News / Blog

Only the Vale Earth Fair Collective would be able to line up such a mix of 'Unplugged' Bands on the stage at The Fermain Tavern.

In fact they had set up two stages for the stripped back bands to play on in support of the 2018 Vale Earth Fair which is the headline event for the VEF Collective.

The night began with a new local band (they have to be local with their name) The Cor Damme Lars!

The night then, nearly seamlessly, swapped between stages with a lineup that included Savage Sons, Between the Signs, Rectory Hill Skillet Lickers, Ramblin' Nick Mann, Space Pirates of Rocquaine, Blue Mountains and Richie Powers.

I think you'll agree that was a lineup guaranteeing a busy and entertaining night... and it was all for a good cause.

Follow this link to view the pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE VEF UNPLUGGED 2018 AT THE FERMAIN TAVERN

Well I suppose it was a silly question. When it comes to any sport or competition there is a need to 'make hay' when the going is good!

The Guernsey Raiders Rugby Club are on a roll of good form at the moment and it is those times that have to be maximized and taken advantage of as there is never a warning when things might change due to injury or simply bad luck.

So well done to the Raiders for the fantastic 69-5 win over the visiting team from Sidcup on Saturday.

The Raiders are reaping the reward for all their hard work. This season is looking good.

That scoreline was sure to offer plenty of action to photograph... at least at one of the ends! I've added a gallery featuring some of it:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF GUERNSEY RAIDERS v SIDCUP

It was a morning that staying tucked up under the duvet had a certain appeal!

However I was booked to photograph the Guernsey Athletics Junior Cross Country Run at L'Ancresse.... so my missus dutifully kicked me out of bed, she who must be obeyed :-(

When I arrived on the exposed and wind swept common it was clear that the young competitors would need real determination and willpower to complete the course due to the very strong and bitterly cold wind.

I must say that even though I was wrapped in many layers the wind still found a way to penetrate through... it must have been freezing when dressed just in lycra! Big respect to the youth of today for their devotion to their sport.

I captured a few pictures of the racing between keeping my hands warm in my pockets. They are now online.

Well done guys 'n gals, I was most impressed by your spirit.
CLICK TO VIEW PICTURES OF THE JUNIOR CROSS COUNTRY

The first event of the 2018 GVC Downhill MTB series took place in Petit Bot valley on a very muddy and slippery course which challenged the best of the riders.

This was confirmed when I was almost wiped out by a rider who lost control at the bottom of the hill! I was soaked from the waist down by muddy water!

In the end everything (including the rider) was OK... the mud splashes over my clothing disappeared after a visit to the washing machine and the cameras and lenses were fine after a more gentle wash!

That's the price a 'tog pays when getting close to the action ;-)

My weekend involved plenty more action in the form of the Guernsey Raiders Rugby against Sidcup - a 69-5 win for the Raiders produced plenty of the afore mentioned action!

I also covered the Guernsey Athletic's Junior Cross Country at L'Ancresse. This was run in a strong and bitterly cold wind making it a real challenge to the willpower and determination of the very young competitors. Well done guys 'n gals.

There was more ' gig action' on Saturday evening at the Vale Earth Fair's 'Unplugged' fund raiser at the Fermain Tavern.

All the edits are in work. Keep a check on this News Blog for updates to the Galleries.

First up are the MTB Downhill pics:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE MTB DOWNHILL RACE

Well that's another job done.... and it didn't hurt a bit. At least not from my side of the ropes!

All ten Bouts of the Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club's first fight evening of 2018 are now online. Every Bout was well fought with Guernsey winning overall by six to three with one draw.

Well done to the visiting Liverpool Select team. You put on a great show and I know you will be welcomed back again in the future.

The final Bouts to be added to the Gallery are:

BOUT-6_Tomasz Kot v Shaun Magennis
BOUT-5_Chris Sumner v Lewis Mullineux
BOUT-4_Niall Adams v Jake McCarthy
BOUT-3_Monika Duda v Elena Narozanski
BOUT-2_Charlie Watson v William Lawson
BOUT-1_Callum Langlois v James Kerr

Follow this link to view my pictures:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMPLETED DINNER BOXING GALLERY

Are you man enough?

