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We were all spoilt by the glorious summers evening up at the Motocross track for Day 4 of the GVC Adventure Cycle 2020 Tour of Guernsey.

I'd driven down the west coast to get to the event and Islanders were out in force enjoying the best that Guernsey has to offer. The popular Cobo Bay couldn't have fitted another car in its parking spots and the roadside verges were lined with the overflow.

When I arrived at the clifftop MX track I was relieved to find that there was a steady breeze to keep the temperature down. Latter this was to become a nuisance as the riders agitated the dry track covering us with a fine dust!

But it was a very enjoyable evening capturing the action and all that was needed when I returned home was a shower, a quick dust and polish of my kit and a beer.... not necessarily in that order!

With the lovely low evening light and such a big entry I took a few more pics than usual. I hope you like them. View them here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE MTB's AT THE MX TRACK

Following the Friday night gig at St James many of the same punters were out for a second time on Saturday.

They were joined by many followers of the headlining band Buffalo Huddleston. Indeed the venue was sold out with a capacity crowd.

Once again, like the night before the spirits were high and the intention was clearly to party. Luckily Buffalo Huddleston led from the front with a set that got everyone into the zone.

I've photographed this band many times over the years... the fact that their galleries on this website showcase over 500 pics proves the point!!

The gigs that I've seen them play include small pubs and big festivals but I reckon Saturday's effort was up there with the best of them judging from the reaction of the crowd.

You can view my pics of Buffalo Huddleston - their history through the ages - by following this link:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF BUFFALO HUDDLESTON

The Velo Club Adventure Cycle 2020 Tour of Guernsey hit the hills of L'Ancresse for day one of the racing.

The course was quite a challenge in some parts where riders had to traverse some rocky slopes. In fact, I guess, it wasn't the easy relaxed start to the week of racing that some were hoping for.

But the positive to take from completing the race must be that things can't get much harder..... can it?

I'll be covering a few more races. Check back here during the week.

Pics of day one racing can be viewed here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW DAY-1 OF THE TOUR OF GUERNSEY 2020

It was great to be able to get out again to a live music gig today at St James.

The lineup featured two bands and no vocals between them... now that's an unusual lineup!

However this didn't stop SkySkrapers and Brunt being entertaining!

Newcomers SkySkrapers supported the established headliners Brunt with a solid set in front of a crowd that was trying to remember what it was like to go to a live gig!

The same can be said about the photographer after his extended lockdown!

In the end it all came back to me and 'muscle memory' also played its part enabling me to shoot in the low light.

I took a few pics. The first new picture Gallery featuring SkySkrapers is here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF SKYSKRAPERS

The Brunt pics have also been added to their own Gallery here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF BRUNT

Round 1 of the Guernsey Velo Club Summer 2020 Downhill MTB Series was held on the Petit Bot Course today.

It was a bright and sunny morning and excitement and expectation was high after we've come out of Covid 19 lockdown. Once again another Guernsey Sport is reaping the benefits of the early, considered and careful control that was put in place to shield us from the worst of the pandemic.

There was a new jump that was exciting competitors when I arrived. I think I'll call it 'The Legend Maker' as it looked to me that any rider making that leap needed to have, to quote a popular phrase, 'balls of steel'... if only to ease the pain of the distant landing on the custom built sloping wooden staging!

After much examination and analysis several top riders took the leap and as is often the case with these things full commitment was needed.

Ultimately it turned out to be a spectacular addition and big respect if you were one of the head cases who took the plunge!

I was able to take a few pics before having to leave for the next assignment. Take a look at my pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 1 OF THE GVC 2020 SUMMER DOWNHILL SERIES

Sometimes things creep up on you unexpectedly. We all trot along through life on our chosen route and in our own time.

But of course the person we are inevitably changes as we age. My own experience of getting older has been almost all positive as maturity brings with it more patience, understanding, balance and experience.

