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The Guernsey International Chess Festival returned in 2022 after Covid disrupted its organization for a couple of years.

Thankfully the enthusiasm hadn't waned within the dedicated crew that makes these things happen. This 46th time the festival has been organized was held in the impressive surroundings of St James. This lofty space was perfect for such an event. The hush within the building enhanced the overall atmosphere.

I was invited along to see what I could capture of the play. I arrived unsure how I would be able to work around those who were concentrating intensively on the board. I was aware that they wouldn't take kindly to being distracted!

However once I understood how things worked I was able to try to capture the essence of a Chess tournament. It was great fun for me and has allowed me to tick another box.

I hope you like the pics and you will have a better understanding of what the Guernsey International Chess Festival has to offer after viewing this Gallery.
CLICK TO VIEW THE 46th GUERNSEY INTERNATIONAL CHESS FESTIVAL

This was the second night of live music organized to celebrate the life and musical talents that Andy Coleman had enjoyed and shared with so many. After the previous weekends Jazz for Andy gig this one was to feature the guitar and popular music bands.

St James was sold out with a waiting list of hundreds so many people were disappointed to miss out!

The evening was both emotional and a fun party. For me the most touching memory was when Andy's daughter, Clara, joined Sons of the Desert for a couple of songs.... wow, wonderful!

All those who knew Andy know he would have loved everything about the evening as music and friendship are meant to be enjoyed in the company of those you love.

I hope these galleries help to illustrate and remember the atmosphere of the night.....
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE GIG FOR ANDY

Local musicians gathered at St James to celebrate the life, the music and the friendships they shared with Andy Coleman in a night titled 'Jazz for Andy'.

Many good memories were shared by the musicians as they took to the stage. Some chose to tell us what was so special in their friendship with Andy. They often repeated how he would always offer support and encouragement. Also his natural talent playing such varied genre's of music impressed many.

I think that what touched me on the night was the fact that Andy had almost always played a 'supporting' role in the bands he was in. He wasn't a 'frontman' or 'pushy' to take the spotlight but his wonderful personality shone through and he clearly made a lasting impression on all those around him... without even trying!

It's such a loss that he is gone - but what a way to celebrate such a lovely persons life. Rest at peace in our memories Andy. xx

I've added a gallery of pics featuring some of the performances:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE JAZZ FOR ANDY NIGHT AT ST JAMES

This was a new event organized by the School of Popular Music in 2022.

SoPM have already established a tradition of offering aspirational musicians and singers the chance to perform on the 'bigger stage' but the 'Music for Everyone' somehow re-invented what has gone before.

The venue was the theater stage at Beau Sejour which offers professional sound and lighting. New talent performed with the full support of SoPM tutors allowing them to enjoy the big stage. I have to say that I thought the concept was fantastic.

But there was more to the show. After each artist finished their act they were invited down in front of the stage for a short interview. This was both a way of allowing time for the change between acts but was much more than that as we were able to enjoy the personality behind the performance and what inspired it.

This was a really great format. Well done to all the SoPM tutors and the support they gave to their students.

This is a massive gallery of pics.... you can tell that I was impressed!!
CLICK TO VIEW THE SoPM MUSIC FOR EVERYONE SHOW

The Corporate Bands went into battle on the expansive stage at Beau Sejour on Saturday night. Competition was tough but the fight was fair and no blood was spilt!

This was the third School of Popular Music Corporate Battle of the Bands and like previous years the standard of performances was high and song choices varied.

The company bands taking to the stage were AFM, Guernsey Electricity, First Central, Guernsey Post and Butterfield. They were joined by Agilisys, last years winners, who opened the event and the SoPM Tutors Band who played a couple of songs to allow time for the judges to agree on the winners.

I recognized quite a few band members as 'regulars' in local bands. However their usual experience on pub stages is playing in cramped dark corners so it was special even for those active musicians to play on a big stage with great sound and lighting to match. They even had dressing rooms!

