News / Blog - Events News

With Guernsey hosting the Island Games this year and the countdown running fast every aspect of the games is coming together.

Meetings and training sessions are filling the calendar as so much has to be organized to make the games run smoothly. The target of all involved is to showcase what Guernsey can do. We've done it before and this time will be even better!

Part of the prep is for the different sports to test out how their events will run and this is what happened at Delancey Park on Sunday.

The GVC ran one of their Summer MTB XC championship races on the circuit that will be part of the Island Games MTB XC series.

Things looked good and I think the track offered a great mix of challenges. I worked at finding good spots to photograph from. Some worked, others less so.

It looks like I'm going to have to put more effort into my own performance too!

The countdown is running fast... and we all can't wait to get going!

My pics of the MTB racing are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW RACE 2 OF THE SUMMER MTB XC SERIES

As time passes and memories fade Guernsey's Liberation Day celebrations have changed. And for 2023, May the 9th felt more like a traditional Bank Holiday.

Parishes took different approaches to how they would mark the day. Some made an effort, others didn't.

St Andrews left the entertainment to The Last Post and that is where I headed. A tradition has been established by the Pub to promote a lineup of live acts on May 9th and this has proved to be a popular draw for music lovers.

The 2023 edition featured some of the recent new local favorites.

It was a shame the weather was dull and at times damp but the hardcore of the local music scene are not easily put off!

I've added a small gallery featuring some of the performances:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2023 LIBERATION DAY BANDS

Once again Ronez opened Les Vardes Quarry for a charity event titled 'MTB Mayhem'. What a great name!

The guys had certainly been busy laying out multiple features in the Quarry including the biggest berm I've ever seen, huge piles of gravel, twisting routes through piles of boulders and much more!

I came away from the event impressed and pleased that such a thing can still be organized in this Health and Safety dominated world.

It was satisfying and a pleasure to see - predominantly young (and many young at heart) people having fun in what was certainly a potentially dangerous environment. I saw a couple of people 'stack it' but they got up, dusted themselves off (there was a lot of dust!) and carried on!

Some of the features were definitely a bit risky but the youngsters were trusted to know their own limits and supervision was minimal.

I realized that this event offered a look back to how things used to be for people of my generation (born in the fifties). Back then as kids we jumped on our bikes and explored our limitations. Of course we sometimes got home with blooded knees and elbows but our parents just accepted it as something that happens.

They trusted us to know how far we pushed our luck... and it was fun and character building. It's nice to know that the youth of today, when given the chance, haven't changed a bit!

Thank you Ronez... you make the best playgrounds ever!!
I captured some of the fun. Take a look here:
CLICK TO VIEW RONEZ MAYHEM 2023

I've been catching up with the edit of a couple of photo-shoots.

The latest update features the Guernsey Velo Club's Summer Cross Country event last weekend at L'Ancresse over the Island Games course.

This was a great chance to recce the route... for competitors and photographers too!

There was a good variety of features to challenge riders combining some tight and technical sections then moving on to open sections of the Common. All this was with a beautiful backdrop of L'Ancresse Common and Pembroke Bay.

We have fingers crossed that the day of the Island Games race is bright and sunny as it will be a fantastic setting for a large crowd of spectators. See you all then.... in the sun?!

My pics are online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE L'ANCRESSE ISLAND GAMES XC COURSE

I think the edit of the Lock-in 7 pics rate amongst the biggest that I've done.

The numbers probably rival how many shots I have taken at a three-day music festival covering different stages, a couple of dozen bands together with shots of the atmosphere all spread over many days/hours!

During the Lock-in edit I wondered why I took quite so many pics (over a thousand)... but then when I looked at them the action really was non-stop.... even though the contests only lasted for a maximum of three two minute rounds. Total six minutes!!

But at the end of the day I'm really pleased that I was able to give such a complete coverage.

Also I must say that I really appreciate the amazing support shown by the fighters who have purchased Digital files, prints and Canvases. Thank you.

The final bouts together with the Ring Girls and the Atmosphere have new Galleries here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE COMPLETED LOCK-IN 7 GALLERIES

Cage & Stage Productions returned to Beau Sejour after a few years break with another Lock-in event. This one was No.7 and the best yet!

