Our Haven On The Moor..........

February 18, 2025

Well, January was certainly turning out to be a relaxingly hectic month. We had a great time with the kids over New Year, Mudger looked after us royally during a fabulous two weeks in Spain and now, only two days after our return, we were taking Kate’s mum and dad to spend a night at our most favourite hotel in the Uk, the wonderful, the luxurious, the glorious Gidleigh Park Hotel, located on Dartmoor near the village of Chagford.

So, we dialed Gidleigh in to the satnav only to be confronted with all sorts of travel issues. Due to the weather we had been experiencing in the UK, there were all sorts of road closures and the main route in to Gidleigh, via Chagford High Street, was closed due to gas main renovations. So we decided to call the hotel direct for advice but could not get through. We tried their website only to be told that all phone lines were down after the recent storm.

Now regular readers know that La Famille Chivers are made of stern stuff and the Chivers family helicopter was in for an MOT. So, “when needs must the devil drives”, we fired up Bucephalus and with Mrs. C in the navigator’s seat we headed across Dartmoor, via Tavistock and pressed on through howling wind and driving rain.

We knew we were near to Gidleigh as the roads had narrowed to the width of Bucephalus and had grass growing in the middle (never a good sign in our part of the world). I wouldn’t say it was wet but the only other vehicle approaching Gidleigh was Noah and his Ark and he was already preparing to abandon ship!

Despite everything we pressed on until we finally saw the sign that said “ Gidleigh Park Hotel 0.5 miles Do Not Give Up”! As we rounded the final corner the wonderful Gidleigh Park came in to view, our excitement heightened and my blood pressure receded to manageable levels.

As we walked in to the warm cosy lobby of the hotel we were greeted with a most beautiful smile and all the previous travel difficulties just melted away. Our bags disappeared and we were ushered in to the main sitting room where we slumped in to the comfy settees and ordered, wine, smoked salmon sandwiches and a bowl of sizzling French fries for mother.

Very soon everyone was in their respective happy places. Mrs. C, in between glugging a rather delicious Pinot Noir was doing her daily Wurdle, Kate’s mum and dad were preparing for an afternoon siesta and I was roving around with my Leica SL2 and 90mm Apo Summicron SL.

A cheeky little Pinot Noir to kick-off proceedings.

As I had a captive audience I took the opportunity to take some long overdue portraits of Kate’s mum and dad. I know that they won’t mind me mentioning that Kate’s Dad is now 90 and “Mother” is now 88. Both are in fine fettle and with the 90mm apo, one of Leica’s premier portrait lenses, I was delighted with the imagery I captured. I even managed a capture of camera shy Mrs. C. (She wasn’t happy about it and if pictures could talk I would only be releasing this blog after the watershed!).

Following a delightful lunch we headed up to our rooms. As you can imagine they are super comfortable and inviting. A chilled bottle of fizz, courtesy of the management, was sitting expectantly on the dressing table and a rather fine decanter of Madeira perched in the bay window seemed to be calling out to me. As I sank under the bubbles of a steaming bath all was well in my world.

Normally I only use manual focus lenses as I generally find that copious amounts of alcohol and manual focus lenses are not the best of bed-fellows. Not a problem this time as I had the SL2 and 90mm Apo so I had full autofocus and could indulge both creatively whilst satisfying my “hydration” requirements. Aunty Sarah would have been proud of me.

Suitably fed, “watered” and scrubbed up, I decided it was time for a wander and capture some imagery at 90 mm.

Officianados of wellies just know that Dubarry are the only way to go.

The Dartmoor mist creeping through the trees.

Hand held long exposure - a measure of the SL2’s image stabilization.

The beautiful Mrs. C holding something for the nature pocket.

As you can see Gidleigh really is a delightful place. Did I mention that they also have a Michelin Star restaurant? We were invited to the bar by Col, our Maitre’D for a pre-dinner martini (he mixes a damn good martini does our col). Then on to dinner which comprised the most lovely pieces of poached lobster, in a fish broth that screamed eat me, followed by a loin of venison that was doing a breast-stroke in an unctuous red wine and port sauce, all finished off with a rather generous selection of local cheeses. Then it was in to the lounge for coffee and petit fours. Well I certainly was going to sleep well!

Next morning Col didn’t even need to ask what I wanted for breakfast. A full English duly arrived, but not just any full English, it was given the “Full Gidleigh”. Local sourced pork sausage, smoked bacon, hogs pudding, black pudding, mushroom and fried tomato and a beautifully poached egg, all washed down with a steaming hot coffee. I was set for the day.

So there you are, our haven on the moor. A night of luxury and calories. Ah yes, you thought I had forgotten about the “Bench of Contemplation”. This time I captured Mother…..penny for your thoughts?

I hope you enjoyed joining us for a glimpse of glorious Gidleigh. If you are ever in our part of the world do yourself a favour and just book yourself in for a night and you will sure to be hooked.

Stay tuned for more adventures as Mrs. C and I head out to Dubai in my next blog, “Back to the Desert”.

Meantime love and best wishes from a sunny Plymouth.

Starting The New Year at Home............

February 17, 2025

After the Christmas and New Year festivities our first port of call is Los Alcazares Spain to visit my mum, or as we call her Mudger. January is a very quiet month in Spain, the tourists are nowhere to be seen and whilst there is sun, the mornings and evenings can be quite chilly. None of that matters to me as I love to visit Mudger and our family home, somewhere where I automatically de-stress and relax.

Los Alcazares is an old school sort of place and so from a photographic standpoint I decided to go old school, leave my Leicas at home and give my Fuji Xpro2 and Fuji XF 35mm F1.4 (with 3 stop ND filter) a long overdue outing. I just felt a change from my usual gear and routine might produce a creative spark to start the new year.

Mediterranean life is very simple and for us the most important meal of the day is breakfast. Nothing really moves in Los Alcazares in January before 10.00 a.m. We take the 5 minute drive down to the shores of the Mar Menor to Julian’s, our favourite breakfast destination.

Breakfast is very simple; half a toasted baguette, a drizzle of olive oil, a generous layer of chopped tomato and a sprinkling of salt, all washed down with a steaming hot cortado. I always start the day from my happy place.

This is how I like to drink my morning coffee.

There is nothing better than spending a morning walking along the corniche. I find being by the sea has such a calming influence and creatively there is plenty to keep me busy.

This visit I made a New Year’s resolution to do some exploring during my visit home. Normally everywhere is teeming with tourists but practically having the place to ourselves meant we were pretty much undisturbed.

Our first trip out was to a small mountain village called Aledo, home of the beautiful Aledo Santa Maria Church. We parked in the Centre of the village and walked the 10 minutes to the church. With no tourists the streets were eerily quiet.

Reflecting the historic roots of Spain this beautiful church was originally a mosque but in 1257 became a Christian temple. We stepped inside this beautiful church and we were the only people there. It was serenely beautiful and allowed us a few moments of quiet reflection.

The Castle of Aledo actually encloses the village and was built in the 11th Century. Next to the church is the Homanaje Tower, which forms part of the emblem of the municipality. From the outside it was not exactly photogenic but for a couple of euros I climbed the tower and from the roof the views across the rooftops of Aledo and the surrounding countryside were stunning.

Of course, after all this walking and sightseeing lunch beckoned. So a walk back in to the Centre of town to the only cafe that was open, La Muralla De Aledo. We sat amongst the locals with a cold beer and bocadillo of Iberian ham and tomato. Simple but delicious.

Our other outing was to take the drive to Murcia and then up in to the surrounding mountains to visit the Sanctuary of La Fuensanta. En route we stopped for a quick lunch at La Balsa Redonda Del Valle. We sat in the cool mountain air, sipping cold beer and eating the usual Iberian Ham with Manchego cheese. Nothing like it.

The road through the mountains to the sanctuary is not for the feint of heart and I certainly wouldn’t try it at night. On arrival we were rewarded with spectacular views across Murcia and of course, the beauty of the sanctuary itself.

It is a traditional temple consisting of three naves, a larger central and two sides with chapels. Unfortunately we had enjoyed our lunch a little too much and when we arrived the chapel had just closed. Nevertheless, we spent an hour or so walking around the outside which definitely was a photo rich environment.

Enjoying the highlights whilst embracing the shadows.

It was great fun using my old Xpro2. Still a fantastic camera even though it is 9 years old. It produced great images when I bought it and still delivers great imagery today, especially when paired with the perfectly imperfect original XF35mm F1.4. What a great combo and has certainly ignited my creative juices. If you find this combo on the used market do not hesitate to buy. You will not regret it.

What a fabulous start to our year. Mudger was on top form and as always I left Spain several kilos heavier than when I arrived!

Stay tuned for more creativity in my next Blog as Mrs C and I visit our “Haven on the Moor”.

Regards to all from a sunny but chilly Plymouth.

The author rocking the Santa look for the festive holidays.

New Year Musings........

January 27, 2025

Well, Christmas has been and gone. I can tell from the extra inches on my waistline that we had a great time! Indeed, we had a wonderful Christmas down in good old Plymouth. Despite Plymouth Argyle being bottom of the Championship, Southampton being bottom of the Premier League and the weather doing its best to spoil the party, we Janners are a tough lot and let nothing get in the way of a good party.

As usual it was all about the food and Christmas lunch with Mrs. C’s parents and sister was stellar. A starter of Scottish smoked salmon with lobster pots, followed by a roast lunch of Pork loin with the crispiest of crackling and a stuffed Duck, with the normal 5 veg, all washed down with a crisp white Burgundy and some delightful Fleurie. To finish, some unctuous Sharpham Brie, the smelliest Epoisse I could find and of course, the mandatory Vacherin Mont D’Or, coupled with a few glasses of Tawny Port…What is that Mrs. C, you have my doctor on the phone!

New Year meant the arrival of the kids and their partners.

There is nothing better than having a visit from the young flesh and blood and have everyone that you love sitting around the dinner table at the same time. Admittedly, with our lot, it is like feeding a plague of locusts but keeping to the family motto, we enjoyed good food, good conversation and we were all very jolly and cracked open the Bollie (more than once)!

Maybe, like many families, the challenge on New Years Eve is to actually get to midnight before falling asleep! Well we made it with a rousing chorus of Auld Lang Syne and for me, a few quiet moments to reflect on what has been and what has yet to come.

Sometimes January can bring a creative drought. However, this year I was keen to start 2025 with a flourish and make some bold plans for the coming year. I managed to create some wonderful memories in 2024 with 17 photoblogs, reflecting how busy we were. I am keen to maintain the creative momentum in 2025.