What prompts me to ask the question is a brief conversation I had with George Jennings, one of the two Ref's at Friday's Guernsey Dinner Boxing Club evening at St Pierre Park Hotel.

We were waiting for the bouts to start when George commented to me that there were several three round/three minute fights on the bill. As an ex-boxer and someone with experience playing other sports George said he felt the fight 'game' was the toughest of all! 'The fighters were going to feel the pain!'

Who was I to argue? There has never been a chance of me having the bravery, confidence, fitness or strength to want to test myself in such a public place as a boxing ring. The last fight I had (OK, it was more like a brawl) happened perhaps forty-six years ago in a dark hotel car-park and my 'bravery' had come out of a Vodka bottle!

I soon knew that George was right with his judgement. The boxing was fast, grueling, brave, exhausting... and entertaining from outside the ring ;-)

I can assure you this was the case as my privileged access to the side of the canvas meant that I could feel the shudder when the big punches found their target!

I had a busy night trying to capture the best action and I've now started the edit of the pics. So far these Bouts are featured in the Gallery. The others will follow:

BOUT-10_Billy Poullain v Mark Bebbington
BOUT-9_Casey De La Mare v Casey Brown
BOUT-8_Jimmy Lesbirel v Kayne Chapple
BOUT-7_Henrique Jesus v Dexter Makaza

Follow this link to view the pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST DINNER BOXING EVENING IN 2018

I've mentioned in previous Blogs that 2017 was a quite traumatic year for my family.

During the year my 90 year old father slowly found life getting more challenging and this wonderfully brave and independent old soldier had to accept that he needed more help from his family.

I chose to spend more time as his Carer before he eventually needed to move into a Care Home. Sadly, after his health deteriorated further, he died on the 27th of September.

Ultimately this was a happy release for dad (and his family) as his pain and confusion is no longer troubling him. We are left with fantastic memories of an incredible man who lived life with such a positive attitude. He could find fun and adventure in everything he did and he shared an exceptional marriage with his dear Madelaine.

Only now, after the passing of the months, am I finding that I can focus on getting my life back into some 'normality'.

This has seen me trying to catch up with some of the editing that wasn't completed due to a lack of time.

The latest updates that I've completed show the coverage that I made of the new Jersey Weekender Festival. This was a major edit as it features the full two days of fun and 26 of the Bands!

I'm pleased to say that the job is done! You can view the pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2017 JERSEY WEEKENDER FESTIVAL

Ammareurs was a bit damp first thing this morning making the main problem whilst photographing the Super Duathlon keeping the driving drizzle off all my lens... both camera and specs!

A few of the resulting pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SUPER DUATHLON PICS

Then, without a chance to dry out, it was off to the GVC MTB XC race at La Pomare. This time it was the slippery mud that was the problem!

The resulting pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE GVC MTB XC PICS

Oh, what an exciting (damp and muddy) morning I had ;-)

The new Motorsport year doesn't take long to get going again!

Already 2018 has seen the first of the Trials Bike events and today it was the Karters returning to the 'saddle'.

Round 1 of the new Karting Championship featured lots of fresh decals and graphics - and they were very striking too.... Father Christmas seems to know what will be appreciated :-)

I took a chance to take a few pics whilst everything was clean and free of the inevitable 'battle scars'.

The morning was crisp and dry and most enjoyable because of that. It was great for me to get back into the 'normal routine' and looking ahead in the calendar there isn't much let-up until the end of the year! There is even a new Rally event to keep us busy and on our toes.

I'm sure I'll see you sometime soon....

Pics of Round 1 of the Kart Championship can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-1 OF THE KART CHAMPIONSHIP

Today Fauxquet Valley was the centre of the GMC&CC All-Day Trials meeting. I had wondered if it would go ahead after the appalling weather of the last few days.