So I hope you will resolve from that statement above that I have little to complain about and day to day life is great.

But what about the unexpected lurking in the dark just waiting to remind me of the passing of the years?

Well I've just had a poke in the ribs from one.

I have been locked down - like most of us - which has meant that I've not been uploading new pics for some time. This has proven to be a problem for my 'pensioners aged' brain as I got into a proper fix today whilst I tried to upload a new album. This was entirely due to user error (I mean brain failure) as it seems I had forgotten the correct procedure!

I was so stuck that I contacted the Photium help desk!

Photium are the host company for this website and I have always found their service to be absolutely second to none!

Whenever I have needed to ask Photium a question the reply usually arrives within minutes. They really are that good and I would recommend them to everyone. Their site Admin is easy to follow (even for a pensioner, normally!) and you can customize your website to you own style. So this is a BIG shout out for Photium. Thanks for your help.

Now once again, after receiving a reminder of how things work, I'm back with a website featuring the latest pics all safely uploaded!

Take a look at the Skipton v Le Mont Saint Basketball gallery here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF SKIPTON v LE MONT SAINT

On Saturday 20th June 2020 Guernsey joined communities around the world and came together to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The event had been delayed by one week to allow the Island to enter its Phase 5 of the plan to lift all Covid 19 lockdown restrictions.

Hundreds of people joined the peaceful crowd to listen to speakers who told of their own experiences of hate and prejudice. The event finished with a symbolic eight minute forty-six seconds silence with most people kneeling.

I took some 360 degree panoramic images of the event. The panoramas are VERY high resolution so please give them time to load. It's worth the wait as there is amazing detail for you to exlpore!

Please click on the link to view.

WARNING: This is a VERY high resolution image.... give it time to load!
CLICK TO VIEW THE 360 PANORAMA

I decided to try a different viewpoint whilst photographing the Guernsey Rowing Club's lockdown beating rowing event.

The Club came out of the forced lockdown to hold their first event of the year over the B course totaling 5,200 meters of open sea.

After starting at Havelet Bay the rowers headed south to Fermain Bay making a turn amongst the anchored leisure boats before heading back to St Peter Port.

I had positioned myself on the cliffs surrounding the picturesque bay in the hope that it offered a new viewpoint. The effort to get there was more than I remembered as I trekked down from the Jerbourg monument... there are a lot more steps than I recall!

But the reward was an open view looking down 300 feet on to the competitors... luckily I had taken my Nikon 180-400mm (560mm with the built-in extender) lens. With this lens I could see right into the boats.

I've added a small gallery of pics which can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST ROWING PICS

I can't help but look forward to the coming summertime.

Whilst we are bogged down at the moment with the Coronavirus issues we have to remain positive and optimistic that by the time summer arrives life will return to normal. All fingers crossed!

This year, after being starved of the social scene (hopefully) there will be a pent-up desire to party and enjoy the live music and festival season. Locally the Vale Earth Fair and the Greenman Chaos Festival will have a role to play in uplifting our spirits.

But all that is to come. I've been catching up with some editing and for now you can browse through my pics of last years Vale Earth Fair.

Follow the link below to view the latest updates which include:

The Cor Damme Lars
Karl Phillips & The Rejects
RentOClean
The Sacred Hearts
track not found
Baron Denden and the IL Sound System
and BlackTopTales
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST VEF 2019 UPDATES

With so much happening in the world at the moment and the seemingly endless wet weather it is easy to be distracted and maybe a little downhearted.

This is why I've turned back to some of the more uplifting memories from last year to bring a little sun and good cheer to my working day.

I also have to face the near endless task of catching up with the interrupted edits that are sitting on the hard drives waiting for attention.

There's no more uplifting edit awaiting than the wonderful Vale Earth Fair.... 2019 edition.

The VEF is certainly one of my highlights of any year... but it always leaves a huge edit in its path... probably as a few real ales makes me a bit trigger happy!