No better way to kick-off the process than to visit somewhere new. So, in the spirit of Carpe Diem we piled in to Bucephalus and made the short drive on to Dartmoor to visit Brent Tor Church, located just outside of the market town of Tavistock.

The weather was very January, with super bright sunlight and a bracing chill in the air. Indeed there was snow on the northern slopes and frost on the south-facing slopes. The ground was crunchy under foot but there was no better weather to help blow away the cobwebs and ignite the creative fires.

We arrived at the small car park at the base of Brent Tor around 10.30 a.m. to find it surprisingly empty, That suited me as I really wanted to have the place to myself.

I had chosen to start the year in full Noctilux mode. Although not known for its prowess as a landscape lens I find the 50 Noctilux F0.95 to be one of those lens that oozes creativity. Wide open is where the magic happens, with that razor thin depth of field and wonderful bokeh and subject separation. Stop it down and you have a very sharp everyday lens.

Now regular followers know that I love my M cameras and their beautifully manufactured manual focused lenses. However, for the Noctilux, by far the best platform is to manually adapt it to the Leica SL2 (or SL3 if you have upgraded). I find it balances beautifully on the SL2 and with that 5.76 million dot EVF and built-in image stabilization the SL2 helps make the Noctilux truly sing.

Of course, I should have brought my tripod and 24-90 L mount lens to fully capture Brent Tor Church and the surrounding countryside in all its winter glory but I was feeling liberated and just wanted to walk around grabbing a few images without all the clutter of too much gear. Perhaps that ought to be one of my New Year resolutions!

Giving Brent Tor Church the “Full Noctilux”.

By the time we had climbed Brent Tor and reached the church and I had gathered the images I wanted, it was clear that the crowds were staring to arrive with a vengeance and upon making it back to the car we found the carpark was full. Memo to me, always make sure you get here before 10.00 a.m. as the light is better and there are fewer people.

The Young People at the top of Brent Tor.

We then had our picnic (of course we had pork product in both natural form and via the obligatory pork pie), before taking the short drive into Tavistock for a stroll around the Pannier Market followed by a warming coffee.

As we were sitting in the coffee shop next to the Pannier Market I managed to capture this image of our beautiful daughter Anna. I think this might be one for the living room wall. A very special year for Anna as she and her partner Matthew have just announced their engagement. I think Matthew’s mother summed up our collective happiness by saying”It simply makes your heart sing with joy”. I am already blubbing and I haven’t even started my wedding speech!

Someone recently asked me how I intended to improve my photography. Crumpets, I didn’t realize it was that bad and I really don’t like to analyze my photography too much; I leave that to others. I prefer to enjoy the process and try to capture the moment and hopefully the end results speak for themselves…….or perhaps not?

Once you enter the world of social media and are brave enough to share your art online, you soon toughen up to those whose mission in life is to be unconstructively negative, and instead engage fully with that wonderful group of inspiring like-minded people who enjoy seeing the world through my lens, albeit with all its flaws. As I always say, you can only fail if you are brave enough to have a go.

However, if further pressed, I would say that I seek to put myself in places and with people, so as to create and record the fondest of memories. Maybe not the technical answer you were expecting but in my humble opinion, once you have great gear and a reasonable understanding and command of the exposure triangle, it should really be about composition and creativity.

I also intend to have a moment of true photographic liberation and make much more use of my wonderful Leica MP film camera. I would like to be detached from cables, devoid of lithium batteries and simple load up with Ilford Delta 400 and let it all hang out (metaphorically speaking)….sounds like a plan to me!

I even have no plans for buying any new gear (As I write this I have my fingers crossed and can hear Mrs. C saying that she has heard that old chestnut before, accompanied by a sigh of relief from my bank manager!). However, I really am blessed with some wonderful gear and I have no excuses for not getting out there and getting on with it.

On that note Q1 is already planned. We are off to Spain to visit my Mum in January, followed by a real treat as we visit the wonderful Gidleigh Park as a belated Christmas present to ourselves. February involves a visit to Dubai for some work and to see old friends. We are also excited to have our dear friends Jon and Rachel visiting us in Plymouth for the first time and then in March, a truly creative extravaganza is planned in Andalucia Spain…..hold that thought!

Finally, I believe everyone has a book in them and I am determined that this should be my ultimate creative project for 2025, or at least to formally start the process. I want to create an E-Book but I seem to be letting the technical challenge get in the way of the creative process. I keep stumbling on deciding what is the best software or platform to use so that I can easily combine prose and imagery? I feel that it should be about the content, not the form and technology. Perhaps that’s just me procrastinating but if anyone has some helpful ideas or solutions please let me know in the comments section.

So, it would seem that a plan for 2025 is already coming together and I hope to see you soon in my next blog, ”Starting the New Year At Home “ as Mrs. C and I travel out to Spain and start the year with a visit to my dear old mum.

Ah yes, “The Bench of Contemplation”. I captured this image of Matthew on a bench next to Brent Tor Church.

Matthew on the “Bench of Contemplation”.

So enough of my ramblings and musings and let us all hope for good health, good light and a creative 2025.

With warmest regards from Plymouth U.K.

Dziękuję Warszawa............

December 9, 2024

Well dear friends, Christmas is almost upon us and for La Famille Chivers, this means our annual pilgrimage to one of the european Christmas markets.

This year our choice was Warsaw, which provided us with a number of firsts to celebrate:

This would be our first ever visit to Poland.
This would be the first time that all les jeunes Chivers, plus their respective partners, would be joining us.
Most of all It would be our first opportunity to celebrate the wonderful news that our daughter Anna and her fiancée Matthew had formally announced their engagement.

It was also an opportunity to meet up with our “Dubai family”, Seth, Claire and their three boys, Raif, Atticus and Horatio.

For Mrs. C and me, the holiday started at the Thistle Hotel Heathrow. The family gathered in the bar the night before in order to start the trip with a few glasses to toast Anna and Matthew on their engagement and to also enjoy a family meal.

Also, the next morning we would all jump in to one of their driverless pods and be delivered to Heathrow Terminal 5.

Cheers for Chivers! - I am never happier than when we are all together.

The next morning everyone met in reception at 6.00 a.m. Remarkably, considering how much alcohol had been consumed the night before, there were no hangovers and we made our way across to Terminal 5. I have to say that the driverless pod (a sort of monorail) was perfect and completely took the stress out of wondering whether taxis would arrive on time.

Fortunately the planets aligned, as did British Airways and Emirates Airlines, and 2.5 hours later we were all meeting up in arrivals at Warsaw’s Chopin International Airport. The Chappels arrived at approximately the same time and when we met up there was much hugging and kissing, two black Mercedes people carriers whisked us in to the centre of Warsaw and we checked in to the Sofitel Warsaw.

Our home for the weekend - The Sofitel Warsaw with the Palace of Culture and Science in the distance.

Mrs. C and Claire then set about check-in and after some intense negotiation that made Brexit look like a walkover we all walked away with room upgrades and Mrs. C used her Sofitel membership to obtain free welcome drinks for all.

So after a rapid check-in we all headed for the bar to enjoy our welcome beverage. As I walked up to the bar I smiled at the barman and used my only polish phrase,”Cześć, mójjest duży”, which roughly translates to “hi, mine’s a large one”. Our barman was clearly a bi-lingual comedian and he responded in perfect English by saying “so was his, but in the meantime would I like a drink!”?

I gave our barman one of Mrs. C’s 1000 yard stares and then whipped out my clincher; no that’s not a euphemism, but our complimentary drinks card. He again smiled and said we could have anything we wanted. I was not about to fall for that old chestnut as I could already hear Chipmunk asking if there was any Bollinger and Anna was perusing the drinks menu in search of the infamous and incredibly expensive yuzu saké. I knew that once team Chivers learned that free drinks were on offer, carnage would ensue. So, I called his bluff, ordered six glasses of champagne, a negroni and a cosmopolitan and crossed my fingers. Sure enough, five minutes later our drinks arrived and no bill was tendered. Well done Mrs, C our trip in Warsaw had formally started.

Chivers Family Motto: “Be Jolly & Crack Open The Bolly”.

Before going any further I do need to provide some additional information and clarifications:

Even though my French is not bad and my German is vaguely comprehendible, Polish is just about impossible. With so many Z’s, J’s, W’s and C’s in every sentence Polish scrabble must be a very high scoring game. So google translate was clearly going to be the order of the day.
Due to its geography, daylight hours in Poland in December seem short as it is dark by 3.30 p.m. So, if you are visiting at this time of year an early breakfast is advisable.
The currency is the Zloty and there are about 5 Sloty’s to the pound. Most establishments welcome the use of debit and credit cards and I must say that even Warsaw, as a capital city, appeared to be very good value.
Surprisingly, the weather was nowhere near as cold as last year’s visit to Prague. However, there was no sun and a constant greyness hung over the city. Notwithstanding, a hat, gloves and a warm coat are essential as late afternoon the temperature seem to drop rapidly.
Mrs. C had decided to fully embrace the polish culture on this trip and was only answering to her Polish pseudonym “Minka”. (Please google BBC Radio 4 sitcom Hut 33 to understand more).
From a photographic perspective the light was extremely flat and posed a challenge. I had travelled with the Leica Q Type 116 which always copes well in low light, is an easy carry and with a three year old whizzing around the place, auto-focus is definitely a plus.

I have to say that I love to be pleasantly surprised and indeed Warsaw pleasantly surprised me. Town appeared very clean and organised and our hotel was located just 5 minutes from the Old Town and was also situated opposite Saxon Square, the largest city square in Warsaw, which also contains the tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.

Although darkness was closing in we decided to walk-off the champagne and headed off along Nowy Świat and came across Minka’s all-time favourite shop, “Tchibo”. Minka was “In like Flynn” and when then young people realized there was a cafe so were they.

Of course the lady serving the coffees did not speak English and unlike our hotel barman was also not a bi-lingual comedian, especially when I told her that mine’s a large one!

After some rather painful sign language, shouty english and use of google translate, 11 drinks were ordered and Minka was able to indulge herself and our family in her native environment.

I did manage a Tchibo portrait of my beautiful Anna.

By the time we had finished coffee it was dark and we wondered our way back to the hotel. Given that daytime light was grey and very flat, it was the night that really brought Warsaw alive:

The next morning we woke early and when I pulled back the curtains we had a full view of Saxon Square. We could see a military parade and so we went to investigate. It appears that every morning there is a flag ceremony and the changing of the guard at the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.

