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I have a habit of repeating myself sometimes. You might have noticed!

But (for one more time) I'm going to say how much I enjoy photographing the School of Popular Music events. And there have now been plenty of them!

The atmosphere is always friendly, supportive and surprising. The surprise comes from the stream of new young musical talent developed each year out of the SoPM courses.

This years vintage Summer Party at The Fermain Tavern was packed with students, families and friends... and me.

It was a busy night with ten bands taking to the stage. I tried to photograph all the performances and they are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2020 SoPM SUMMER PARTY

I've just completed the upload of my latest picture Gallery.

The 2020 Hillclimb Gallery is the smallest that I've produced during the eleven years that I've been covering these events professionally.

None of us need reminding why that is the case as the Covid 19 lockdown in 2020 has lodged strong, personal memories in all our minds.

The Motorsport UK 2020 Hillclimb season started in Guernsey on 01-08-2020 when the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club organized the first Hillclimb in 2020 that was run without any Covid 19 restrictions in place.

We all have to say well done to the officials and helpers who organizing the meeting.

Guernsey leads where others can only hope (and wait) to follow!

The hillclimb ran very smoothly allowing every competitor to have a practice run and seven timed runs!!

What did that mean for this photographer... well LOADS of pics!!

As this was a special Hilclimb I've uploaded more pics than usual. I hope you enjoy them.

If you like my work please support me by buying a pic or two. Like so many of us my income has been hit by the lockdown and I promise to invest it well in a couple of beers!

Follow this link to view the extensive Gallery:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST FULL HILLCLIMB IN 2020

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

I was at rock bottom this evening...

Ronez Quarry is one DEEP hole.

I reached this new low whilst photographing Day 3 of the Velo Club Adventure Cycle 2020 Tour of Guernsey. The week-long challenge keeps competitors enthused by offering a variety of venues.

This adds interest because whilst one days format might play to the strengths of one racer the next day may favour another. To succeed in the quarry climb you certainly needed to be a master of the gears!

I hope to cover a couple more of the races this week. Pop back here later to check the Galleries.

My pics are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW DAY 3 OF THE 2020 ToG

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

I enjoyed the variety in my Sports photography at the weekend.

Starting with sea swimming at the Guernsey Triathlon event at Petit Bot. This was followed by Velo Club Downhill MTB then it was on to Athletics at Footes Lane.

The Guernsey Athletics Track & Field Meet 2 at Footes Lane included 100m, 200m, 300m Hurdles, 1500m, 5000m, Discus and Hammer.

There were several notable performances. Alastair Chalmers won the 300m hurdles in a time of 35.35sec to place him fourth on the UK all-time list. PB's also came from Jesse Knight, Chris McAlister and Scott Lincoln.

The Athletics pics are now online. Take a look at them here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE TRACK & FIELD MEET 2

My lifestyle is definitely more 'rock n roll' than 'farmer Jones' when it comes to the time I emerge from my bed!

This is probably influenced by the time I hit the sack each evening (often morning!). I go out to a lot of live music gigs and when that is combined with late night picture editing an early start is pretty challenging. I guess we all make our own choices of our waking hours.

But on an early morning like yesterday's I sometimes think that I should adjust the timescale I live to. My first assignment yesterday was down on Petit Bot beach to photograph the Guernsey Triathlon event.

As normal this started with the swim and the beautiful sunny beach sheltered by the high cliffs was simply idyllic. Petit Bot is truly one of Guernsey's treasures.

I was really pleased I had made the effort to get to the start-line as I think my pics portray some of the special atmosphere of the early morning start.

There's a new Gallery featuring my pics if you are interested:
CLICK TO VIEW THE PETIT BOT TRIATHLON PICS

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

The Guernsey Triathlon Club had their wishes fulfilled for the start of the Vazon Surf Tiathlon... there was surf!

The strong wind that agitated the sea was to become a nuisance for the out leg of the bike ride but offered relief for the return leg.

There was a good entry for this challenging event. I managed to chase the competitors around the courses to capture the action.

Take a look at the picture gallery by clicking the link below:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE VAZON SURF TRIATHLON

It's been a busy weekend as 'normal' life returns to Guernsey with many Clubs and Events planning new calendars for the coming months.

I've just finished uploading pics of today's Guernsey Athletics Track & Field Meet 1 at Footes Lane. An early shower just before competition started threatened to make things a little uncomfortable however the wind soon blew it clear and it was then very pleasant to be 'back in the groove' taking pics.

You can check out the complete gallery here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF MEET 1 OF THE TRACK & FIELD

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

The first Guernsey Athletics Track & Field event after the relaxing of the Covid-19 social distancing restrictions was held at Footes Lane today.

After a couple of days of much needed heavy rainfall the conditions looked near perfect to this photographer however there was a tail wind along the 100 meter straight which was just over the limit. Sadly this ruled out a couple of PB's set by athletes.

However after the long enforced break there is optimism for the next meeting.

My pics featuring some of the action can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE GUERNSEY ATHLETIC TRACK & FIELD

After spending many weeks locked down and highly restricted in our movements the Guernsey Sporting scene has been leading the community out of those gloomy days.

Today the Guernsey Triathlon Club were permitted to run an event at Grande Rocque in the form of a Super Sprint. The organizers had developed a system to ensure that the required social distancing could be maintained with competitors split into two 'batches' and then also using a staggered start.

The smiles (through the pain) illustrated how pleased the racers were to be back in competition.

During the next couple of weeks many of the other Sports are expected to restart their events.

It's good to be back.

Follow this link to view a few of my pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST TRIATHLON AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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

I guess I was silly to expect anything different to 'more of the same'.

But the optimist in me hoped that I would have the (rare) opportunity to photograph an outdoor sporting event without getting wet! As we all know the rain has spoilt the majority of days this winter and inevitably many sports fixtures have been cancelled due to the condition of pitches.

The KGV All Weather pitch has certainly earned its keep this winter.

I was down there tonight to photograph a football game between North and Alderney and I'm booked for another visit on Sunday. Meanwhile I'll be keeping an eye on the game booked to kick off at 2pm tomorrow at The Track. Hopefully both of those are dry!

The North v Alderney pics are online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF FOOTBALL NORTH v ALDERNEY

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