The band that picked up the trophy was Guernsey Post. They were undoubtedly the most popular amongst the audience and the judging panel of four agreed. They were my choice too as they had put together the 'complete performance package'. Well done guys.

The whole event was brilliantly organized and every performer that I talked to was buzzing with excitement and achievement. So there is only a year before we can all do it again....

Follow this link to view all my pics of the battle:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 SoPM CORPORATE BATTLE OF THE BANDS

The 2022 School of Popular Music's Under 18's Battle of the Bands at Beau Sejour was very competitive with all five competing bands arriving on stage well rehearsed and ready to perform.

The audience got behind every act and as the judges commented after each performance it was clear that it would be a close run thing to find the winners.

After the judges totaled their scores covering every aspect of the bands live performance the winners were announced.

Cross Road picked up this years trophy. Well done guys!

I've added a Gallery featuring all the U18's bands.
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 U18's BATTLE OF THE BANDS

OK, I think we can all agree that Triathlon is a Sport.

What's more, I don't think anyone will argue that it is a sport that requires commitment, training, strong mental resilience and endeavour.

However I was left a little confused whilst photographing the Guernsey Triathlon Club's Granite Man yesterday. So confused that I had to lift the dictionary down from the shelf to try and understand what I had experienced 'track side'... especially in the depths of the energy sapping Ronez Quarry section.

Let me explain. I looked up the definition of 'Sport'... this is what I read. ' Sport: an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another'

So Triathlon is most definately a Sport. So what's my problem?

Well I investigated a little further.

The above quote states that when taking part in a Sport you 'compete against others'. So what is the definition of compete?

Quote: 'Compete: to strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others'.

Now this is what was troubling me as this simply isn't what I was seeing as competitors faced the gruelling climb and heat in the quarry as they neared the end of the three disciplines of the Granite Man Triathlon.

By dictionary definition each competitor should have been trying to beat down their opponents. They should have been pressurising them into failure in the pusuit of a win.

But instead the atmosphere was of huge support between competing Triathletes. Encouragement was given to others in the knowledge that maybe each competitor wasn't actually competing against the other but only against themself. There was a respect for all others who were also facing the same challenge.

So my summary of Triathlon as a Sport... at least at our local level is that it is perhaps unique in offering competitors a competition where they don't leave the start line with a win as their outright goal. And it is all the better for that!

I've added a new gallery featuring my Granite Man pics. You will see a surprising amount of smiles too! How do they still have the energy for those? I don't know!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2022 GRANITE MAN TRIATHLON

I guess it is one of those unspoken rules of photography that when a photographer attends a Mega-sized (interesting) event he will be left with a Mega-sized edit to work through when he returns to the studio!

At least that seems to be how it works for me!

I've already posted a Blog commenting on how fantastic the 2022 Vale Earth Fair was for the sell-out crowd who flocked to Vale Castle.

Well I managed to take around 600 pics of the festival during the twelve hours I was there! This is quite impressive I think as I also found time to drink MANY pints of ale too!

The easy part was actually taking all those pics as the atmosphere was amazing... and who wouldn't feel lucky to be able to call standing in front of a live band on stage whilst drinking and taking pics their actual 'day job'!! That's me. Yes I know I'm pretty lucky.

However the actual edit can be a drag, but once I get into a rhythm I seem to be able to fly through the pics. The tip is to only use the tools that Lightroom offers and not to get too 'fancy' with the edit.

Even then a 600 pic edit takes hours and I'm pleased to say all VEF pics are now online, yeay!

I hope you like them.... they can be purchased online - hint, hint!

This is a link to all VEF 2022 Galleries:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2022 VALE EARTH FAIR GALLERIES

The 2022 Vale Earth Fair was back at its best after the restrictions of recent years.

The Vale Earth Fair Collective had done an amazing job keeping this little treasure of a festival ticking along whilst facing the huge challenge of the Covid years. Guernsey residents had appreciated and supported their endeavors.