Our destination for the day was the Christmas Market and so we headed off along Krskowskie Przedmiescie.

It then dawned on me that the reason everything was so neat and tidy was that the old town was painstakingly rebuilt after being ravaged during WW2.

We eventually found the Christmas market which was actually divided in to two locations. What appeared to be the main market was in fact a collection of food stalls and was a little disappointing. However, running along a portion of the city walls was a row of stalls with all manner of arts and crafts. Our only disappointment was that they were not switching on the Christmas lights until 6th December so we were a week early!

Christmas market - As the light faded the market became busier.

Now when in Eastern Europe a firm favorite for any walkabout is to locate a shop selling chimney cake. Think sugar, cake, hot and steamy oh and did I mention sugar!?. What is not to like. Claire was on it and soon, enough chimney cake was procured to sink a battleship. Everyone was in their happy place.

Claire is on it - Chimney cake please and we will have one of every flavour.

Yet another successful visit to a christmas market.

The temperature is falling and talk is of hot coffee and more sugar!

After a good walk around Christmas markets and overdosing on chimney cake, caffeine seemed the order of the day. We located a local cafe that could accommodate eleven, the young people did what young people do and chilled out and I went off with my single Polish phrase to order the drinks and some food. This time my Polish was not needed as the cafe was staffed with delightful young students who all spoke perfect English….phew!

For once this visit was not about documenting our cultural activities, it was about sharing precious moments with the people we love.

The glow of someone very much in love - to quote Matthew’s mother, it makes our heart sing with joy.

What a beautiful ring - well done Matthew.

Minka giving her future son-in-law some helpful advice! As I always say, after 37 years of marriage I am one of the wisest people I know!

Everyone appears to be in their happy place.

Our advisor on all matters equestrian and Chipmunk’s lovely partner Kitty, flying the flag for Racing Post Bloodstock.

In amongst all the eating and drinking we did manage a cultural visit to one of Warsaw’s landmarks, The Palac Kultury i Nauru (The Palace of Culture & Science).

At a height of 237 metres it is the second tallest building in both Warsaw & Poland. The building was completed in 1955 in what may be described as the Stalinist architectural style.

The building houses various public and cultural institutions. The entry fee was 20 Zlotys per person and you take the lift to the 30th Floor, where there is an observation platform which provides the best views of Warsaw.

Definitely in the Stalinist architectural style.

Up to the 30th floor for the observation platform.

Someone travelled a long way to seal their love for each other.

So that was our Warsaw adventure and a final opportunity to capture some images of the people we love.

Well dear Friends, I think that brings 2024 to a close. Mrs. C and I would like to thank all those who have followed our many adventures over the past year. Your support, comments and encouragement really does mean a lot to us.

Ah yes, you thought I had forgotten about the final bench of contemplation for 2024.

Minka on The Tchibo Bench of Contemplation.

May we wish you all a very Happy Christmas and let us all look forward to a peaceful and more tolerant 2025.

With love and best wishes from Plymouth U.K.

Adios & Away..........

November 10, 2024

Well for all those who have followed all the recent blogs relating to our trip across “The Pond” and our adventures across Louisiana and Texas, I hope you have enjoyed them, I thank you for your support and I admire your stamina!

However, we are not quite finished. As we arrived at breakfast on our final day, enjoyed one last cup of Rachel’s excellent coffee and loaded everything into the back of the car, Rachel confirmed that before our drive to the airport, they had one last surprise for us. A visit to Buffalo Park and the incredible Cistern.

Built in 1926, this underground cistern was used for decades to hold a large portion of Houston’s public drinking water.

I have visited a similar cistern, the Basilica Cistern, located in Istanbul Turkey, so I knew we had a real treat in store. My only concern was how I might record it in near total darkness.

Back in the day the cistern apparently sprang an irreparable leak, the reservoir was drained and according to history it sat unused and was practically forgotten about.

However, since 2010, it has now been revived and houses a number of rotating art installations from artists who make the space their own with both light and sound pieces.

Interesting facts about the cistern:

It is 87,500 square feet or the size of 1.5 football pitches.
It is 221-225 feet tall - its slender columns span the entire space.
When at full functioning capacity it held 15 million gallons of water.
There is a 17 second echo.

During our tour the cistern featured Rossin’s Haha Real, a work which takes its inspiration from the classic children’s story, The Velveteen Rabbit, invoking themes of transformation and loss.

This wonderful cistern still has a pool of water at the bottom and the stillness provides the most beautiful reflections.

The lights of the light show really bring the cistern to life.

Incredibly difficult to capture the light show which goes from total darkness to high intensity in an instant.

I can’t believe the low light performance of the Leica Type 246 Monochrom.

The tour only lasts about 30 minutes but is really thought provoking. For me it provided the ultimate challenge for hand-held low-light photography. The Leica Type 246 was astonishing in its dynamic range and clarity of imagery under such challenging conditions. Also, my photographic skills might also be improving!

After the tour we had an opportunity to walk around Buffalo Park and to capture some of Houston’s downtown skyline.

As we walked around the park and on to a bridge overlooking down town Houston, Rachel told us about the floods after Hurricane Harvey. Downtown was devastated, along with the suburbs where Jon and Rachel lived. In the image below you will see a bridge. Apparently, at the height of the flood, the water level covered the bridge!!

Buffalo Bayou with downtown Houston in the background.

Our final lunch was at a restaurant called Tiny Boxwoods. Casual sophistication amongst the trees and greenery in an area of Houston called Bryker Woods. JW ordered a delicious bottle of chilled Prosecco and my lunch was the house salad with a mouth watering apple vinaigrette.

It was such a relaxing lunch as we reminisced and laughed about the adventures of our previous two weeks in Texas and Louisiana. You know there is nothing better than sharing food and wine with great friends.

The girls in Prosecco mode - apologies for the lapse in manual focus…..alcohol and manual focus do not mix!

The boys….A bottle in and firmly in their happy place.

You know there is something special about having had an expatriate life. You see the world differently and tend to make a few very dear friends who become friends for life. JW and Rachel fall in to that bracket.

As neighbours in Dubai they were great company and always there if we needed help. We shared many an evening over good food and a bottle of red and some Armenian brandy.

As with all friends for life, whenever you get together, no matter how long it has been, you carry on directly from where you left off the last time you were together.

Thanks to both Rachel and JW for a truly magnificent experience. We look forward to round 2 when we have the opportunity to show them the delights of the south west of the U.K.

As I finish writing this blog the U.S. election has finished, democracy reared its head and it appears that world of U.S. politics has potentially changed for ever. I am unsure whether it is for the best but you know my thoughts about protest votes….people get what they wished for and then regret it when the reality dawns.

I do not know what is in store for us all but lets hope that at the end of it all, there is a realisation that we are all better together than trying to create divisions and conflict.

Love and best wishes to you all and please, lets try and move forward in the coming months with peace and tolerance.

So signing off from Houston and see y’all soon back in good old Blighty!

Ragin’ Cajuns...........

November 8, 2024

When I left you in my last blog, “Plantation Road”, we were discussing alligator balls! Well next morning, as we pulled out of Lafayette, things were about to get even spicier! Rachel said that she had another surprise for us and that we were going to Avery Island, to see how Tabasco is made.

Now I have to admit I was a little unsure about why we were visiting a factory that made tabasco sauce, but how wrong could I have been! Indeed, it turned out to be one of the best days of our entire holiday.

The drive was relatively short, about an hour outside of Lafayette. The light was great and some of the buildings alongside the road just screamed to be captured.

Old School and perfect for monochrome photography.

Welcome to Avery Island, the home of Tabasco.

For those of us who like a little bit of spice in our life, “Tabasco Sauce”, that famous little red bottle that everyone has in their spice rack, has become a household name. Indeed, the salt dome known as Avery Island Louisiana, or better known as the “source of Tabasco sauce”, has been operated by the Mcilhenny family for over 5 generations and is the only factory in the world that makes this famous sauce under the Tabasco brand.

I was expecting some form of major industrial site but boy was I wrong. The factory looks picture perfect, sitting amongst the bayous and wildlife and I was soon out of the car and clicking away with the Type 246 and 28mm Elmarit. The light was super bright and so a 4 stop ND filter was a must.

Now Rachel and Jon had organised the day in three parts; (a) a tour of the Tabasco museum, (b) lunch at the on-site restaurant and (c) a tour of the Jungle gardens.

Wherever I go the wildlife is out to get me!

The modern side to this traditional family business.

The greenhouses where they experiment with different types of chilli peppers.

The elixir that is Tabasco sauce aged in white oak barrels which are sealed with salt.

A contender for The Bench of Contemplation perhaps?

The factory is surrounded by stunningly beautiful nature and wildlife.

By now we had worked up a thirst and were in urgent need of some calories. The on-site restaurant was the perfect place for a beer and a crawfish poboy. This is basically a whole baton loaf, about half a ton of deep-fried crawfish and a double helping of French fires, spiced up, of course, with locally manufactured “family reserve” Tabasco Sauce. This is definitely not for the faint of heart and sharing is very much recommended.

Cholesterol and calories, a perfect combination!

We rolled out of the restaurant (quite literally), jumped into the car and headed off for the “jungle tour” around Avery Island. As we pulled into the garden my jaw hit the floor. The whole area was just un-spoilt nature and I was in seventh heaven.

My first image of the tour was a keeper.

I just love the Spanish Moss which seems to flourish everywhere.

If you look closely you can see three turtles on the branch stretching across the lake - otherwise known as alligator food.

Wherever we looked it got better and better.

Anyone for a swim? - before you do, look closely at the 8 foot eating machine waiting patiently for you.

As we reached the Texas / Louisiana state line we pulled over for a “comfort break”. Once again nature was out to get me.

All I want is to take a pee without any stress!

This is what was behind the ablutionary facilities - “Snake Central”!

What a fabulous day. A visit to Avery Island should be on every tourist’s list when you visit Louisiana. I must have taken about 500 images and culling them down to the few that I have shown you was very hard work.

Ah yes, the Bench of Contemplation. Mrs C sitting on the edge of this stone bridge in the middle of this picturesque bayou, contemplating the fact that all around her were alligators, snakes and a myriad of other creatures looking to bite and sting you. An excellent juxtaposition I think.

I hope you enjoyed this spicy episode and I look forward to inviting you to my final blog, “Adios & Away” which will be coming out soon.

See Y’all.

Plantation Drive..........

November 4, 2024

After our brief time in New Orleans (see my previous Blog “NOLA”), we were determined to see more of Louisiana, as we slowly made our way back to Houston.