The evening consisted of fourteen bouts in front of a capacity - and noisy crowd.

The action was non-stop and I was as fatigued as the boxers after chasing the best action shots all night - both up the ladder and through the cage. This was both a challenge and great fun!

These Galleries feature all the Bouts and a feel for the atmosphere. I hope you like them.

PLEASE NOTE that these pics are here for you to LOOK AT - NOT copy/steal for your profiles.

There are options to purchase Digital files which will be higher resolution than the Gallery pics and without the big watermark.

Another way to remember the night is with a print or an amazing Canvas!

Photography is my only income. Please respect that, thanks.

Follow this link to view the very best of Lock-in 7.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF LOCK-IN 7

I popped over to Jersey to photograph the School of Popular Music Easter Elementary Gig at Chambers followed the next day by the students Busking in St Helier.

Whilst this was a new venture for the Jersey branch of SoPM it was soon clear to me that the ethos and ambitions are exactly like the longer established Guernsey School. The teaching is led by a talented and enthusiastic team who encourage the students to try hard and fulfill their ambitions.

There was the same excitement in the young performers and they all felt a great sense of achievement after performing on a 'real' stage and then out on the streets of St Helier.

I can highly recommend SoPM to all parents. You will see your children's confidence grow and it is a great way for them to make new friends and develop new skills.

This Gallery features some of the performances:
CLICK TO VIEW THE NEW SoPM JERSEY EASTER EVENTS

The Guernsey Kart & Motor Club hosted a 2-Day Motocross event including an Inter-Insular competition at the Pleinmont Motocross track on 8th and 9th April 2023.

The racing was close and exciting for the crowd that gathered to enjoy the bright conditions. I reckon we all needed a shower afterwards due to the clouds of dust lifted by the riders!

I've added a huge Gallery of pics featuring loads of the action.... but please remember that they are copyrighted and NOT free to copy.

Maybe you can support my work by purchasing a pic or two? Thanks.

This is a link to the Gallery:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2023 2-DAY MOTOCROSS MEETING

With 10 Bouts on the bill for the March Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club night at St Pierre Park Hotel it was always going to be a busy one!

The format followed a familiar route with the opening bouts featuring young novice boxers in 'skills contests'. These are valuable first experiences for future champions to get a feel what it's like to have a crowd shouting out encouragement.

After the openers it was down to the serious business with the Guernsey team taking on the visitors from Hull.

I've now uploaded all 10 Bouts of action to a new Gallery on my website if you want to take a look.

Please Tag and Share this post so we can get the word out to all the boxers. Thanks.

Here are the pics:
CLICK TO VIEW THE BOXING GALLERY - GUERNSEY v HULL

The 2023 Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club 2-Day Trials event was really well supported this year. Even though, sadly, the French contingent was unable to join us due to Condor Ferries cancelling the sailing!

The French were certainly missed but our Jersey cousins had made the effort to get over... even though they also had disruption with the delivery of their bikes. I believe they might have visited the UK on the way to Guernsey! You really can't make it up!

But, in the end, things fell into place and the resilient Trials bunch were able to get out to play.

They are certainly a 'hard-core' bunch as Day-1 was, from my viewpoint, a pretty miserable affair. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoyed being out on the sections taking pics. It was just that it was so bleak, misty, damp, muddy and tiring.

The toughest sections seemed to be down in the cliff-side valley at Todders. I said 'seemed' as due to the mist all I could see from the top were vague shapes through the mist then the revving of engines as the riders tried to pull themselves out of the valley up the very slippery slopes.

Remarkably most of them could still raise a weary smile at the top. Maybe that was just relief that they would eventually be able to take a nice warm shower... together with a beer or six!

Day two was, in comparison, like chalk and cheese. For this we all headed to the North with the majority of the sections set up around L'Ancresse Common. The weather was dry until near the end and mud and slippery slopes were just a memory.

It was a fitting end to an exhausting and busy weekend... that's just the sort we enjoy most, isn't it!

I've added Galleries for the two days of Trials if you are interested. Click the link to view them:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2023 2-DAY TRIALS

Epic, sensational, dramatic, nail-biting, tense.....

