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If evidence is needed that sometimes all we have to do is stick with something through the bad times... today was the proof!

One week ago I stood, leaning into a gale force wind, photographing the GK&MC Moto-X racing on an exposed clifftop. It was pretty uncomfortable and I'll admit that I wondered why I was bothering?

Then, just seven days later, it became clear. Sometimes it is GREAT fun... and fun is good!

Standing back on the Motocross track today above the picturesque south coast cliffs of Guernsey taking pics (in the sun) of the racing ticked a lot of my boxes. I was reminded that capturing the peak of Sports action is what I love to do.

So, at the end of an enjoyable days work, I've already forgotten the discomfort of a week ago and this enjoyable day is complete now that I've uploaded the edit of my action pics of the Motocross racing.

Even the writing of this Blog has been easy... although maybe that was 'fueled' by a couple of pints of real ale and a glass or two of red wine.

Everything is good... can you tell? What a difference a week makes!

:-)

My days work is now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MY PICS OF ROUND-2 OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

My weekend was a bit hit or miss really.

The hits were when I couldn't avoid the heavy rain and drizzle... the misses were when I managed to avoid the wet stuff.

Of course when you are a sports photographer there is no excuse to run for cover when the weather turns inclement. No, far from it! If you're lucky you can try and face away from the direction of the precipitation. This way the lenses might stay reasonably free of water but then it will always find a way to dribble down your back!

However whatever the inconvenience you have to keep working.

My biggest soaking of the weekend came at the Guernsey Football Club v Thamesmead Town game at Footes Lane. I had looked at the rain App before getting out of my van and it reckoned that the showers had passed through... I trusted it so I didn't put on the full wet weather gear. Hence the soaking!

I looked a right charlie when I returned home as my left side was drenched through whilst my right side was quite dry! It was worth the discomfort though as I captured a few good pics. They will be uploaded later today.

The first additions to the Gallery from a busy weekend are pics of the GK&MC's first Motocross event of 2018 and Round-2 of their Karting championship.

Those pics are here, more will follow:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-1 OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-2 OF THE KARTING CHAMPIONSHIP

The new Motorsport year doesn't take long to get going again!

Already 2018 has seen the first of the Trials Bike events and today it was the Karters returning to the 'saddle'.

Round 1 of the new Karting Championship featured lots of fresh decals and graphics - and they were very striking too.... Father Christmas seems to know what will be appreciated :-)

I took a chance to take a few pics whilst everything was clean and free of the inevitable 'battle scars'.

The morning was crisp and dry and most enjoyable because of that. It was great for me to get back into the 'normal routine' and looking ahead in the calendar there isn't much let-up until the end of the year! There is even a new Rally event to keep us busy and on our toes.

I'm sure I'll see you sometime soon....

Pics of Round 1 of the Kart Championship can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-1 OF THE KART CHAMPIONSHIP

Today Fauxquet Valley was the centre of the GMC&CC All-Day Trials meeting. I had wondered if it would go ahead after the appalling weather of the last few days.

But I shouldn't of doubted it. Trials riders are rarely put off by a bit of mud... and there was plenty of that!

In places it was difficult to distinguish the tarmac road from the muddy sections! There was a reasonable entry and the atmosphere was quite up-beat for the first Trials event of 2018. Trials riders claerly like it mucky ;-)

I've added a few pics to a new Gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE ALL-DAY TRIALS

In a rare moment (for me) of Festive good spirit and cheer I've started my January Sale already :-)

Whatever the reason... be it the ample partaking of the Single Malt or the mild weather this gives you a chance to make real savings on the regular price of A4 & A3 sized colour prints.

When you purchase 5+ A4 prints they now cost just £6 each.

Order 5+ A3 prints and they now cost just £14 each. I recommend the A3 size as I think that prints look their best when printed BIG.... but I may be biased :-)

These reductions represent savings of up to 25%!

This FESTIVE MADNESS won't last forever so take your chance to pick up an early JANUARY BARGAIN before my rosy glow of Christmas wears off!

The reductions are made automatically as you check your Shopping Cart after adding the required quantity of a print size.

Seasons Greetings to you all.....
CHECK-OUT ALL THE OPTIONS HERE

We can't avoid it. Christmas is on the way and present ideas are in short supply!

So why not think about buying a CUSTOM DESIGNED MONTAGE for a family member or friend.

Or, if you don't know what to add to your own Christmas list why not request a MONTAGE of your own special memory?

These can still be supplied for Christmas... just don't leave it too long!