Our eventual destination for the next evening would be Lafayette but along the way, we headed alongside the Mississippi so as to get a feel for old school Louisiana.

As you turn off the highway and start to drive along roads lined with sugar cane plantations, it is like stepping back in time.

Something that struck me were the Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss. I could imagine standing in the same spot 100 years ago and it would not have looked any different.

I find these oaks dripping with moss quite stunning.

Of course, behind the dramatic scenery and the beauty of the surroundings there is a much darker side. I am not in favour of cancelling out the failings of man and / or re-writing the history books. So many wrongs occurred to get where we are today. The current generation need to see these with clarity so as to be reminded that they should never be repeated.

There is no starker reminder of this than the beautiful plantation houses that line the road. They truly are something to behold and a reminder of the wealth that was generated in this part of the world by the toil of those less fortunate.

The images below show the beautiful St. Joseph Plantation in all its glory and the juxtaposition which is the accommodation of the labourers who toiled on the land and who were responsible for generating the wealth of the plantation owners. This is a vivid reminder that all countries have a dark and murky past. Rather than try and cancel them out, let us make sure we inform and educate the youth of today so that we perhaps treat our fellow man with more respect, kindness and understanding. Who knows what we might achieve if this were possible.

As we continued along the side of the Mississippi we came across this wonderful driveway with a canopy of oaks. Rachel pulled over and we both jumped out of the car to capture the scene. For me this was the image of the trip and I loved the fact that we managed to capture an oncoming lorry at the very end of the drive.

“Plantation Drive” - my favourite image of the entire trip.

I love the geometry of the bridges crossing the Mississippi.

Railway crossing - don’t forget to look in both directions!

After our trip along the Mississippi we headed across a railway line and onwards to a small town call New Iberia. Our destination was to visit the Conrad Rice Mill, America’s oldest independently owned operating rice mill, having remained in operation since 1912. It sells its products under the Konriko brand.

Unfortunately we had arrived too late for the tour of the mill but we were warmly welcomed in to the mill shop.

The lady who welcomed us said they they had just cooked some of their wild pecan rice and we were welcome to try some. It was so delicious I nearly ate the whole pot!

We then moved on in to the centre of New Iberia. Once again, if you blinked you would have travelled the length of Main Street. The quant little town was founded in the late 18th century by French, Spanish and Arcadian settlers.

The girls fancied an afternoon ice cream and so we parked opposite a family owned bakery and dessert store called “Fudge It Bakery”.

The door was locked but there was a very polite sign that said “please knock”….so I did. A charming elderly lady nervously answered the door. In my best English accent I said “Dear lady, would I be correct in assuming that you are a purveyor of delicious ice cream?”. She smiled, let us in and said that she assumed we were not from around these parts.

She was correct and when we told her we were from UK she said that we were the first real life English folk that she had ever seen.

Having formally been anointed as a first, we ordered some of their delicious ice cream and I took an image of the lady and her niece as the first real life residents of New Iberia that I had ever met. Such charming and welcoming people.

Everything in this wonderful store was home made and looked and smelled delicious.

After our delicious interlude we walked along the back streets to the nearby river which gave me an opportunity to grab a few images of New Iberia.

What another wonderful day we had going off-piste and exploring places that perhaps the average tourist might not see. That’s the benefit of having such a wonderful tour guide.

We left New Iberia as we found it, peaceful and content and headed on to Lafayette. That evening we dined at a local restaurant, Bon Temps Grill, sampled the local brew and I had my first taste of “alligator balls”. So there is a thought on which to end this blog!

More adventures to follow so stay tuned as we go “Rajin Cajuns”.

See Y’all again soon.

NOLA...........

October 27, 2024

For those of you who have been following our trip across the pond on QM2 and our Texas adventure with Rachel and J Doubleyuh (JW), you will know that Mrs. C and I have been having a holiday of a lifetime. Thanks must really go to the two girls, Mrs. C for organizing the Cunard adventure and to Rachel for all things U.S. based.

Following a re-group from the attack by killer ducks (see recent blog “The Devil’s Backbone”) and a rest-stop back at home in Houston, we set-off early one morning for the next stage in our U.S. extravaganza, a drive in to Louisiana and a couple of days in New Orleans.

Now everybody has to cross the great Mississippi River for the first time and I wanted to capture it my way. So I managed this image through the windscreen.

As always Rachel had a surprise up her proverbial sleeve and as we crossed in to Louisiana we pulled off the highway in to a rest-stop situated next to a Bayou.

You guessed it - We are in gator country.

Yes it looks cute but mama gator definitely doesn’t.

I was chatting with one of the locals and he said we could catch one of the baby gators and keep it in an aquarium if we liked?! Bearing in mind that mama gator was about eight feet long and had teeth like a chain saw and was swimming in the centre of the bayou, i decided to avoid climbing over the safety barrier, defer my death wish and stick with goldfish in my aquarium.

After my first brush with the bayou, we carried on towards New Orleans.

Upon arrival in New Orleans we checked in to our hotel, the Four Points By Sheraton which was located directly on the famous Bourbon Street in New Orlean’s famous French Quarter.

The interior courtyard - tranquility - I see a cocktail with my name on it.

As we exited our hotel on to Bourbon Street, I experienced what can only be described as a sensory overload. The noise was incredible, people were dancing and singing and at 2.30pm in the afternoon it would appear that the sun was definitely over this particular yardarm.

Now I had been quite worried about taking my Leica gear around New Orleans and so I had decided to brave it, but had bought an accessory to fit on to the tripod mount on the bottom of the Leica Type 246 that allowed me to insert an Apple Tag. Quite ingenious and gave me some comfort at least.

Even colonel Sanders was there to greet us.

Do you think they are about to celebrate halloween?

That evening we hit the road and ended up in Lafitte’s Blacksmiths Shop Bar where we participated in a few pre-dinner sharpeners.

Lafitte’s - A great place for a pre-dinner sharpener.

Once the sun went down it seemed like everybody else came out to play and the whole place went nuts.

Now the pre-dinner drinks were flowing a little too rapidly so we decided to search out some sustenance. As we were determined to sample some of the local cuisine we headed directly to The Gumbo Shop for some genuine creole cuisine.

You know exactly what you will get at the Gumbo shop on St. Peter Street.

This place was old school New Orleans and gumbo was definitely the order of the day. I had the chicken gumbo and Kate had the fish gumbo. Simply delicious, especially when accompanied by a couple of sazerak cocktails.

Our waiter was a cool dude and had everything under control.

Old school, no frills, just great food and a mean cocktail.

What a start to our New Orleans adventure. We returned to our hotel around midnight and it seemed that the party along Bourbon Street was only just getting started.

Rachel was ahead of the game and had arranged for our rooms to be facing the internal courtyard so there was no noise and we slept like babies.

The next morning we were up early and out searching for breakfast. Last night’s party had finally ended and the streets were eerily quiet.

Just loving the look of the French Quarter in the morning light.

So for our first morning in New Orleans we needed a proper breakfast and this meant hot Beignets. There is no better place than the Café Du Monde on Decatur Street. No fuss here, just hot coffee and warm beignets smothered in sugar.

Do you think they add enough sugar on the Beignets?

Whilst we were noshing through our high energy breakfast a group of musicians were blasting out their rendition of Minnie The Moocher. After finishing the tune they went round with a bucket asking for donations. The guy with the trombone said with a wry smile, “Your generous donation keeps us from the poorhouse and stops us visiting your house!”. They were extremely good value and entertaining. I gave them a couple of bucks and they were happy to pose for a portrait.

A donation keeps us from the poorhouse and stops us visiting your house!

After breakfast the light was great and I managed the following image of the St. Louis Cathedral.

As I framed the image and took the shot I saw a menacing looking chap out of the corner of my eye who seemed to be taking issue with me taking his picture (which I wasn’t and would never do without asking) and was liking me to a proverbial “posterior orifice”. Rather than engaging with the “gentleman” and questioning his lineage, I reckoned that like many New Orleans locals who had come across hard times, that he was looking for a confrontation in an attempt to take a few dollars off me. So I de-escalated the situation and moved on, especially as half the population are armed to the teeth.

We then wandered down to the banks of the Mississippi and grabbed a few images in the early morning light.

As we walked back into town we came across a Mecca for local jazz, The Toulouse Theatre and Preservation Hall. Definitely a night time destination and one for our next visit.

I grabbed a couple of images and went off down the road humming my favorite blues tune, “Fast Women Sloe Gin” by the late great Jimmy Witherspoon.

We were keen to spend some time away from Bourbon Street and decided to take one of the old trams in to the Garden District. This is one of the posh suburbs of New Orleans and showed another side to this wonderful city. Tickets were 80 cents each which in my book were a bargain.

As our tram gently made its way through the Garden District we finally came to our lunch destination, The Camellia Grill, which had been highly recommended by one of Rachel’s buddies.

We were welcomed inside by our host, Vincent, who had worked in the Camellia Grill for nearly 40 years. With his super smile and gentle voice he was in complete control and we had a most enjoyable lunch.

After lunch we decided to take advantage of the beautiful temperature, burn off some calories and walk to the end of the line.

The Garden district is everything it promises to be.

Beautiful Houses but at a considerable price.

I was not about to pull the pin and try a hand grenade.

All this walking and sightseeing had made the girls thirsty and they dragged JW and me in to a local bar for an afternoon livener.

This was a serious bar and very well-stocked….they even had Plymouth Gin!

JW and I ordered a couple of local beers but the girls went off-piste and ordered two gin fizzes. To my surprise Christian, our barman looked at Mrs. C and said “Really!”. Oh dear, oh dear oh dear. I could see Mrs. C’s lips tighten in the way they they do just before she puts her foot on my neck and she gave Christian one of her legendary shrivellers (basically a thousand yard stare which normally ends in violence) and she said, “Yes Really”! Christian shrugged, smiled and said it would take 10 minutes. The challenge was on. JW and I weren’t bothered as we were already quietly supping on our beers and keeping well out of it.

Christian then disappeared for five minutes and returned with two glassed of yellowish liquid that he then placed in the fridge. After taking them out of the fridge he made two holes in the liquid and then poured more liquid in to the holes, with the liquid rising like a perfectly cooked soufflé.

Its called style! - The master and his magic.

The girls assured us that their drinks were fantastic and everyone was left smiling as our barman worked his magic.

A work of art which left everyone smiling.

As the sun goes lower Bourbon Street starts to come to life again.