However in these changeable and dismal times (damn Coronavirus) it has been a pleasure to browse through my memories. I've started updating the 2019 VEF Galleries and first bands up are The Electric Shakes, The Recks, The King Blues and Festival headliners Neville Staple Band.
CLICK TO VIEW THE FIRST UPDATES TI THE 2019 VEF GALLERY

I fear that I'll probably never quite catch up with the backlog of editing from last year.... but I'll keep trying.

Last year wasn't quite a 'normal' one. There were quite a few distractions taking large chunks out of my work time. By far the most demanding was overseeing the modernization of our new home. This is now nearing completion but I think I was a bit naive regarding how much chasing and management would be required in getting the 'trades' to complete their work.

However we have now settled into the new place and the move has worked out brilliantly. We have renewed everything from ceilings, heating, electrics and networking to 65" TV's, flooring, driveway.... well just about everything! Oh, and I mustn't forget the great new kitchen too!

Whilst all that was underway I found myself emergency medivaced to the UK after Doctors found blood clots on my brain and I had a mild stroke. Thankfully the outcome has been much better than first feared and I've nearly made a full recovery.

So that's the excuses for the missed edits!

But I continue with the catch-up. This link takes you to a missed Autocross Banger event from last March. More will follow:
CLICK TO VIEW THE AUTOCROSS CATCH-UP

Last week was book-ended by two major sporting events... leading to two major edits. Oh what fun!!

The first event (weekend) was the February Fury boxing at Beau Sejour. With TWENTY bouts the number of pics taken topped 500! I'm glad to say that the final edit is complete and all the Galleries are now online.

The second of the weekends featured the Resolution-IT Guernsey Rally. As you will see from the previous Blog that event edit was turned around in super-fast time and pics can now be viewed.
CLICK TO VIEW THE FEBRUARY FURY GALLERIES
CLICK TO VIEW THE RESOLUTION-IT GUERNSEY RALLY GALLERIES

Well it just shows that if you put your back into a job you can finish it in record time!

I decided that the Resolution-IT Guernsey Rally pics had to be edited as soon as possible to clear the deck for a busy week ahead.

So I'm pleased to say that the jobs a good 'un. Over 300 pics of the action together with a 'Rally Scene' Gallery for good measure.

Click the link below to view all the pics.

It was enjoyable looking through my pics of the Rally. I've mentioned before that sometimes it's like seeing the action for the first time as the actual shoot can be intense and non-stop.

In this case it was amusing to recall the 'Star of the Rally' or at least the one that entertained the spectators the most. Sorry Dale, it wasn't you this time!

No, the star was definitely the death defying chicken who seemed oblivious to the speed of a rally car at full chat. If it's true that a cat has nine lives this chicken tops that with at least thirty!!

I also noted that the App on my phone that records my steps put my mileage over the day and evening at nearly seven miles. This was traveled with a very weighty backpack and three cameras slung around my neck. It's not surprising I feel fatigued today.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2020 RESOLUTION-IT RALLY

It was nearly third time lucky for the local crew of Dale Crowsley and co-driver John Vaudin in the 2020 Resolution-IT Guernsey Rally.

They were straight on the pace at the start of this years one-day Rally and topped the leader board before being hunted down by the vastly experienced Jersey crews of Ros la Noa with co-driver Domonic Volante and Jeremy Baudains with co-driver James Ollivro.

The visiting duo were both racing more powerful Ford Escort MK2's and ultimately they showed a bit more speed. Maybe next time Dale?

Whilst I proceed to edit nearly 500 pics that I took during the twelve hours of coverage I made at the 2020 Resolution-IT Rally follow this link to view the submission I had to make over-night to the Guernsey Press for Monday's paper.

Full coverage will be added to this website over the next couple of days...
CLICK TO VIEW THE FIRST PRESS EDIT OF THE 2020 RESOLUTION-IT RALLY

The Guernsey Boxing calendar starts the year with a highlight event.