Details of how to order your INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED MONTAGE can be found here:
CLICK TO VIEW HOW TO ORDER A MONTAGE

If you have any questions or if you prefer to have a chat about a design don't hesitate to contact me here:
E-MAIL ANDREW LE POIDEVIN
Or phone my Mobile: 07781 144525

A cause for celebration.....

Well I know I can’t expect you to get quite so excited as I am today as this celebration is personal to me and this website.

But you might like to enjoy the moment too as the fact you are here reading this Blog means that you are actually part of this occasion… without even knowing it!

The special event is the achievement of another significant number of views of THIS WEBSITE.... but just missing 5,000,000 views in the last twelve months, maybe next time, eh!

I know I sound like a ‘cracked record’ if you read through some of my previous ‘Landmark’ Blogs but my enjoyment of the interest so many people take in my photographic work never fails to surprise and humble me.

The continued and increasing visits to my picture galleries encourages me to continue this work and as time goes by the widening selection of events and occasions that I photograph grows the awareness among Islanders of just how many Sports, Gigs, Events and Places we have available to all Guernsey residents to have fun at and take interest in. There is never a weekend without something to attend.

You’ll never find me moaning about having nothing to do on our beautiful, but small, Channel Island. If you are ever tempted to make such a comment I’d encourage you to look through a few of my picture galleries… you’ll soon see what you have been missing!

Now I’ve allowed myself to get side-tracked, again. What this Blog should be stating is that the viewings of this website have just passed another very significant number.

TWENTY MILLION VIEWS…. That’s 20,000,000 if you like your numbers with noughts on the end. I’m not fussed. I’ll take it either way!

So thank you for your continued interest in my work. This really is a LANDMARK number 😊

I’m also proud of the fact that these views are all on my own self-run website. The viewings and interest are all generated without the benefit and help available when photographers enroll into one of the big, but anonymous, picture gallery sites.

I’d like to take this chance to recommend the website provider and admin that I use to run this site. They are called Photium and I wholeheartedly endorse them to you. This provider has hosted my website for many years with VERY little downtime or other problems. Their tech support if needed is usually - literally - just minutes in responding. They also offer a good choice of packages and even a Trial to see if the options suit your needs.

If you have been considering starting a website of your own it’s well worth having a look at: CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTIUM WEBSITE

Please continue making occasional visits to view the latest updates to my Galleries… maybe even buy an occasional print or two! You can then be part of the next MILLION MILESTONE.

I hope to see you out and about at one of Guernsey’s many varied events sometime soon. Remember... NEVER SAY THAT NOTHING GOES ON IN GUERNSEY, you just haven’t opened your eyes and made the effort to find out!

You can view a few of my previous MILESTONE BLOGS here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW SOME OF MY PREVIOUS MILESTONE BLOGS

I mentioned in yesterday's Blog what a wonderful mild autumnal weekend we have enjoyed in Guernsey.

I also commented how I passed a father and son making the best of the weather by building sand castles on Chouet beach, in the middle of November!

However I didn't have time to join them as I was already late arriving at the Autocross meeting after photographing the MTB XC in Talbot Valley. Those pics are here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE MTB XC

I'm pleased to say that I did have time to capture some of the Banger action and it is those pics that are the next uploads to the Gallery.

Take a look at them here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND 5 OF THE AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

What a fantastic November day in Guernsey.

The perfect illustration was when I walked down onto Chouet beach to photograph the Banger racing and I passed a father making sand castles with his son... the day was just too good to waste!

It's been a busy weekend of 'togging for me including GFC football (a great 5-2 win lads) at Footes Lane, Ten bouts of dinner boxing at St Pierre Park Hotel. A gig - for a change!

The first round of the Guernsey Velo Club's Winter MTB XC in a seasonal Talbot Valley.... and then on to the Autocross racing at Chouet. Love it!

All the pics will follow, but for now the MTB XC gallery is online here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 1 OF THE GVC WINTER XC SERIES

I've covered three motorsport events over the weekend together with Cross Country running and a gig.

The mucky part of the weekend was definitively the Trials event!

I'll be honest with you here, I found myself hovering around a rather slippery muddy pit filled with water (make that sticky wet mud). My hope - sorry guys - was that one unfortunate rider would drop into the pit and struggle to get out... I'd capture the picture. Job done. A guaranteed back page shot!

In the end the drama didn't unfold... however that doesn't mean the riders avoided getting wet and dirty and I did get some dramatic pics.

I've now added the first pics to my picture galleries. Take a look here at the Trials, Autocross and Karting pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MUDDY TRIALS PICS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE KARTING PICS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE AUTOCROSS PICS

I've updated the Motorsport Gallery with the latest event pics.

