News / Blog

Round 5 of the GVC Cycleworld Cyclocross Series was raced on Sunday morning.

The course featured just about every type obstacle and track surface making a race where no rhythm could be found! This format of the sport really saps the energy as bikes have to be carried over the soft sand and up steep steps.

It's safe to say that racers were pleased to see the finish flag!

I've added a Gallery of photos which give an idea what the riders faced:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 5 OF THE GVC CYCLOCROSS SERIES

I don't know if the idea behind the creation of a hill when they filled Bordeaux quarry was to establish a perfect Cross Country course... but that seems to be what we've ended up with!

The gradients and twists with a few muddy patches - well it is Cross Country - have produced a popular event in the Guernsey Athletics calendar.

I photographed Saturday's Bordeaux FNB XC and if you're interested click the link to view the photos.
CLICK TO VIEW THE BORDEAUX FNB XC PHOTOS

Last Friday evening I was sent off to KGV to photograph a Stranger Cup game. It was a chilly night and I think I must have looked like an expectant father as I paced up and down the touchline trying to keep my feet warm!

But it was certainly worth a bit of discomfort to be able to enjoy a pretty special performance from one of the sides. Lining up were Rangers against the youthful Guernsey Under 18's side.

To give you a heads-up, the final score was Rangers 0, Guernsey U18's 4. That scoreline should give a small clue of the run of play but I reckon the U18's still had a couple more goals 'in the back pocket' if needed.

They impressed with their skills. They showed great commitment, creativity and youthful energy and I'm sure they are going to keep us entertained with their talents for years to come.

I've added a few pics to a new Gallery if you are interested:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE STRANGER CUP PHOTOS

GVC riders were out this morning at Le Guet for Round 3 of the Ian Brown MTB XC series.

The terrain presented the riders with plenty of gradients to sap their energy and I spoke to a few who said that the 'rest period' for the seasonal celebrations had dropped their fitness levels.... so that's why there was so much huffing and puffing!!

My Gallery of photos is now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE GVC MTB XC AT LE GUET

Guernsey Raiders were rewarded with a hard-fought win against the visiting Tunbridge Juddians at Footes Lane on Saturday.

With Raiders holding a four point lead and with ten minutes left on the clock the visitors pinned the Raiders high up the pitch and maintained relentless pressure making it a tense finish to the game!

Local supporters certainly experienced, and ultimately enjoyed, their sides resolve and strength against the onslaught!

This was sport at its most roller-coaster ride entertaining! Great work Raiders.

I've added a Gallery of my photos if you are interested:
CLICK TO VIEW GUERNSEY RAIDERS v TUNBRIDGE JUDDIANS

Well I wonder if the luck will last for the whole of 2024?

It was certainly a great start!

My only assignment on New Years day was to photograph the Guernsey Athletics Handicapped Cross Country at the L'Ancresse full course. This is always a fun event and it seems to clear body and brain of the festive fog.

The event also shows how hard it is to 'grade' the runners into handicap groups with the ultimate aim to have them all cross the finish line at the same time. There are always a few wildcard entries that beat the system.

But I have to say that, after the 'rogue runners' there was certainly a massed group of finishers and more than a few competitive sprints to the line. This New Year race really brings out the smiles from runners who don't usually feature high up the list.

As for the afore mentioned good luck. Well you will see from my photos that we all enjoyed a nice bright... and DRY morning. Then later on the heavens opened in biblical style.

Fingers crossed we can repeat the good luck many times during the year.

My New Years Day Cross Country photos can be seen here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE NEW YEARS DAY CROSS COUNTRY

Guernsey Football Club have found themselves in the danger zone of the Isthmian South Central League this season.

But simple stats don't always tell the whole story. GFC have been promising better results many times during the season but, frustratingly, have given away late goals making a win quite an elusive thing.

However the team have kept up their spirits and ambitions and they now have two wins in the pot and maybe the 'curse' is broken?

So now we head into the new year and we can dare to hope that GFC will get the reward they have been so close to in 2023.

I've uploaded photos of the 4-2 win they produced over Sutton Common Rovers. Click the link to view them:
CLICK TO VIEW GFC v SUTTON COMMON ROVERS

One of the Motorsport events to watch that I recommend to people who have time spare on a Sunday is Trials.

If you are looking for free entertainment on a Sunday afternoon you will enjoy following the riders as they attack impossible slopes, rocks and tree stumps on their machines.

All you really need to do is wrap up against the cold and wear sturdy footwear because you will be tackling some slippery slopes too!

If you can't be bothered, all is not lost, because you can always view my photos. 🙂

Photos of yesterday's meeting are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST TRIALS PHOTOS

Photos of the Finals night of the Guernsey Badminton Association's 2023 Closed Tournament at the Rohais Badminton Centre are now online.

What was going to be a quick visit for me turned into a more relaxed affair on Friday evening.

I was due to grab a few photos of the finals of the Guernsey Badminton Closed Tournament before the dash to Blanche Pierre Lane for a few Football pics too.

But the footie was cancelled due to damaged floodlights so I was able to photograph four of the Badminton finals instead.

Those photos are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PHOTOS OF THE GUERNSEY BADMINTON CLOSED TOURNAMENT FINALS

Photos of Round 3 of the Guernsey Velo Club's Cyclocross Series are now online.