And I could still say more!

This was the 2023 U18's Junior Muratti at The Track between Guernsey and Jersey. It took a nerve gangling penalty shootout to give Guernsey the win after being two goals down - one after just 38 seconds!

Guernsey managed to pull it level at 2-2 by fulltime.

Then in extra time the Donkeys scored to make it 3-2 but they then allowed the visitors to equalize setting the final score after 120 minutes at 3-3 and the promise of a shootout!

As always this form of resolution to a game only promises heartbreak to one of the teams and it was Jersey who went home deflated and disappointed.

But what a great afternoon of entertainment for the large crowd and well done to Guernsey U18's!

My pics of the Junior Muratti are here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2023 JUNIOR MURATTI

I'm really pleased to see that the overwhelming majority of comments about the 2023 Comprop Guernsey Rally have been positive.

In fact the behavior of the few protesters has even turned the 'neutrals' into supporters of this amazing event!

Every cloud has a silver lining, eh!

I've just added the last pics to the Galleries which now cover Scrutineering, Friday night and Saturday racing.

Check out the most comprehensive coverage of the 2023 Comprop Guernsey Rally by following this link:
CLICK TO VIEW THE COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE 2023 COMPROP GUERNSEY RALLY

This latest Gallery features just a few pics of the Friday night Torteval Stage of the 2023 Comprop Guernsey Rally. Sadly a tiny minority of people decided to act selfishly to disrupt the running of both of the evening stages.

Their behavior was shocking as they threatened to put lives at risk... including their own. They totally disregarded the fact that all official permissions were in place to run the Rally and the disruption to residents was just for a couple of hours.

I spoke to many people along the Stages and without exception all of them were supportive of the Rally. They had wrapped up warm, had a coffee or beer in hand and were thrilled to see something different in their neighborhood. For many they only needed to walk down to the end of their drive for a grandstand view!!

Thankfully the full day of racing on Saturday went smoothly and it proved what a fantastic job the committed group of organizers had done.

We mustn't allow a noisy negative minority to speak for us. The normally silent supportive majority needs to find its voice to support these events which add so much to local life.

I hope you enjoy the pics. Roll on Rally 2024!
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2023 COMPROP GUERNSEY RALLY GALLERIES

I guess that no one ever said it was going to be easy!

But after four successful and well supported Guernsey Rallies I was hopeful, enthusiastic and eager to enjoy the spectacle of Rally racing through the tight and twisty Guernsey lanes again.

As I've spent a couple of decades on the edge of our Motorsport scene I've recognized how much work has to be put in to 'make things work' in organizing any event. This is something that only gets more challenging as each year passes and even more 'red tape' and form filling is necessary before a wheel is spun off a start line!

This leads me to ask the question... Why does anyone get out of bed in the morning thinking that all that hassle organizing an event is worth the effort?

I can't answer that.

But after the disruption and selfish, spiteful behavior shown towards the Guernsey Rally by a tiny number of residents in 2023 I fear that those people who put so much work into the organizing of the Guernsey Rally will be disheartened. Why would they want to spend so much time arranging all the correct and legal permissions to then have their work wasted?

Well, maybe I can answer that question.

I spent the few hours, yes that was all the short inconvenience lasted, out on the Rally Stages and I spoke to many of the residents who lived on the closed roads... and I was welcomed by people who were open minded and enthusiastic to enjoy something different for a change! There are many people who support and enjoy the thrill of a racing car at speed at the bottom of their driveway! They think it is fantastic to have a 'ring-side seat' (for a couple of hours!) Those people far outnumber the negative people who object... but we all know it's those people who make the most noise!

I'm not disrespectful of others who have differing and strong views on whether Motorsport has a place in the 'modern world' but as we all reside on this small rock surely tolerance, for a few hours, towards others has to be a good and necessary thing?

IF there is the will to try for another Guernsey Rally next year I hope the 'silent majority' will find their voice and make their support known.

I was able to capture some of the great action around the Stages and my pics are now online here....
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2023 COMPROP RALLY GALLERIES

The GVC returned to a track laid out in a valley above the reservoir for Round 5 of the Ian Brown's sponsored MTB XC series.