For our final evening JW had booked dinner at a super little restaurant called Palm & Pine on North Rampart Street. As we walked to the restaurant the atmospherics were sensational and the sunset something to behold. I have enclosed a colour picture taken with my iPhone and completely un-edited, other than a slight crop, to show the magnificent colours, bearing in mind that at the same time Florida and North Carolina were being devastated by a Hurricane.

Pal & Pine - a fabulous end to our New Orleans experience.

The next morning we checked out and as we headed out of the garage I couldn’t resist this last image which is my New Orleans Bench of Contemplation.

Well there you have it. New Orleans is a must visit for anyone passing through Louisiana. We had such a wonderful time yet I feel we only scratched the surface. All the more reason to come back again!

As we hit the interstate why not join Mrs. C and me in our next blog, “Plantation Road” which will be coming soon.

See Y’all.

The Devil's Backbone............

October 26, 2024

Having eaten our body weight in ice cream at Blue Bell, (see previous Blog “Goin Down South”) we hauled out of Brenham with Rachel at the reins and JW riding shotgun. We headed on past Austin (at this point of writing the blog and to get in the mood I have The Sky is Crying by Stevie Ray Vaughan playing on the IPOD) to our next destination, a little town called Fredericksburg.

Now Fredericksburg, as the name may suggest, was founded by German immigrants back in 1846 under the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. The name was chosen to honor Prince Frederick of Prussia. Today the town remains quite small, with a population of around 12,000 but still retains its Germanic roots.

Rachel had booked us in to a wonderful cottage that screamed old school from the outside but was beautifully furnished inside.

We were located in a quiet suburb some 10 minutes from the centre of town ( in fact everything in Fredericksburg seemed to be located about 10 minutes from the centre of town).

As soon as I saw it I was in my happy place. I wandered around the “Hood” taking in the surroundings and enjoying the light and shadows.

Embracing the shadows in our rear garden.

As usual I became completely absorbed in my surroundings and very soon was completely lost and it was starting to get very warm.

Ominously there were many vultures soaring above me (I seemed to attract vultures throughout my stay in Texas) so perhaps they sensed the chance of a tasty piece of English beef for lunch!

Ah Berry Street & Green…..Means nothing and I am still hopelessly lost.

Whilst in the U.S. I have had a fascination with fire hydrants, windmills and post boxes; I guess because we don’t have these in the UK. Eventually I spotted a landmark I remembered and made it back to base.

Now who doesn’t enjoy a glass of wine? Well my mate JW was on it and had selected a local Frebericksburg vineyard, “William Chris Vineyards” so that we could sample first hand the development of wine making in this part of Texas. Indeed JW and I were keen to make the sacrifice and lend our taste buds to fully assist them with their wine making endeavours.

The vineyard was in beautiful countryside some 30 minutes outside of Fredericksburg and upon arrival we registered and were immediately offered a welcoming “sharpener”, a delightful little chilled Rosé that I necked far too quickly. My taste buds were tingling and I was on a roll and keen to sample more.

A welcoming sharpener to kick-off proceedings.

Well they have won plenty of awards so all bodes well.

Next was a rather tasty number, a very pretty nose with a rather pleasing complexion. Her name was Kim and she would be our guide for the wine tasting!

All in all we tasted six wines, 2 Rosé and the remainder red. The grape varieties ranged between Sirah, Grenache an Mourvèdre.

To be frank I quite liked the 2 Rosé varieties and I thought both would work equally on their own as a drinking wine or to accompany food, although we all struggled with the reds. The reds all seemed quite dry and were served supposedly at cellar temperature but for me, they were too chilled and would have benefitted from being allowed to warm to room temperature and then being served from a decanter.

I suspect that if we lived nearby and with sufficient practice, we would learn to appreciate their particular style of wine making. Indeed, JW did take a bottle of the 2020 Grenache and it will be interesting to know how it tastes when served a little warmer and with more aeration.

After the tasting we were allowed to wander around the vineyard which gave me an opportunity to capture a few images.

Oh yes, there is definitely enough to go around.

Getting up close and personal with the vines.

What a great morning. We had learned something about Texas wine production and whilst a Californian Pinot Noir it is not, they are well on their way to putting their own original stamp on Texas wine production.

Unlike everyone else and in the tradition of the Chivers family, during the tasting I didn’t spit out a drop and as a result I was feeling in a very relaxed mood and was having a bit of trouble using manual focus.

So we decided to head back in to town for a spot of lunch and a black coffee and perhaps some retail therapy. On the way back I set the Type 246 to range focussing and took an opportunity to grab some imagery out of the rear window or our car..

Indeed many people are praying for a calmer outcome to the pending U.S. elections. At the time of writing its neck and neck between Harris and Trump.

At the traffic lights I snapped this shot of “Doug The Pug” who seemed quite happy to pose for me.

The back window of the truck says Jesus or Hell! I am hoping there is somewhere in-between.

The good thing about Fredericksburg is that there is no shortage of places to eat. Mrs. C and I only managed to stay in the same size wardrobe by sharing everything as portions of both food and drink seemed huge.

Yup, the Hitchin’ Post sounds like my kinda place.

One particular store caught my eye, “Rustin Robs”, which specialized in all manner of hot sauces. Indeed, some are so hot that there is an age restriction whereby you have to show you are over the age of 18 before you are allowed to buy.

Outside nearly all the shops had signs stating that the open carry of dangerous weapons was not permitted inside. Good job I kept my automatic lip salve in my man bag then!

Our final stop-off after an afternoon of shopping was to a wine store owned and operated by Ferris & Fletch, another local wine producer. As we walked through the door we were greeted by Kevin, a most hospitable and gracious host. Kevin is my kind of guy and as we were shaking his hand he was already pouring us glasses of wine to taste.

After a couple of glasses of their fabulous Pinot Noir JW bought a few bottles for his cellar, Kevin was happy to pose for a picture and I was ready to go home for a much needed afternoon siesta.

What a great host - Kevin at Ferris & Fletch Wine Co.

Both evenings during our stay the temperature was perfect and we were able to sit outside at local restaurants, enjoy a wine or cold beer and sample the local fare. What a great place to visit and if you have a chance to spend a couple of days in Fredericksburg don’t hesitate. Also be sure to visit Kevin at Ferris & Fletch!

The next morning we hauled out of Fredericksburg, took the “Devils Backbone” down past a little town called Purgatory and headed for a place called Bastrop. I simply love these place names and it makes we want to take out my guitar, raise the action, tune to drop D and play some good old Texas slide guitar.

Again, this small town only had a population of about 9,000, a Main Street and plenty of places to eat and drink.

It is also famous for the number of buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places, resulting in Bastrop earning the title “Most Historic Small Town in Texas”.

Old School - I just love the look of these cabins on the outskirts of Bastrop.

Got a keeper as soon as I got out of the car.

You can’t take a drink inside as alcohol kills but guns are fine.

On the street with the Type 246 and 28mm Elmarit.

Now Rachel and JW have a knack for finding great places to eat and drink and Bastrop was to be no exception to that rule.

Maxine’s Cafe & Bakery is well known in these parts for serving excellent food.

Inside everything is old school Texas and the place was absolutely humming with people.

Should I have the Catfish or the Fried Green Tomatoes with Ranch Dressing?

For me the dish of the day was a starter of fried green tomatoes smothered with their speciality ranch dressing. Simply superb and not to be missed.

Suitably fed and watered we decided to walk around town which provided me with the opportunity to grab a few more images.

No afternoon in Bastrop would be complete without stopping off at Lock Drug Store. No longer a drug store (a.k.a. pharmacy) but this building, which dates back to 1855 is a fantastic ice cream parlor / bakery.

The ice cream was wonderful (yes it came from our old friend Blue Bell Creameries) and the girls running the place were super chatty and welcoming.

Now as you know Texas is all about “Big Oil” and I had been going on to Rachel about wanting to photograph the old-school “Nodding Donkey” oil pump. So to my astonishment on the way back to Houston we pulled off the interstate, down a dirt road and there it was, a genuine nodding donkey.

I was ecstatic and then, to my complete surprise, an actual donkey appeared in the field with the nodding donkey. You just can’t make this up.

Now you will recall that I seemed to be being stalked by vultures. Just 5 minutes from Rachel and JW’s house in Houston is a small park which is full of, yes you have guessed it, vultures! Well I had to grab a shot as Rachel had assured me that vultures were only interested in eating dead things.

Indeed, as I got closer and closer to grab an image the vultures totally ignored me. However, I was being chased by an angry flock of ducks. Rachel did join me to lend some support and watch my back. She then said don’t look up, so of course I looked up. I was being surveyed by a whole tree full of vultures!

Ah but what about the Bench of Contemplation. Well this image of Mrs. C sitting on the porch of our cabin in the outskirts of Fredericksburg is my choice.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at parts of Texas that the average tourist might not necessarily see. Stay tuned for more adventures as we head for Louisiana and New Orleans in my next blog, NOLA,

See Y’all soon.

Goin Down South.........

October 20, 2024

Well dear reader, I ended the last blog, “A Week with Mary” as we left Queen Mary 2 and boarded a Cunard shuttle bound for Newark Airport in New Jersey.

I guess we could have taken a taxi but Cunard had done a wonderful job so far so we closed our eyes, paid the money (USD 120) and sat back and relaxed as we were duly delivered to Newark Airport, Terminal A with our usual 8 hours to spare, just in case we missed the flight. As I reminded Mrs. C the early bird always catches the first worm!

Now US domestic airports are a bit like catching a bus so we were expecting no frills and Newark Airport ensured that we were not disappointed. Going through security was a breeze until we were invited to check in our fire arms! Hmmmm, I did have some lip moisturiser which was the nearest thing I had to an offensive weapon other than my camera gear.

Once security saw my beautiful Leica Type 246 and associated lenses I almost caused the presence of a SWAT Team. Everything had to come out of my back-pack and be inspected. It would have been far easier to check in an assault rifle.

As I went through the body scanner all seemed fine until security cried out “halt, do not move, take off the bandana”! This I where I realised that the UK and USA are nations separated by a common language. I was not wearing a “bandana” but in fact a blue and white “neckerchief” around my neck, which by the way, I was wearing in rather a jaunty fashion (its called style). Given that our security guard was carrying a sidearm and was glaring at me in a rather alarming fashion, his rather contradictory instruction gave me cause for thought. Should I (a) freeze as instructed or, (b) should I move and remove my neckerchief (aka Bandana). I decided to risk it and remove my lethal neckerchief. Fortunately the situation de-escalated back to DEFCON 5 and I was allowed to pass through security. It makes you think though doesn’t it.

