Day 99 - Au Revoir!

Passport - check

Euros - check

Sun cream - check (better need it)

Train tickets - check

I'll be seeing ya!

Photo courtesy of Wendy's new funky heart vase!

Day 98 - Angelic!!

So yesterday was Depth and today is the Cemetery photo shoot results, this was the afternoon session of our London photo walk - at Kensal Green Cemetary!  

Walking amongst the crypts, gravestones and statues was really interesting and its amazing how grand some of these crypts are.....

There was an overwhelming favourite photo by all judges and Facebook friends......The Angel!

Strangely enough two people entered the same angel, great minds!

So here are Simon's thoughts:

Cemetery

1st - angels heads (pics 1 and 5).  Yes, I know I'm cheating as that's two pictures, but they are both so similar!  Really atmospheric.

Well done my very own angels, Linda & Jackie! Sorry had to Instagram it for the blog!!!

2nd - tomb in a shaft of sunlight ( pic 4).  I loved the play of light in this, and the restful feel.

Clive, second from both judges....well done!

3rd - rows of graves (pic 2).  I thought this really captured some of the higgledy-piggledy nature of the graves, and how closely they are buried together.

And Dick...3rd spot 

Right better start getting a date in the diary for our next walk with Simon!

Day 97 - Depth Decided!

Tonight is the results of our photographic day in London!  It is a real fun day but it is nice to get a bit competitive.  The morning sessions theme was depth!  We ask our London guide Simon to choose his top 3 and also the untrained but enthusiastic Nat!

It is really interesting what images they choose and it differs quite a lot, photography is such a personal thing.  What one person likes and sees is completely different to someone else!

Nat's votes have been cast and were added to Facebook last night - I didn't feature....rude, she got some very abusive texts!

This is what Simon thought:

Depth

1st - bunting flags. Really nice control of the shallow depth of field and a strong line from the flags and the railings give a real sense of depth.  Great picture. 

Yay, it's mine.....got gold! Natalie :-)

2nd - view through gates to Classic Camera sign.  I liked the framing provided by the gates, and the transition from light through dark and to light again.  ***photo can be found on FB***

Dick, congratulations a 2nd from Simon and a bronze position from Natalie!

3rd - alleyway with bins (sounds like a Tracey Emin installation when I put it like that!).  The path of sunlight provides a strong line leading you into the photo; and as in the previous image, the edge of the bars on left and right provides some nice framing.  Gritty, urban photography!  ***photo can be found on FB***

Dearest Auntie, you have always had a gritty, urban edge :-)

Tomorrow will be Simon's Death (Cemetary) results.....

Day 96 - I couldn't beelieve it!!

Chatting on the train yesterday and Solange threw "Disco Bees" into the conversation!!! 

We had to pause the conversation and asked her to rewind....we then learnt about this new app game called Disco Bees....a bee themed candy crush I think!?

....I was not tempted by the honey gatherers, but Dicky couldn't resist and it wasn't long before he had ninja bees whizzing across his Samsung!  Don't ask as you could get sucked into a dangerous world!

I know how dangerously obsessive these games get as I was dragged into the world of Hay Day, and only strong will power saved my sanity and I closed WombatTree's farm for good. Oh and I was getting bored of making chicken feed!

So Solange and Dicky beehave and bee careful!

Day 95 - Xtremely close.....

So the alarm went off at 730, and I think I was still pickled by Prosecco!  Also I had the re-occurring after taste of the late night crisps we devoured.....yuck!!

Darren, Richard, Solange and I got on the 9:09 train to Wembley!  For our Xciting X-factor Xperience....

An hour to Charing Cross then the longest tube journey....isn't Wembley an arse to get to!?

But by 11 we were in the queue!  Even though we had a ticket they over allocate so we weren't guaranteed to get in.....but we were confident as we weren't that far back and there were hundreds of people behind us!

Sun shining, nibbling on M&S delicious picnic bits (thx Sol!) and watching contestants being interviewed was thirsty work....so Solange subtly popped her cork in the queue and Prosecco flowed.....again!!

We edged closer and spotted Dermot doing his interviews!  But after a couple of hours in the queue we started getting nervous as we saw hundreds of people behind us being cut from the queue....a guy in a black t-shirt was like the grim reaper and kept edging closer to us....finally we given four nos and our X-factor dream was over :-(

To send out that many tickets was bad as loads of people got turned away....but what do you do when disappointment strikes?  Find a weatherspoons of course.....

Day 94 - Dicky does Tree!!!!

Today Gary Tree has let me, Dickie be a guest blogger after spending the day with him.

What a responsibility! 

So how do I blog, f**k knows!

So I will give it a go. Today I went to a BBQ with some lovely people so this is for you;

Clive: you are an absolute legend and are an absolute pleasure to be with and I  love your sun glasses. Any one that says anything else, sod em.

Jackie: your laugh could light a room, I truly hope to get to know you better.

I can see how much you care about everyone around you, both friends and family 

Dick: BBQ king, fire fighter and absolute legend. You share our humour especially towards Chavis, let's face it to be her friend u have to have a good sense of humour.

Linda: thank you for showing me your chihuahua! That is not a euphonisim.

But seriously thank you so much for co hosting.

Sarah & Emma: thank you beautiful girls for hosting but more importantly your friendship which means the world.  Although we haven't known each other for years we value your friendship and your support for the years we have known each other.

Kerry: lovely to meet you, wonderful sence of humour and I hope to see you again (although Helen from BB really?)

Carl & Marcin: I don't need to say much, you are the best friends a boy could ask for, kind, loving and always there for you.

Darren:  u have made all my dreams come true as our friends can vouch for.

You are my soul mate 

And finally.......

Gary Tree: you my darling have been one of the best friends a boy could ask for.

We have shared, laughed and almost cried.

Anyone that has read my babble will have read it because we have one thing in common.........

WE LOVE GARY TREE

Day 93 - The Weak Willow

Woke up in a right old state.....

Maybe it was that last Cobra beer (I shouldn't of had!), the lack of sleep in my sauna of a room, being woken up on the wrong side of dawn or the never ending digesting lamb curry!?

Today has been a right old struggle and I even had to cry off tonight's drink in the Pantiles! So I am sitting here on the sofa enjoying the Commonwealth Games and a cheeky G+T!  It is Friday after all and I can't have a cuppa, just wrong....

My montage photo was from Jazz night....

Smiley Riley, Nat in teaching mode, night over the bandstand and triple trouble!

Don't worry Sarah & Emma, I maybe like a weak willow today but the crumble is done and Prosecco is chilling! #BBQ

The awesome Oak will be back on form tomorrow!