Aptly named 'February Fury' the 2020 edition has just taken place at Beau Sejour with a hectic evening of non-stop action.

This year featured contests between Guernsey and a UK Select team that included a team of RAF boxers.

Twenty bouts in one night meant there was no moment of rest for photographers. The work then continued with the edit!

I've now uploaded my pics to a new Gallery which will be completed over the next couple of days. You can view my pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2020 FEBRUARY FURY

The 2021 Island Games '500 days to go' special event was held at Beau Sejour on the 19th February 2020.

Whilst this date was significant and starts the countdown to when thousands of sportsmen, teams, supporters and organisers arrive in Guernsey for the 2021 edition of the Island Games much work has already gone on behind the scene to build the foundations of the games.

The '500 days to go' launch represents the start of a process to enroll the vital team of 'Game Makers'.

Key organizers and supporters were at Beau Sejour to hear the latest updates and there was a measurable sense of anticipation and excitement for the challenges ahead.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 500 DAYS TO GO LAUNCH

On the face of it you probably wouldn't go out of your way to see a Terrible Stuntman. Would you?

However if that is the name of Big Bobby Battle's latest band that should be enough to tickle your interest.

Unfortunately not many people saw it that way on Saturday when Terrible Stuntman headlined a gig at The Fermain Tavern organized by Havoc Events.

The lineup was strong and the variety of acts should of had something for everyone but sadly the audience numbers were small. First act on stage was The Crowband. Next up were Kings adding a more Pop influenced sound. Lifejacket then laid down some heavier tones.

Then it was left to the Terrible Stuntman to bring things to a close. It will be fun following the development of this project during the year. I think the potential is already showing.

By the way I love the band name Bobby... somehow it's just a perfect for fit you, ha ha :-)

I've added pics of three of the bands to my Galleries. Sorry I didn't see the Crowband due to an earlier assignment.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF TERRIBLE STUNTMAN
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF LIFEJACKET
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF KINGS

The Independent Venue Week is a great initiative aimed at supporting and promoting independent live music venues across the UK.

The hope is that the trend of these unique places closing can be slowed and halted. This is an important goal which any scholar of the history of popular music would tell you.

Small venues have been the making of almost every major act to emerge on to the scene for decades. Without these 'seed beds' where young artists and musicians can meet, network and develop their personalities and performances the future of modern music would be stunted.

So it was fantastic to see the support given by musicians and gig supporters to the Guernsey edition of the Independent Venue Week at St James.

I photographed three of the bands who performed, The Tarantulips, Stone Cold Fiction and the headliners Beach Riot.

Follow these links to view my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF BEACH RIOT

CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF STONE COLD FICTION

CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE TARANTULIPS

The Guernsey Athletics Chertsey House 5 Mile Road Run from L'ancresse to St Peter Port is always fun to photograph.

The entry is made up of the top local athletes combined with the more gently paced 'fun runners'.

I was asked to photograph this years event and remembered how easy it can be to miss the final action completely. The brief asked for me to capture pics of the start, mid course and finish line.

One previous year I had waited for the last of the runners to pass me along the first section of the course before I then tried to drive in the direction they were heading. The problem was that the race is along an open public road and with the slow pace of the back-markers and oncoming traffic it was very hard to overtake to catch up with the fast front runners.

So this year I was better planned and I used a short cut to gain a position ahead of the field and I had a relaxed time arriving at the finish line.

I've added a small Gallery featuring a few pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2020 CHERTSEY HOUSE ROAD RUN

Everything is slowly getting back into its routine as we complete the first month of 2020.

The Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club held their first evening of 2020 at St Pierre Park last Friday.

Their intention was to showcase ten bouts but due to the late withdrawal of boxers the night was reduced to just eight fights.

There was still plenty of action though and I enjoyed trying capture the highlights. The Gallery of pics featuring all eight bouts can now be viewed online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST DINNER BOXING EVENING OF 2020