Once in the terminal I needed something to calm my nerves. Clearly a Snickers bar was the order of the day. Then to my horror they wanted USD 5 for a single Snickers Bar and that was before tax! Those that know me well will testify that I am not mean-spirited in the wallet department. However, USD 5 before tax was above and beyond all things reasonable. Shaken but not stirred I settled for a USD 7 (before tax) cup of coffee! I soon realised that Newark airport had been designed to take as much cash off you as possible in the shortest space of time.

As I supped the most expensive coffee known to man I checked my phone to see where my luggage was currently located. To my surprise the Apple Tag lodged in the luggage showed it somewhere over the US mainland en-route to Houston! We then saw that United Airlines had changed our flight to go from Terminal C. So there was an earlier flight with room for luggage but United did not think to ask us if we would like to join our luggage on the earlier flight. We had also passed through security and now found ourselves in the wrong terminal! That week of carefree relaxation aboard QM2 already seemed like a million years ago.

Eventually we managed to find a shuttle and were dispatched to Terminal C where we boarded our flight to George Bush Airport in Houston Texas.

The flight was actually quite comfortable and as we left arrivals and went in to baggage reclaim Rachel and Jon were waiting for us with beaming smiles.

After much hugging Rachel lept in to action like a coiled spring. Within 5 minutes she had organised the United Airline ground staff, located said luggage and we were en-route to Chez Ward.

The next morning we were all up early to be treated with Rachel’s analogue scheduling system:

Now, the creative juices were in full flow and I was already busy with the Type 246 shooting imagery for this blog, when I should have been watching the toast that was under the grill.

It was only when flames were spotted that Kate lept to the rescue, said flames were doused and calm was restored. At this point the technology defeats me but my blog would have been playing “Burning Down the House” by Talking Heads.

I then said to Mrs. C that it wasn’t my fault (mistake one) and that I didn’t mind carcinogenic toast (mistake two). It then became a little difficult to capture any further imagery with manual focus lenses with Mrs. C’s foot on my neck! I was already on a roll……

Panic Over and fresh toast being inserted in to the grill and not where Mrs. c said it should be inserted!

A welcome from the “Ward Watchdog” at the top of the stairs.

After a rather delicious coffee and un-carcenogenic toast, we headed straight out for our first adventure, a visit to “Mission Control”, The Space Centre Houston.

On the move with the Type 246 set to range focusing.

Even the storage tanks looked like flying saucers.

The benefit of our week across the Atlantic on QM2, other than the fine food and rather excellent Martinis, was that we arrived as fresh as a daisy and with zero jet lag.

Before arriving at the Space Centre Rachel advised that we would check out a local souvenir store that would provide all the usual NASA souvenirs but at a fraction of the cost. We eventually arrived at Amy’s Souvenir store. We were warmly welcomed by Amy herself and sure enough we left with armfuls of souvenirs at very friendly prices. We then took the 10 minute drive to Houston Space Centre itself.

First glimpse that we were getting close.

Now let me tell you, this place is not just for kids but has been specifically designed for big kids liked Jon and me. This is all “Boys Own” stuff and from the minute we entered I knew we were going to have a great day.

Our first objective of the day was to get up close and personal with a space shuttle, which was sitting on top of an actual Boeing 747.

Note the angry sky in the distance - This was hurricane season.

Houston we have a problem……Where is the cup-holder?

We then wandered around a mock-up of Skylab and a history of space exploration and I managed to grab the following imagery.

Even in space, when you have to go…… you have to go!

Yours truly would definitely need to lose some weight to fit in there.

What we didn’t realise was that in addition to the visitor centre, Space Centre Houston is still a fully functional federal facility. We were taken to the actual “Mission Control” from which the first moon landings were directed. It really was tremendous and took me back to those black and white BBC TV programmes where Michael Burke would present and analyse the various Apollo missions. They even recreated the whole landing and then we were allowed to capture a few images.

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

Great capture of our dear friends and hosts Rachel & Johnathon.

Unfortunately the Apollo Saturn V exhibit was not open but this gives you an idea of its size.

Artemis - Man is going back to the moon.

What a day! you could spend a whole week at Space Centre Houston and it is something not to be missed.

On our return Rachel wanted to introduce us to some local cuisine and we stopped off at “Crazy Alan’s Swamp Shack”.

The food was great cajun seafood. All manner of shrimp, crawfish, catfish and of course alligator. Our waiter said that if we wanted gator that they had a small one in the tank which could be easily dispatched and served with French fries and a cajun sauce! We decided to allow the Gator a stay of execution and went with blackened swamp shrimp pittas….delicious!

Day two involved me not burning down the house and we visited the Glenwood Cemetery. This cemetery is located in the centre of Houston and provides both a fantastic view of the downtown Houston skyline as well as the history of the great and the good of Houston in a beautiful, tranquil setting. Everywhere I looked was a photo opportunity.

I loved the Juxtaposition of someone buried within something that is living.

My personal favourite from our Glenwood visit.

As we headed down to breakfast on day three Rachel’s analogue schedule puzzled me. How could a petrol station be a destination? However, as we pulled off the interstate in to Buc-ee’s all became clear.

Like everything else in Texas Buc -ee’s is larger than life. Built around Buc-ee the beaver (yes I have heard all the beaver jokes both clean and near the knuckle), they allegedly have the longest car wash in the world, almost 300 petrol pumps at each station and a store containing all the things that I didn’t know I wanted, all at very attractive prices.

Add meat, more meat and then extra meat, mix in some chilli, drown in gravy and serve in a bread roll.

For all Chivers family members, can you guess where we bought this years Christmas presents? :-)

After our pit-stop at Buc-ee’s we headed on to Brenham, Texas to Jon’a all time favourite ice cream maker.

Blue Bell have been making ice cream for over 100 years. This is a home grown Texas company who only started exporting outside of Texas in the 1980’s. Whilst they no longer do formal factory tours there is an observation deck from where you can see the entire operation.

Moreover, they have an old-school ice cream parlour which serves all its flavours at USD 1 per scoop and by scoop I mean a Texas Scoop, so huge. There was a constant stream of locals visiting with their families and everybody seemed to be in their individual happy places.

Blue Bell manufacturing facility, Brenham, Texas.

I loved this image from its advertising campaign from the 1970’s.

This image is from another of their advertising campaigns and reflects the company’s roots within the local community.

What a great day! We had experienced the Beaver and got sugared-out in Brenham. We were now en-route to Frericksburg, Texas for yet more adventures. Look out for my next blog, “The Devils Backbone”.

See Y’all.

A Week With Mary…….

October 9, 2024

Regular readers will already know that the past 18 months have been life changing for Mrs. C and me.

Some of you will also know that we both reached one of life’s milestones. I became a “man of a certain age” and after being 39 for the past 20 years, Mrs. C also joined me in what we now call our “decade of discovery”.

You will no doubt be surprised to learn that even after 37 years of marriage (of course, Mrs. C was a child bride) we still have many firsts to celebrate together.

So without wasting a further minute we Carpe Diem’d and booked our first trans-Atlantic cruise. Having always been somewhat sceptical about being locked aboard a vessel with 2000 other “inmates” we decided to do it properly and booked our crossing from Southampton to New York on the flagship of the Cunard fleet, the wonderful Queen Mary 2.

Her Majesty awaits at Southampton's Mayflower Cruise Terminal.

Now as you all know, in another life Mrs. C would have been a military planner and set about the booking of our trip with a laser-like focus. “Stateroom” number 5139 was subsequently selected and reserved. This was located on deck 5; not too high, not too low and in the middle of our vessel so as to benefit from the smoothest of crossings possible. Also an enclosed balcony to allow us some fresh air with privacy (and also the quickest route over the side in the event of an emergency!).

Now these cruises are popular and indeed we booked ours over a year in advance so as to secure the time spot we required. Our logic was to go outside of the main holiday season but early enough to have the chance of some warm weather. Of course, we forgot that this was the North Atlantic, where the only constant is change and that September was the middle of the hurricane season! What could possibly go wrong with that plan?

Arrival at the Southampton Mayflower Cruise Terminal was courtesy of my brother Phil. In another life he had in fact worked aboard the Queen Elizabeth II as a chef and indeed, our dad had worked on both the original Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. So for me this trip had some added emotion as I squared the family circle so to speak.

Being an old sea-farer, Phil said he would send us off with a seaman’s breakfast and earlier that morning had knocked up a light serving of egg, bacon, sausage, steak, mushroom, baked beans and tomato, on the basis that we would at least have something to throw up in the event of inclement weather!!

The boarding procedure was just like boarding an airplane. We left our luggage with a charming gentlemen whom we assumed worked for Cunard and about an hour later, having negotiated check-in, customs and security, we arrived at our stateroom, to find our luggage waiting for us. If only British Airways could provide a similar service!

A friendly smile and directions to our stateroom.

We quickly unpacked and spent our first afternoon exploring the ship, which I must say is vast. Some 6,000 steps later and goodness knows how many flights of stairs, we felt like we had found our bearings.

For our departure we went up to Deck 13 which gave us a panoramic view across Southampton, the town of my birth.

Some stormy clouds above looking ominous,,,fingers crossed for a smooth crossing.

Bon Voyage as we gently pull away from the quayside at Mayflower Terminal Southampton.

We were given a send off by this steamer as she passed between us and the quayside with Southampton in the background.

Our departure was planned for 5 pm but we were third in line as the Disney cruise ship was first to leave with the Freudian tones of “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid blaring out from her speakers.

Next up was the departure of what may only be described as a Norwegian party/cruise ship which we believe was called the S.S. Halfpissed: clearly named after a town in the far north of Norway where the days are short and they don’t have T.V. The sun had clearly passed over the yard-arm of their vessel at about 10.30 a.m. that morning and lets just say that some people looked to be at least half dressed and a quarter sober.

Disney in the distance as the S.S. Halfpissed crosses our starboard bow in a somewhat zig-zag fashion.

Then it was our turn. With a majesty and elegance that befits her name, our Mary deftly maneuvered away from the dockside and progressed along Southampton Water. It was all quite emotional for me. How many times had my dear dad undertaken this same voyage? We passed the Itchen bridge, over which I had driven to and from my first ever job, at the good old Midland Bank International Division in Castle Way Southampton, along Weston Shore, where as a kid we used to play as my nan and grandad lived just up the road in Barnfield Close, off Weston Lane. As we passed Netley beach, I had a video call from my oldest pal, Nick, who along with his wife Susanne had made the effort to wave us off on our maiden cruise. What absolute stars they are and expect a future cruise adventure with them.