But I shouldn't of doubted it. Trials riders are rarely put off by a bit of mud... and there was plenty of that!

In places it was difficult to distinguish the tarmac road from the muddy sections! There was a reasonable entry and the atmosphere was quite up-beat for the first Trials event of 2018. Trials riders claerly like it mucky ;-)

I've added a few pics to a new Gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE ALL-DAY TRIALS

Thankfully, last year won't get repeated. It was a year that my family experienced the death of my father, Leslie Le Poidevin.

He was a wonderful man who was loved, respected and compassionate. He made a real difference in the world by the way he chose to live life... and he led a life that was worthy of a movie.

He was of a generation that experienced being evacuated from Guernsey to Scotland as a child. Whilst there he had many adventures. He then joined the Army and served in Palestine where the adventures continued... like I mentioned before, there really could be a film made of his encounters.

Sadly, towards the end of his life things became confusing and an old wound he sustained in a roadside bombing made his mobility very difficult.

It was during these final years that I was privileged to become his carer until he needed more specialist help in a Care Home. This final move was the worst thing I've ever had to be part of but it was for dad's comfort and safety.

Maybe I'll try and write down some of dad's many adventures when I have a little time as my children and grandchildren should be able to share some of the stories.

All this Blog so far has been to explain why the last year or two have been challenging at times to find the time to keep this website up to date. The same goes for the cataloguing of my pics into my IMatch Database.

So the last few days it has been 'nose to the grindstone' trying to catch up with the backlog. One big update that has now been completed is to the 2017 Vale Earth Fair gallery... and it's a real biggy!

Find the pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE COMPLETED VALE EARTH FAIR 2017 GALLERY

I'm guessing that the hallowed walls of St James hadn't seen (or heard) the likes for a long time... maybe never!

The event was the launch party of the track not found EP. The band had invited Lord Vapour to warm the party up first with a set of their heaviest sounds and this proved to be a good choice as once the girls took to the stage things were bubbling along nicely.

'The Only Way Is Lost' does a good job of showcasing tnf's live sound and is a notable achievement for such a new and fresh young band.

I'm sure they are destined to even greater things in 2018. The future is in good hands. Make sure you catch one of their gigs.

Follow this link to view pics of the track not found launch party:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE TNF LAUNCH PARTY

Christmas eve was anything but quiet in St Peter Port.... although you did need to know where to look for the fun!

A couple of venues had opened their doors to live music on the eve before crimbo and that was the formula to drag the punters in.

Whilst the High Street and most pubs were echoing in their emptiness the Golden Lion and The Vault were packed to the bar by revelers with a mind to start the party early.

My first call was to the Golden Lion where Joe Corbin was playing a rare gig in his home town. Joe now lives in the UK and gigs all over playing his Blues.

I then popped across town to The Vault to catch an energetic set by Thee Jenerators before seeing the headline act, Of Empires. This band now also resides in the UK playing regularly... and it showed. Of Empires were tight, professional and polished. Indeed their set was one for my short-list of 'Best Gigs in 2017'

This year has been another memorable one featuring our ever-strong live music scene. With just days to go before the New Year I hope 2018 will give us more of the same.

You can view pics of the Christmas Eve gigs here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF JOE CORBIN
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THEE JENERATORS
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF OF EMPIRES

In a rare moment (for me) of Festive good spirit and cheer I've started my January Sale already :-)

Whatever the reason... be it the ample partaking of the Single Malt or the mild weather this gives you a chance to make real savings on the regular price of A4 & A3 sized colour prints.

When you purchase 5+ A4 prints they now cost just £6 each.

Order 5+ A3 prints and they now cost just £14 each. I recommend the A3 size as I think that prints look their best when printed BIG.... but I may be biased :-)

These reductions represent savings of up to 25%!

This FESTIVE MADNESS won't last forever so take your chance to pick up an early JANUARY BARGAIN before my rosy glow of Christmas wears off!

