to support but very little improvement, if any, for the majority of the citizens. However the people remain as hospitable as ever and it is good to have the opportunity to return.
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