Follow this link to view action from Saturdays Motocross racing, Round-7.

The track looked to be in great condition so it was a bit disappointing to see the A-Group MX 2 Class with so few riders. I reckon that the day offered just about perfect racing... it was dry and the wind-chill was easily sorted by an extra layer of clothing!

Let's hope the turnout improves for the next race.

The pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND-7 OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

I'm sorry to say that occasionally I am reminded that I'm only a couple of years away from my theoretical retirement. I call it theoretical as at the moment I don't think for a minute that I could possibly give up on a working day!

Maybe I'll mellow and slow down as time passes by for now I seem to be working as hard as any other time in my life.

But... there's always a but! I can't deny that after a prolonged period of work my body simply doesn't recover from the effort as well as it used to. Sad but true.

I'm currently in that 'zone' after a very busy weekend which included a sixteen hour day on Saturday!

The workload has included coverage of:
Creasey's Junior Open Badminton Championship at the Rohais
St Martins v St Pauls football at Blanche Piere Lane
Columbians v Indies Hockey at Footes Lane
Guernsey v Cannon Royals Basketball at St Sampsons High
Twelve bouts of Boxing Guernsey ABC v England UNI at Beau Sejour
Round 8 of the GK&MC Summer Kart Series at The Track
Round 3 of the Autocross Club Winter Championship at Chouet
and GMC&CC Trials at Corbiere.

All these assignments are only 'half done' once the pics are taken as they then need to be sorted, edited, tagged and sent off to the particular clients. And I haven't even mentioned the updates needed on this website and the processing of the orders for prints and files as they come in!

Phew, no wonder I'm knackered!

However there's no slacking yet as the main editing and updating has only just begun. You can check out the results so far in these new Galleries:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND 8 OF THE SUMMER KART SERIES

CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND 3 OF THE WINTER AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE TRIALS EVENT AT CORBIERE

I photographed three sports at the weekend.

Each one involved racing with the fastest movers taking the podium spots.

The difference was the how competitors got from start to finish.

On Saturday the first racers had the benefit of an engine... they were riding Motocross bikes and they literally flew!

I photographed the action until the lunch break and then I headed north to Delancey Park where competitors had to rely on their own 'horse power' as they ran around the Cross Country course in the first race of the 2017/18 FNB XC Series.

On Sunday there was more racing to photograph... again on two wheels but this time it was only man-power getting the riders to the finish line. A course had been set up in the Guet for round 3 of the Guernsey Velo Club's Mini Enduro Series.

Photographing the three events made up just a part of another busy weekend and they are the first galleries that are online. Follow these links to view the pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MOTOCROSS RACING
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FNB XC RACE
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MINI ENDURO RACING

The final hillclimb of the 2017 season took place at the tight and slippery when wet Petit Bot hill today.

Luckily the morning started dry which gave the chance to topple a couple of established records.

Any hillclimb that sees new low marks entered into the record book has to qualify as a success but, never the less, it was a disappointment that the racing finished early after persistent rain and drizzle meant that there was no chance of competitors beating their earlier times.

I've added a new picture gallery featuring the days racing at Petit Bot.

Take a look at the action here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2017 PETIT BOT HILLCLIMB

Saturday saw the first time that a hillclimb has been organised on the Rue des Villains/Rue des Portelettes in Torteval... the Imperial Hill.

Many competitors had this hill on their wish list and due to the huge amount of work put in by GK&MC President Karl Marshal and his team it all came together for the inaugural event. Even the weather had been sorted!

Unfortunately the bikers were missing as the hill hadn't been signed off by the ACU. Maybe they'll be there next time?

Also it was a disappointment that the karter's missed a days racing. After a rather nasty accident early in the day officials judged that the hill, which has granite walls either side of the road, was just too dangerous for 'exposed' karters.

But this still left a big turn-out of car drivers. The line-up included several competitors who dusted off their machinery so they could tick this new event off their 'bucket list'.

The day produced some fantastic competition together with a few classes not being won by the 'bookies favorite'. This was good for the sport as it keeps things interesting at the front.

As a photographer I enjoyed the challenge of making a new hill 'work' for me and I was pleased with the overall results. I ended up taking more pics than usual as I worked my way along the course.... leaving me with a bigger edit!

I've just added quite a big gallery of pics to this website. As always I've tried to represent everyone's racing but I also have a few more pics that can be viewed on my laptop computer database... contact me if you want to see more pics of your own personal seasons racing.

It would be fantastic if you could support my work by clicking the 'Buy Now' button (I know, this is a blatant plug!!)