The reductions are made automatically as you check your Shopping Cart after adding the required quantity of a print size.

Seasons Greetings to you all.....
CHECK-OUT ALL THE OPTIONS HERE

Jamaican born Reggae artist Tall Rich played at a Vale Earth Fair gig last weekend.

Tall Rich became another notable artist to play on the legendary Fermain Tavern stage which has hosted most styles of music.

The Singer/Songwriter had been billed as 'pure, original and spiritual with a natural mystic'... what would a Guernsey crowd make of that?

He was backed by one of Guernsey's favorites - RentOClean who became 'RentOBand' for the night. They had added keyboards, vocals and bongos to fill out their sound. One got the feeling that the initial 'vibe' on stage wasn't quite as chilled and laid back as you would expect at a Reggae gig. But once their early tension relaxed RentOClean stepped up to the plate and did a great job playing a full set of newly learnt songs. Well done guys and gal :-)

The feedback after the gig was mixed... many loved the chance to see an authentic Reggae star and enjoyed the Jamaican rhythm... others were left unimpressed. Maybe (for them) Guernsey lacks the palm trees and ganja to make Reggae feel at home?

My pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF TALL RICH PLAYING AT THE FERMAIN TAVERN

The conditions seemed quite good for the latest race in the GIAAC FNB Cross Country Series.

Maybe the chilly wind made competitors work a little harder when running into it - but it was nice and crisp, bright and dry.

Perhaps I'm rating the conditions as 'good' because the low winter light was great for taking pics. My recollection of what makes good cross country weather is a few decades out of date! FIVE to be more accurate!!

All things said, I spent a pleasant hour at L'Ancresse photographing the Stonecrushers Race.

The pics are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST STONECRUSHER XC PICS

It's tradition and these two events are now established in the 'warm-up' to Christmas.....

Perhaps the Guernsey School of Popular Music should be re-named as 'Guernsey's Popular School of Popular Music' as each year sees it increase in size as new students join those who were there at the start.

This years Christmas Concert (the first of a two-night double-header) was held again at the Church on the Rock which is now barely big enough to hold all the parents and friends who want to see and hear the progress of the students.

The SoPM Concerts specifically showcase the schools newest students whilst the SoPM Gig Nights give the more experienced a chance to play a real venue complete with professional sound and lighting.... and photographer ;-)

This link will take you to the Christmas Concert:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2017 SoPM CHRISTMAS CONCERT

The following evening it was the turn of the old school ;-)

This gig has now become one of my favorite gigs of the year.

Guernsey's School of Popular Music organize a couple of 'show-case' gigs each year where they offer their more experienced students the opportunity to play at a professional venue with the benefit of full stage sound and lighting.

I've photographed most of the SoPM events and have had the pleasure of seeing young solo artists and bands develop their talents and confidence when playing live.

Every year a new star is born... the local music scene of the future was on show at The Doghouse for the 2017 SoPM Christmas Gig.

Follow this link to view the Christmas Gig pics:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2017 SoPM CHRISTMAS GIG

It's official. The word is out.

After 'track not found' played last Friday night at The Fermain Tavern with The Recks, Flexagon and Dolmens the buzz is that this young band is one of the most exciting new bands on the Guernsey music scene.

I have to agree :-)

track not found pen most of the songs in their set which features an edgy punk sound. I can remember the first time I saw the band play back in the summer. Even then I thought they showed promise but the speedy development of their own sound together with a growing confidence and individuality in their stage presence and style has been surprising.

And I think this band has a lot to come yet. They are really contemporary and will capture a growing fan base the more they play.

It was notable among the crowd at The Fermain Tavern that many people hadn't seen the band before and the general comments where all positive and suprised.

Indeed the whole of the night showcased the Guernsey/Sark music scene really well. Also on the bill were Dolmens... another fairly new (but maybe not quite so young!) band fronted by Stace Blondel who had his usual antics of climbing and hanging off anything near the stage restricted by the guitar hanging off his shoulder.