We all returned to the Motocross Track with memories of the last muddy visit and the grime having only just been purged from beneath our finger nails.

Was it going to be another late night cleaning equipment at the end of the race?

Luck was with us this time and track conditions were near perfect. Click the link if you want to look at my pics.
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 3 OF THE CYCLOCROSS SERIES

It was quite a hectic weekend for Sports photography.

In my case the weekend started on Friday as the first event the cameras came out for was the Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club's November 'Boxing at the Park'.

It was a very competitive night with the visitors from Hull bringing a very strong team. This led to a night full of action with Guernsey managing an overall win... but only after a fight!

I photographed all ten Bouts and the photos are now online. Click the link if you are interested:
CLICK TO VIEW DINNER BOXING - GUERNSEY v HULL

I visited the Motocross track two days running and we must have had a LOT of rain overnight as today's visit was a LOT muddier than the first!

However the GVC Cycle-Cross riders seemed to revel in the mud... strange folk!

Whilst completing the edit I realised that if the GVC were giving out a prize to the muddiest I think I've found the winner!

Here's a pic to explain.

There's now a full gallery of my photos online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW MUDDY CYCLOCROSS PHOTOS

Looking back over the last few days the one theme tying them together probably has to be the RAIN!

So it was lucky and good timing on Saturday when Guernsey Athletics held Race 1 of the new FNB Cross Country Series. The circuit was at L'Ancresse on the 'Doyle Loop' and it was DRY!

I find photographing Cross Country quite challenging... that is until the Juniors have their moment. Then the photos come to life with their expressions and eager efforts to beat the others!

I've added a new Gallery featuring the latest photos here:
CLICK TO VIEW RACE 1 OF THE FNB CROSS COUNTRY SERIES

Motocross racers like it messy and muddy... but there are limits too.

Photographers also like it messy and muddy... but for different reasons.

So when the mess and mud turn up in perfect measure we are all happy. The riders can slide about to their hearts content and me, as a photographer, can go home with a few interesting photos.

My photos of Saturdays MX meeting are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST MOTOCROSS PHOTOS

After the first two nights of Battle the Guernsey School of Popular Music relaxed a little for their 'Music for Everyone' event on the Sunday afternoon.

In some ways I think this could be my favourite event of the three. The format sees one or two students on stage within a band made up of SoPM Tutors. This way solo musicians and singers get a chance to experience what it is like to be in a band.

Then, as a bonus for the audience, after the performance the students take part in a short interview where we learn a little about their passions for music.

I really enjoy the format and so do the students judging by the smiles.

My photos of the event are now online on my new website. Follow the link to view them:
CLICK TO VIEW THE 2023 MUSIC FOR EVERYONE EVENT

Day two of the Guernsey School of Popular Music's 2023 'triple-header' at Beau Sejour saw the 'longer established' musicians get their turn to go into battle.

Titled as the 2023 Corporate Battle of the Bands the competition was tough for the honour of lifting the trophy.

The five bands showcased a mix-up of some recognisable faces together with a host of 'first-timers'. It would be easy to expect little from such an arrangement but as in previous years the standard of performances was really impressive.

At the end of the night there were plenty of smiles to be seen... even on the losers faces. A testament of just how much fun had been had by all.

My Galleries of photos are on my new website and they can be viewed by clicking this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS OF THE 2023 BATTLE OF THE CORPORATE BANDS

This was the first of a 'three-header' covering the latest Guernsey School of Popular Music's events at Beau Sejour.

Once again I had the chance to photograph the Under 18's Bands as they went into battle for the coveted BotB trophy.

What a pleasure it is to see such young talent coming through the SoPM training. It really is a credit to the tutors for developing such skills. But there is more to it than just that as the students also showed a high level of 'professionalism' in the way they presented themselves in front of a full Beau Sejour theatre.

Well done to all those who were involved.

My Gallery of photos are now uploaded on my new website. This link will take you there:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2023 U18's BATTLE OF THE BANDS

With fifteen bouts of boxing crammed into the night it was non-stop action at the Guernsey Amalgamated Boxing Club's October Fright Night.
Once again the event took place in the David Ferguson Hall at Beau Sejour so there was plenty of room for the supporting crowd.
The visiting RAF & St Pauls team proved to be a strong opposition as the bout wins were nearly shared on the night - 6 for us, 7 for the visitors. Our boxers stood toe-to-toe against the opposition and did us proud.
Just in case you think I can’t count. The first two bouts were non scoring for the novice fighters.
My photo galleries cover every bout and you can view them by clicking this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2023 OCTOBER FRIGHT NIGHT PHOTOS

As the GK&MC 2023 Kart Championship nears the end the competition is close and open with the podium places still up for grabs.

I was down at The Track today to photograph some of the racing and the action didn't disappoint. There are a few 'new guns' featuring in the racing and this excites me for the future. Have we got a future champion in the making?

I've added a new gallery of my photos here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ROUND 9 OF THE KART CHAMPIONSHIP

What a wet and miserable morning! What would be the perfect assignment then? How about an indoor shoot in Beau Sejour?

So this is how I found myself photographing fencing for the first time in years. The annual event I covered has been running for over fifty years - that's an impressive record by any standard.

My photos of the Sarnia Sword Club team competition against the Royal Navy are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW FENCING - SARNIA SWORD CLUB v ROYAL NAVY