This is a link to the Unite the Union Imperial Hillclimb:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE IMPRESSIVE IMPERIAL HILLCLIMB

I hate to start a Blog on a negative note.

But I'm afraid that I have been left with a feeling of disappointment and concern after returning from the 2017 three-day Alderney motorsport weekend.

The mood has come over me, ironically, because I had such a great time over in our sister Island... it's always been the same.

I think I'm probably speaking for the vast majority of the competitors, family and friends who make the complicated and expensive effort to visit Alderney for the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club organized racing when I say that, after the initial hassle and niggles, we all settle into the pace of small Island life and combine the love of motorsport with spending time with friends... and socializing a bit too!

So I hear you ask... 'Why the disappointment and concern?'

Well, once again, the talk amongst the guys during the weekend often turned to the possibility that this year could be the last ever Alderney weekend. In fact I spoke to one person who said he had made a point of going this year as he felt it would actually be the last one.

So I refer to the title of this Blog. Let the campaign begin....

I want to encourage everyone who has ever visited Alderney for the racing, recently or way back, to start talking about running an event again next year. You need to make an effort to spread the word about how much fun it is.

I know that life changes and the availability of Track Days and the additions to the local Motorsport calendar have given people more options than years ago but none of those events have the 'special charm' that the Alderney events offer.

I think this is a classic case of 'Use it, or loose it'.

So, there you go, I've started the campaign. Now you have to help too!

This years three Alderney weekend picture galleries are now online. Check out the fun here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE FORT CORBLETS SPRINT
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE LE GRANDE VAL SPEED EVENT
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE FORT TOURGIS HILLCLIMB

I've already commented in a previous Blog that the August/September time seems to go into work overload!

It seems that the different 'compartments' of my life - both work/family/garden/cottage maintenance - and all the other things that keep our day-to-day survival running smoothly peak at the same time.

In a way this spoils the 'fun' which my life generally is. I'm a really lucky guy.

I'm able to just take the photo jobs that appeal to me and (most importantly) my missus allows me a long tether to do what I want. Of course having a long tether gives plenty opportunity to get it tangled around my neck if I step out of line. Not so good!

So I'm just back from photographing the Jersey Weekender Festival.

That qualifies as fun - even though one of the days was very wet. But hey, it's a festival so we just get on with it and a few beers, good music and the darkness of the night all come together to take your mind off of the discomfort.

But I'm now back in the studio facing the workload. I've got so much editing to do and now the only way through it is to put the hours in. During the next few days I hope to add many new Galleries. Keep a look at this Blog for the latest updates.

This is the latest update featuring the GK&MC 2-Day Motocross meeting:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2-DAY MOTOCROSS MEETING

The end of August and the start of September is traditionally a very busy period for me as every genre of photography that I specialize in hits a peak at this time.

This year is no different and I've enjoyed an amazing variety of photo-shoots during the last month and a quick look in the diary shows lots more of the same to come :-)

This all leads to an inevitable log-jam of edits waiting (backed up) on the hard drives.

Thankfully a couple of free hours this morning brings a quick update online in the Hillclimb Gallery featuring yesterday's GMC&CC Bank Holiday event at Le Val des Terres.

I'll be sorting through as many more updates as I can in the next two days before I go over to Jersey for some Commercial work followed by two days of Weekender Festival photography.... as I always say, I love my job!

The Hillclimb pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE BANK HOLIDAY HILLCLIMB

There were changes made for the 2017 Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club's Vale Castle Sprint... it was run backwards! Or at least it was raced in the opposite direction :-)

It remained a fast event requiring commitment and precise driving.

Unfortunately the ACU were unable to sign off the reverse running of the course for the bike riders so it was just the four wheeled racers who had the chance to try out the Sprint in 2017. Hopefully this will be sorted by next year.

I think most of the competitors enjoyed their days racing but one driver will remember the day more than the others. Harry Teal had a BIG crash after the finish line on his practice run. Thankfully he avoided serious injury.

The crash was pretty spectacular by the accounts of those who saw it! I'm sure Harry will be telling you all about it sometime in the future ;-)

My pics of the Vale Castle Sprint are now omline here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2017 VALE CASTLE SPRINT

Well how about that. I turn my back for a couple of days and the viewing total on this website passes through another MILLION MILESTONE!

I've been very busy for the last week and it seems that the 18 MILLION VIEWS total was broken at the weekend... and I've only just noticed!

What is also quite amazing is that the last five days has seen an extra 100,000 views added to the total!

Thanks for the continued support :-)

You can read a few of the previous MILLION MILESTONE Blogs by clicking here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PREVIOUS MILLION MILESTONE BLOGS