Passing the end of the cruise terminal with the River Itchen and Itchen Bridge in the distance.

At this point and for those of a nautical persuasion, let me provide you with a few facts about QM2:

First Voyage: 12th January 2004

Length: 1,132 ft (345 metres)

Width: 131 ft (39.9 metres)

Draft: 32 ft (9.75 metres)

Height: 236 ft (71.9 metres)

Guest Capacity: 2,691

Guest Decks: 13

Ships Crew: 1,292

In summary, unlike the Norwegian Party Boat the QM2 is not a pleasure cruiser; she is truly an Ocean going liner and very much fit for purpose. With approximately 1 member of crew for every two passengers I sensed we were in for a luxury experience.

QM2 is basically a floating hotel and restaurant where breakfast, lunch, dinner and even supper can be taken in numerous restaurants, along with 24 hour room service. In addition to the Britannia dining room there is a large buffet in the Kings Court, something less substantial in the Carinthia Lounge or if pub grub was to your fancy, the Golden Lion Pub.

Of course for those not travelling steerage and who have a more substantial wallet, there are the exclusive Princess & Queens Grills.

However for our dinner, we were assigned table number 457, a table for two in the Britannia Dining Room, a beautifully elegant dining room.

Not a bad view from our breakfast Table.

The delightful Mrs. C providing rather lovely foreground interest.

Our breakfast table is the table for two directly under the beautiful tapestry of QM2

Our near-neighbors were an absolutely delightful American couple, John and Nancy Jenkins, who hailed from the Windy City (Chicago) and an American Diplomat and his wife, David and Connie Cummings, who were returning to the U.S. following a stint in Iraq, before taking up a new posting in Germany. With such company we were certainly in for many wonderful evenings.

Now, John and Nan had been visiting Devon and Cornwall for the very first time. They seemed to enjoy it, although they did enquire if it always rained so much!

So as the sun slowly disappeared across the horizon and darkness set in, we enjoyed our first dinner afloat, accompanied by a message and a welcome drink from our Captain, Andrew Hall.

Dinner was a nod to the 1970’s comprising a delicate beef consommé, followed by Steak Dianne accompanied by pommes dauphinoise and haricots verts, topped off with a dessert of apple strudel swimming in brandy custard, with coffee and petite fours to finish.

Given our first night’s dinner experience we quickly realized that 7 nights on the Queen Mary 2 was going to be a combined eat & drinkathon, so I decided that “pacing” was definitely in order. Oh yes I liked the idea of this kind of pacing and I was definitely in my happy place.

So with all the food and libations that are available it was clear that we would have to remain pretty active during the voyage. No need to hit the torture room (a.k.a. the gym) as you forget how large the QM2 actually is. Three times around deck 7, the promenade deck, is approx 1.1 miles and with 13 passenger decks and assuming you only take the stairs and avoid the lifts (which we did) you feel like you are climbing a mountain every day. By the end of our week we had averaged 9,944 steps per day and had climbed an average of 18 flights per day!

Passengers getting in their steps on the promenade deck.

Of course, the Promenade deck has other uses and there are plenty of steamer chairs laid out ready for that after dinner snooze.

The other question I had was whether I might get bored spending a week on a ship (remember once aboard you can’t get off). No chance of that. Each day we are presented with a schedule of choice for the day and there appeared to be something for everyone. There were classes to attend, guest speakers, matinée performances of evening shows and the worlds largest floating planetarium.

Mrs. C and I do enjoy any excuse to put on our glad rags and indeed we had two gala evenings to pack for. The first of these was a black and white evening. Mrs. C looked absolutely stunning and I did my best to rock the George Clooney / James Bond look. We decided on a pre-dinner sharpener at the Champagne Bar which certainly set the taste buds tingling.

The second was a nod to the 1920’s and as always Mrs. C looked wonderful as she accessorized in to a 1920’s look.

Generally during the daytime dress code is very informal and shorts and a t-shirt were the order of the day. However, after 6pm they do encourage guests to make a effort and smart casual (no denim) is the norm.

But what about the weather I hear you cry? Well we had a mixture of sun, cloud, light rain and mist. Although the one thing you could be assured of every day was a strong breeze or what golfers might describe as “a three club wind” so a fleece or light jacket is definitely advisable. We are used to this as our apartment in Plymouth looks out across Sutton Harbour and Plymouth Sound and the one thing that is constant by the sea is weather conditions changing at a moments notice.

The Angry Atlantic - Keeping everything crossed that things remain calm.

The sea-state was at times beautifully calm and at others a turmoil. Even though we had our travel wrist bands and took a travel sickness tablet every day, we experienced nothing more than a gentle motion of our trusty vessel, even though at its worst the wind speed reached Force 9 and the wave height 4 metres. This is all due to the design of QM2 with its four huge retractable stabilizers which really do limit the roll of the ship. This is what makes her a true ocean going cruise liner.

The aft decks of our ship were somewhat sheltered and often, despite the weather, people could be seen relaxing in the various hot-tubs whilst others on the promenade deck sat huddled on loungers in their coats and fleeces. Of course we had to have a go and on one of the particularly sunny days we were lightly poached in the outside hot tub and then took a cooling swim in the aft outdoor swimming pool.

The Aft Hot Tub - Temperature set to lightly poached!

Out of the breeze the aft deck is very pleasant to relax and enjoy the view.

Deck 12 was the activity deck. There was a fabulous indoor pool area with a heated pool, hot tubs and very comfortable loungers. A great place to while away an hour or so.

Deck thirteen is the observation deck although during many days this was closed due to the strong winds. However one sunny morning we found it open and armed with my Leica Type 246, 50mm Summarit, an orange filter and a half willing model, I was able to capture images of our glorious Mary from a different perspective.

Always good to know where the helicopter will collect you in the event of an emergency!.

Geometry and shadows - in my happy place.

Now the reason we took a cruise rather than a plane across the Atlantic was (a) it would be one of our “firsts” and (b) as we were spending another 10 days in the States visiting our old Dubai neigbours, Rachel & Johnathan Ward, who now reside in Houston Texas. So we wanted to avoid feeling jet-lagged and knackered on arrival.

Interestingly, every day the ships clock is set back by one hour so that by the time we arrived in New York, we were already on New York time and ready for the adventures ahead (see my next blog, “Going Down South”).

As we continued our gentle cruise across “The Pond” we fell in to a leisurely routine. Normally the mornings were spent exploring the ship (there wasn’t a day when we didn’t get lost) and the afternoons attending a show or activity.

As I mentioned before the evening shows were top notch. Whether is was show tunes and contemporary favorites from The Barricade Boys, Comedy from Jon Courtney, a touch of Shakespeare from members of the Royal Shakespeare Company or dance and songs from the ships own entertainment company, there appeared to be something for everyone. We had chosen the 6.00p.m. Dinner slot so as to be able to attend the 8.15 p.m. shows, which normally lasted for an hour. Then it was time for a nightcap or perhaps a cocktail or three before retiring to our stateroom. This relaxing was becoming really hard work!

Cunard do mix a rather good Vodka Martini - Of course, shaken not stirred!

For me I also enjoyed some creativity of my own, looking to record the voyage with my Leica Type 246 Monochrom. I had brought two lenses, a 28mm Elmarit and 50mm Summarit. At F2.8 and F2.5 respectively, these lenses are both relatively slow in the world of Leica. However, the low level light capability of the Type 246 is superb so no worries on that front. I also had my little Fuji XF10 and for times when a physical camera was too obtrusive, my Iphone with the Leica Lux App.

Cunard Luxury and The Leica Type 246 Monochrom - a perfect match!

The key was portability and damage limitation in the event that I damaged or lost my Leica lenses in some of the sketchier destinations that I intended to visit whilst in the States. As both lenses take an E39 filter, I would share a four stop ND filter (essential to shoot wide open in bright conditions) and an orange filter between the two.

A rather splendid mid Atlantic full moon.

I can't help myself can I - Simply love all the geometry.

Our favourite morning location was the Commodore Club, a delightful lounge on deck 9 at the very front of the ship. We normally accessed this by using a little known glass elevator which also provided its own photo opportunities.

View from the Glass Lift en route to Deck 11. by Day

The Commodore Club was completely up my street. The discreet waiters were on hand to serve morning coffee, or for days when the sun reached over the proverbial yard arm a little early, a pre-lunch Martini. Another happy place for yours truly.

We were also visited each day by our Captain. He would collect his morning coffee and chat with the passengers. Then at 12.00 noon every day the ships horn would sound and he would provide us with an update on our progress, likely weather conditions and interesting facts about our cruise.

The Commodore Club - A great place to chill for an hour or so - Did I mention they serve Martinis as well.

Just a reminder that the weather can be changeable.

The bow displaying "The Commodore's Cufflinks.

You can see in the previous image what look like metal sculptures. These are nicknamed “The Commodore’s Cufflinks” and are in fact spare propeller blades.

Our arrival in to New York was around 6.00a.m. on the Sunday morning. We were determined not to miss it and along with everyone else on the ship we huddled together on deck 13 to celebrate our arrival.

To the resounding applause and cheers of the passengers we made it under the Verrazzano Bridge with a few feet to spare, after which we sailed past the beautiful Statue of Liberty with the lights of Manhattan twinkling in the background. It was pitch black and I had the Type 246 set to an ISO of 10,000 and the 50 Summarit wide-open.

Passing under the Verrazzano Bridge with only feet to spare.

Our first sight of the Statue of Liberty with Manhattan in the background.

Having got my images we headed back to the cabin for a quick shower and change, during which time our Mary had docked at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. As I pulled back our curtain and walked on to the balcony of our cabin I was presented with two beautiful shots of the Statue of Liberty and Downtown Manhattan! So we could have had an extra hour in bed! Truthfully, the arrival was breathtaking and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Disembarking at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.

Au revoir Queen Mary 2 and onwards to Houston.

Some two hours later we had fought our way through U.S. Immigration, located our bags and were on a Cunard shuttle bus en-route to Newark Airport and our flight to Houston. Our week with Mary had been truly spectacular and we can’t wait to do it again…. what was that?…oh that was the sound of our bank manager just going in to anaphylactic shock :-)

Ah yes, you thought I had forgotten about The Bench of Contemplation. Well given that we have a nautical theme I decide to capture Mrs. C on the “Deck of Contemplation” as she had a quiet moment of reflection whilst gazing out to sea across the Grand Banks.