But free of restrictions the 2022 VEF showcased what this festival does best. Once again we had a great lineup of visiting bands together with the best from Guernsey. This attracted a sell-out crowd.

So it turned out to be another vintage year. I think the most notable thing was the mix of people in the crowd, which is always diverse, but this year included many more of what I can only describe as 'full-on festival goers'.

Maybe they have now discovered our little secret?

I've been working on my edit of the pics of VEF and there is a growing Gallery that can now be viewed here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2022 VALE EARTH FAIR

We headed back to the beautiful... normally quiet... Island of Sark on Friday for the first event of a 'double-header' Lawn Mower racing weekend.

The two days of action started with the hillclimb at Sark Harbour hill.

The racing doesn't start until the final boat of the day has docked and the passengers have been transported to the top of the hill by the unique 'Sark trailer bus'. An experience that has to be taken if you ever visit this Channel Island!

But the wait for racing is never boring or wasted as the Bel Air pub is placed adjoining the finish line.

Surely every race track should be designed in this way?

I multi-tasked and managed a few beers together with a few pics. Nice.

There is a new Gallery online if you want to check out my pics
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 SARK HILLCLIMB PICS

Have Rovers set the standard for the new football season?

Rovers had a convincing win over North in the 2022 Rawlinson Cup Final at The Track.

They dominated play and were rewarding with a 4-1 win. This result is certain to instill confidence as the Guernsey Priaulx league starts its season. We look forward to seeing how the championship develops.

I was sent down to photograph the Cup Final and was greeted by even less working flood lights than the last time I covered an evening game at The Track! Some areas of the pitch were very poorly lit.

I heard a rumour that funding may be in place to update the lighting at a couple of the Guernsey Club grounds. I hope it's true... and the sooner the better for us photographers.

Oh the players also deserve better light too, ha, ha!!

My pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 RAWLINSON CUP FINAL

The ActiveGSY Track & Field event at Footes Lane included at couple of highlights.

Firstly Alistair Chambers visited his old training ground with his Bronze Commonwealth Games medal. He took part in a Q&A giving an insight into the life of a top athlete. The junior Club members were suitably 'star-struck'!

When the attention turned to the track and field Abi Galpin produced an amazing leap in the long jump re-writing Kimberley's 17 year old woman's record.

I've added a new gallery featuring some of the action.
CLICK TO VIEW THE ACTIVEGSY TRACK & FIELD GALLERY

Kiya Ashton & the Folkadelics are a new band on the Guernsey scene and they have quickly developed their own sound. They've already attracted a following during the summer of 2022 and are certainly 'one to watch'.

Their most recent gig was supporting The Pips at St James where they looked at home on the big stage.

You can view the pics of Kiya & the Folkadelics at St James by following this link:
CLICK TO VIEW KIYA ASHTON & THE FOLKADELICS PLAYING AT ST JAMES

Over fifty local firms went to battle on the streets of St Peter Port for the annual Inter-firm relay.

The Cannacord Genuity Wealth Management Inter-firm relay seems to be taken quite seriously by some businesses who manage to enter a team of four who have familiar faces to anyone who follows local sport.

Of course it is a fun event which raises money for good causes but as we know if you are a 'competitor' you are probably 'in it to win it'!

So well done to Ravenscroft for the win and AON for being the first of the losers!!

I have uploaded a few pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2022 INTER-FIRM RELAY

The Pips packed the place!

The crowd at St James was treated to one last performance from The Pips before the band head off to the mainland to try their luck on the bigger scene.

I've enjoyed watching how their performance and style has quickly evolved and I imagine that we will see even greater things from them next time they play locally.

I was amongst a gaggle of photographers capturing this gig and my pics are now online here if you are interested:
CLICK TO VIEW THE PIPS AT ST JAMES

The 2022 edition of the SoPM Summer School Gig was as busy as always.

The stage was set at the Fermain Tavern and ten young bands were lined up to perform in front of family and friends. This is an ambitious challenge for the SoPM tutors but they are now 'old hands' at this!