I believe it is four years since a race had been held here and considerable work had to be put in by the Club to get a circuit cleared.

But I think it was well worth the effort. It was certainly a challenge for the riders as all the groaning attested to!!

I loved having a different and scenic backdrop to my photos. These were enhanced by the lovely, bright and warm sun. It really felt like a spring day... now I mustn't get too excited yet as it is still only Ferbruary!

As usual I find I respond well when the 'stars' line up to produce attractive shots and I ended up with an 'ample' number of pics for the Gallery!

You can view them all here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RESERVOIR MTB XC PICS

With a few minutes to spare I had the opportunity to pop in to the 2023 Thirst Music School Battle of the School Bands at Beau Sejour.

My time and access was limited and I only saw the second half of the show... but I was lucky to catch the winners!

Lots of young talent was on show!

I've added a few pics to this new Gallery. Just click the link to view them:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2023 BATTLE OF THE SCHOOL BANDS

It was great to be back at St Pierre Park Hotel last Friday for another evening of Dinner Boxing.

This was the first Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club event of the year and featured a Guernsey Team v the Western Counties.

On the night here were nine well matched and hard fought bouts. They offered plenty of action and entertainment for the diners and the local team took the honours with the most wins. Well done guys.

The next Dinner Boxing event is on Friday 17th of March. If you are interested in attending you need to be a member of the Club. Contact me if you want details of how to go about joining.

Oh, and now the Club is open for the Ladies too. Why not get a group of friends together and book a table?

My pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FEBRUARY DINNER BOXING GALLERIES

Here is a quick link to my recent assignment to photograph the T&C Roofing Snooker League at the Gremlin Club.

These jobs are always interesting as a photographer is probably the last person the players want to see when they bend to set up their next shot.

The technique I use is to chose the longest and fastest lens that will work in the room. That way I hope to be back out in the darkest part of the room - but still be in line of their shot.

The next thing that is (or used to be) a problem was the 'clatter' that a professional level camera makes when the shutter is pressed.

Maybe you noted that I said 'used to'.

One of the great benefits that the modern mirror-less cameras give to a photographer is the freedom of not having to worry about that 'clatter' at a crucial moment of play. It's a revelation!

Shooting Golf also benefits from the Mirror-less advantage.

Just for your information I was shooting with a NIKON Z9. NIKON have been my choice of camera for decades and I love them.

I've added a small gallery of T & C Roofing Snooker League here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SNOOKER LEAGUE PICS

Now we all know that sometimes we are in just the right place, sometimes we aren't!

These things are in the lap of the Gods... or so we like to think.

But maybe not? I ask this as, if it is JUST down to random luck, how is it that Russ Allen seems to be in just the right place at the right time so often? Clearly talent can swing the odds in his favour.

This question also holds relevance to my work as a photographer. But clearly I'm not so talented in my positioning.

Yesterday at the GFC v Marlow football Russ 'found' himself in the perfect spot to score GFC's first goal. Actually I was quite well placed to capture the complete sequence including the celebration. Maybe luck, maybe talent? That is the question. Ha, ha.

But my luck/talent had worn off for the second GFC goal as when Sam Murray scored with a dramatic overhead kick my view was mostly blocked. You can just make out his flying boot in my pics.... if you look carefully!

Hmmm, I enjoyed having a bit of talent... while it lasted!

Now I've decided that to make myself feel better I'm going to go with the idea that everything is just down to luck. Good and bad! What do you think?

My GFC v Marlow pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MY GFC v MARLOW PICS

As expected my assignment to cover Division One Basketball at Beau Sejour was full of action, entertainment and tension.

As a sport Basketball seems to be perfectly designed to yield fast paced action and drama and that was certainly on offer in the game between Edmundson Electrical Chargers and Le Mont Saint.

The Chargers finished on top but they had to fight back from a 22 point deficit to take the win. In the final seconds of play it could have gone either way!

I highly recommend to you, if you are bored with the TV schedules, to pop along to one of the Basketball nights at Beau Sejour. You are guaranteed to be entertained.

You can view my pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW EDMUNDSON ELECTRICAL CHARGERS v LE MONT SAINT