I must say that this bands performance was most enjoyable and (maybe) benefited from Stacey being stuck to the spot as his vocals showed more tone and complexity. Another great addition the the local music scene.

Flexagon filled the space between bands with weird and quirky sounds and samples. A great effort Sir.

Headliners were The Recks. They produced what we have come to expect together with new tracks. The crowd loved them and they certainly haven't lost the magic. In fact I think their set had more sparkle, rhythm and 'bounce' then recent gigs.... not very well explained I know. I'll leave the technical review stuff to Tom Girard!

I only know what I know and like... and this lineup at the 'tav ticked most of my boxes.

I've added a few pics of the gig here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF TRACK NOT FOUND

CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF DOLMENS

CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE RECKS

We can't avoid it. Christmas is on the way and present ideas are in short supply!

So why not think about buying a CUSTOM DESIGNED MONTAGE for a family member or friend.

Or, if you don't know what to add to your own Christmas list why not request a MONTAGE of your own special memory?

These can still be supplied for Christmas... just don't leave it too long!

Details of how to order your INDIVIDUALLY DESIGNED MONTAGE can be found here:
CLICK TO VIEW HOW TO ORDER A MONTAGE

If you have any questions or if you prefer to have a chat about a design don't hesitate to contact me here:
E-MAIL ANDREW LE POIDEVIN
Or phone my Mobile: 07781 144525

A cause for celebration.....

Well I know I can’t expect you to get quite so excited as I am today as this celebration is personal to me and this website.

But you might like to enjoy the moment too as the fact you are here reading this Blog means that you are actually part of this occasion… without even knowing it!

The special event is the achievement of another significant number of views of THIS WEBSITE.... but just missing 5,000,000 views in the last twelve months, maybe next time, eh!

I know I sound like a ‘cracked record’ if you read through some of my previous ‘Landmark’ Blogs but my enjoyment of the interest so many people take in my photographic work never fails to surprise and humble me.

The continued and increasing visits to my picture galleries encourages me to continue this work and as time goes by the widening selection of events and occasions that I photograph grows the awareness among Islanders of just how many Sports, Gigs, Events and Places we have available to all Guernsey residents to have fun at and take interest in. There is never a weekend without something to attend.

You’ll never find me moaning about having nothing to do on our beautiful, but small, Channel Island. If you are ever tempted to make such a comment I’d encourage you to look through a few of my picture galleries… you’ll soon see what you have been missing!

Now I’ve allowed myself to get side-tracked, again. What this Blog should be stating is that the viewings of this website have just passed another very significant number.

TWENTY MILLION VIEWS…. That’s 20,000,000 if you like your numbers with noughts on the end. I’m not fussed. I’ll take it either way!

So thank you for your continued interest in my work. This really is a LANDMARK number 😊

I’m also proud of the fact that these views are all on my own self-run website. The viewings and interest are all generated without the benefit and help available when photographers enroll into one of the big, but anonymous, picture gallery sites.

I’d like to take this chance to recommend the website provider and admin that I use to run this site. They are called Photium and I wholeheartedly endorse them to you. This provider has hosted my website for many years with VERY little downtime or other problems. Their tech support if needed is usually - literally - just minutes in responding. They also offer a good choice of packages and even a Trial to see if the options suit your needs.

If you have been considering starting a website of your own it’s well worth having a look at: CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTIUM WEBSITE

Please continue making occasional visits to view the latest updates to my Galleries… maybe even buy an occasional print or two! You can then be part of the next MILLION MILESTONE.

I hope to see you out and about at one of Guernsey’s many varied events sometime soon. Remember... NEVER SAY THAT NOTHING GOES ON IN GUERNSEY, you just haven’t opened your eyes and made the effort to find out!

You can view a few of my previous MILESTONE BLOGS here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW SOME OF MY PREVIOUS MILESTONE BLOGS