Their reward comes from seeing the students happy faces and their sense of achievement after performing in a band... often for the first time. The seeds are sown and the future promises lots of live music. Good news!

Ten bands to photograph during the gig has its own challenge for a photographer. I'm very aware that the families and friends don't want me standing in front of their videos and cameras. So my viewpoints are restricted.

Also as there are so many changes of line-ups the stage often has 'unused' mike stands and instruments getting in the shots making it a challenge to get 'clean' images.

Topping off that problem was the bigger one of the lighting. As expected the stage was lit by LED units and (again as expected) they were set to cycle between full green - red - blue solid colour.

There was no additional white fill or back-lighting. Any of you who have worked in this environment will know how hard it is to capture the great results you would like. A lengthy edit correcting colours in Lightroom is inevitable.

But I have to say that all the difficulties are out-weighed by the pleasure of seeing the young performers enjoy their moment on stage. This is one of my favorite gigs.

My pics are now online if you want to take a look:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2022 SoPM SUMMER SCHOOL GIG

The Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club organised a special summer Sandracing event for its members. This offered them the chance to log up the laps during two days of intensive racing.

The format to combine two days of racing - back to back - clearly had a lot of support.

The number of entries showed that (many of) the racers were prepared to take a Friday off work for day one knowing that Saturday's racing was to follow.

It was great to see such a full line-up on the start line for the bike races. Also there was a larger number of spectators lining the beach wall than for a 'standard' event. This made for a fantastic atmosphere.

All this combined to make a great event and maybe one that will feature in the calendar in future years?

I've added a new Gallery featuring some of my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2-DAY SANDRACING EVENT

Maybe I simplify things too much sometimes.

To my simple mind you'd think that a gravity aided sport like the GVC MTB Gravity Series would be a bit of a 'stroll in the Park'... wouldn't you?

How hard can it be to roll down a hill on a bike?

Well it seems that 'I know nothing'!

Looking at the grimacing and sweating at Round 4 of the Gravity Series it was clearly a lot tougher than I thought!!

This time the mornings racing included two venues so there was even more demand on competitors as the had to pedal between each one too.

As always the smiles returned at the end of the racing and there was a sense of achievement in the air.

As for me... well I was worn out chasing the action. Maybe it is me who needs to work on my own fitness?

There's a new Gallery of pics online here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 4 OF THE GVC GRAVITY SERIES

The Avon Tyres Motorsport UK British National Hillclimb Championship returned to Le Val des Terres for the first time since 2019... and expectations were high.

The two local rounds were numbered 21 & 22 so there were plenty of reference points established in the earlier rounds and the bet was on that racing would be close and competitive and there was a feeling that the outright hill record would be lowered.

And it was a safe bet on all counts! Hundredths of a second split the competitors and sure enough Alex Summers was the one who left the Island with his name in the record book with a time of 26.56 sec.

Maybe the high temperatures were less that perfect for engine performance but the dry hot surface enabled records to drop in several other classes too.

Well done to all who participated and a BIG thank you to the Guernsey Motor Cycle and Car Club for organising the event. Roll on next year!

This gallery features my pics of all the racing:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2022 GUERNSEY NATIONAL HILLCLIMB

Jersey welcomed the 'top guns' back to Bouley Bay hill for rounds 19 and 20 of the 2022 Avon Tyres Motorsport UK British National Hillclimb Championship.

As happened to most sporting events Covid had disrupted this exciting motorsport spectacle. So there was a great sense of anticipation ahead of its return to the Channel Islands.

The first rounds of the 2022 championship had already suggested this years local competition was going to be close.

Many of the earlier rounds had already produced new records. Could Jersey join the list?

But, perhaps surprisingly, the record book wasn't re-written this time so we will have to wait twelve months for another try.... or maybe Guernsey's Le Val des Terres will get the new fastest time?

The Bouley Bay gallery is now online and the Guernsey pics will follow after Saturday's racing.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE JERSEY NATIONAL HILLCLIMB PICS