What a week. We shared so many happy moments but above all we shared them together. I count myself a very lucky man to have the opportunity to do these things and above all, to do them with the woman I love more than anything else in the world.

What adventures do we have in store as we head off to the Lone Star State. Look out for my next Blog, “Going Down South” as Mrs. C and I continue our decade of discovery.

See Y’all in Texas.

On My Doorstep...........

August 7, 2024

Mrs. C and I love to travel, whether in UK or overseas. I always treat travel as an opportunity to refresh the creative juices and as a source of new imagery for my website and blogs.

However, now that I live full-time in Plymouth UK, I have come to appreciate just how beautiful it is in the area in which we live and just how much there is on our doorstep, that we tend to ignore, just because we see it every day.

So I have started my first ever photo project which I have called “On My Doorstep”. It involves me documenting what I can see on my regular photowalks that are with 15 minutes of my front door.

I view this as a long-term project to cover all four seasons and which will enable me to delve much deeper in to the community where I live.

This initial blog is based on imagery rather than words and I hope to giver you a taster of what is outside of my front door.

1. The view from our balcony.

When we bought our apartment the view from our Balcony was the clincher. Each day its the same yet different. The seasons, the weather and the sun (when it eventually comes out) makes every day so different.

No matter how much I try I can’t seem to capture its beauty in a manner which truly reflects what I can see with my eyes.

Perhaps this is more a case of me needing to develop my skills as a photographer, refining composition and waiting for the right lighting? However, I treat this view as a juxtaposition, on one hand it is something I find deeply calming and relaxing, on the other it has become a challenge as I strive to capture that perfect image (assuming there is such a thing).

Perhaps I should listen to the wisdom of Mrs. C who is constantly quoting Voltaire at me, “not to let perfect be the enemy of good”.

View from my balcony across Sutton Harbour with Plymouth Sound in the distance.

2. Morning Coffee.

Morning coffee at the wonderful Cornish Bakery on Plymouth Barbican @cornishbakery plays a huge part in our daily lifestyle. We have always been coffee people; we like to make an effort and get out, irrespective of the weather, especially with family and friends.

Indeed, it is an opportunity to spend time both talking and listening to each other, skills that are increasingly diminishing in this modern world of social media and screen-based communication.

Cornish Bakery with its view across Sutton Harbour.

We are a family of habit and routine. So, when we walk through the door of the Cornish Bakery, the team are already preparing our order. I guess that’s the benefit of being local and supporting them in summer, winter, rain or shine.

I captured a few images of the Cornish Bakery team. They don’t always dress like this but this was Plymouth Pirate Weekend so they had all entered in to the spirit.

Our walk to the Cornish Bakery is the same each day yet, there is so much to see and imagery to capture.

All peaceful at The Three Crowns but try walking by on a Saturday night!

As you walk along the Plymouth Barbican you come to two well known “Plymouth Establishments”, Coffee and Donuts and Cap’n Jaspers. This is where the motorcycle crowd gather for their morning bacon sandwich and coffee.

Morning coffee and an environmental portrait.

Southside Street with eh famous Plymouth Gin Distillery in the background.

3. Plymouth Hoe.

If you ask most people about Plymouth Hoe, they will tell you it is where Sir Francis Drake played a game of bowls, before vanquishing the Spanish Armada. Indeed it allegedly is, yet it is so much more.

If you are a people watcher and love ever changing scenery, then the walk from our apartment up on to Plymouth Hoe and back again is for you. So much to see en-route as well as when you get there.

Catch a ferry to Mount Batten, Royal William Yard or Cawsand.

Grab a coffee at Alfrescos but watch out for those pesky gulls.

Ocean View - A great stop-off for a lunch or afternoon cocktail.

In my images of Plymouth, you will see that the iconic Smeaton’s Tower, the lighthouse that once stood on the Eddystone Reef, will always figure prominently. The challenge is how to capture it from different perspectives.

Picnic Time - Plymouth Health Food - A Pasty with No Chips!

Those Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower to create a life in the “new world”.

We must remember that Plymouth is still a military town and is steeped in history. It is still important for the modern generation to take time to honour the memory of those who gave their lives to ensure the safety of ours.

In memory of those who gave their lives to protect our way of life.

So there you have it. A selection of imagery from within 15 minutes of my doorstep. I will put a specific gallery on my gallery page which I will look to regularly update.

I have to be honest, Plymouth is rather like a football match, a game of two halves. I have only shown you the best bits. However, like all English cities, there is a darker side, one of decay, decline, of desperation and despair and of a cry for help. I have decided to leave that half for the time being. There is so much anger and despair in the world that for the time-being and for the sake of my mental health, I prefer to focus my lens in a more positive direction.

I hope you have enjoyed this initial glimpse of where I live and what effectively has become the area for my local photo walks. It really is a beautiful place and one I would encourage you to visit.

With warmest regards from a warm and sunny Plymouth.

It Ony Takes A Half A Day……

August 3, 2024

In the words of the Carmen Jones Lyric, “it only takes a half a day to be a thousand miles away” or in our case approximately 240 miles by train. So we booked two first class returns and headed off for a week in the big city. Actually I was quite desperate for a trip to London to spend time with the kids and to attend a few special events.

During June we had a similar trip cancelled as I once again caught the dreaded Covid. I know, you thought it was all over. However, I can tell you it is still rife out there and when you have it, it is still not pleasant. Fortunately I am super-inoculated and so it lasted about a week with the usual flu-like symptoms along with a seven day headache. Anyways, enough of the C word and let us move on to things more pleasant.

The beauty about visiting the kids in London is that they all enjoy good food and a libation or three, especially when the bank of mum and dad blows in to town.

I tend not to take photos of our family dinners as I generally find that red wine and manual focus are not necessarily kindred spirits.

As always we hit the ground running with a fabulous Japanese dinner at Stiks N Sushi Greenwich. Being the Patriarch and to help my bank manager retain his sanity I had taken control of ordering the food and if I say so myself all was going pretty “Genki” until I was distracted for just a moment, during which time Anna was let loose on the Yuzu Saki! Ah well, no point being the wealthiest guy in the cemetery.

Next morning we were all together again for a fabulous brunch at Grind Greenwich and “sin alcohol” my focus skills were back in order.

Each day we travelled in to central London on the DLR followed by either the Jubilee or Elizabeth lines. I have found the initial journey through the Canary Wharf district to be a target rich environment from a photographic standpoint. I love the modern architecture and the way it interacts with light and shadows. Here are a selection of my Canary Wharf images.

The motto of this Image is “always look behind you”.

This particular visit to London was going to be quite hectic as we had Many things planned. The first was a visit to Wimbledon to have lunch with Shelagh, one or our oldest and dearest friends. No matter how long it has been since we last got together, we immediately pick-up where we left off. Shelagh is a fantastic cook and as usually produced a wonderful meal accompanied by more than a few bottles of wine. Some say I might have over-participated on the wine front and fallen asleep in the chair. There is, allegedly, an image doing the rounds showing me in the process of “resting my eyes”. I am claiming the 5th Amendment on that front although the next morning I did have one of my heads. Must have been the onions!

The next day also involved food and wine as the young people had treated Mrs. C and me to afternoon tea at the Ritz. Let me assure you tea at the Ritz is everything you would expect to be and more. As we took our seats a charming waiter asked if we would mind starting with a glass of chilled champagne followed by some exquisite finger sandwiches, (of which there were many top-ups), after which the fresh-baked scones arrived with jam and the obligatory clotted cream.

At this point I must digress as there is some debate among the young people as to how to build the perfect scone. Whilst we live in Devon, I hate to admit that we actually prefer the Cornish approach:

Cut the Scone in to two halves. Never eat the Scone like a sandwich.
Spread copious amounts of jam on to each piece as if it were butter. Above all, be generous!
Then you have the perfect platform to add as much clotted cream as possible. If you are concerned that you have not added sufficient clotted cream, then you most certainly haven’t, so keep piling it on.
Finally eat the end result with a large smile while making soothing noises.

The surroundings were sublime, the service was top notch, the food was delightful and Mrs. C was looking radiant. It is fair to say that we were both very much in our happy places.

After this wonderful lunch we left the Ritz, turned right towards Piccadilly and headed to nearby Fortnum & Masons to purchase some loose-leaf tea (their breakfast blend is simply the best) and a few extra goodies, just in case we were unable to maintain our calorie levels.

The next day involved a further treat. Cousin John, a member of the venerable M.C.C. had invited us to Lords to watch the first day of the Test Match between England and the West Indies.

For those lovers of what we cricket fans term as “The Summer Game”, a visit to H.Q. (Lords) is the highlight of the cricketing year. This was to be an extra special visit as it marked the final match for England’s greatest ever fast bowler, James “Jimmy” Anderson. The cricketing glitterati were all there and the powers that be were ensuring that this occasion and Jimmy’s achievements were to be suitably celebrated. His family were there to ring the 5 minute bell, the teams performed a guard of honour and our famous gladiator took to the pitch for the final time to a standing ovation from a crowd of 30,000.

There was a hush in the crowd as Jimmy started his run-up to deliver his last ever “first ball”. As he increased the pace of his run-up the expectation of the crowd reached fever pitch and I was reminded of the opening line of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s famous poem, “Half a league, half a league, half a league onward” although in this case it was not in to the Valley of Death but to deliver a rapier-like delivery straight down the “corridor of uncertainty” almost turning the batsman inside out. The crowd were on their feet as they let out a thunderous roar of appreciation. For certain, there will never be another quite like our Jimmy.

The remainder of the day was a joy, a couple of pints of Pedigree Bitter to wash down some delicious sandwiches and all topped off with a couple of bottles of champagne in the Harris Garden. England Glorious England! Oh and our brave lads also performed well as we skittled-out the West Indies for a modest total.

As always John was the perfect host and we are looking forward to more adventures with him as we darken his door at Great Shoddesden later in the year.

Meantime here are a few memories of this wonderful day:

The Field of Dreams - The atmosphere is building.

As I have said many times to be a tourist for a day in London is such fun and there is so much to do.

Mrs C and I always enjoy a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington. My advice is to always start the day in their wonderful café and then go straight to the top floor and work your way down. There is so much to see but as a photographer I am always seeking out light and shadows:

Another wonderful place to spend a morning is the Royal Acadamy. I always like to start out at their café (regular readers will have already spotted a theme in my approach to culture) and order a steaming americano accompanied by their sumptuous breakfast bap.

Our specific reason for visiting was to view a picture called “Flaming June” by the artist Frederic, Lord Leighton. Now I am a man that sees the world in monochrome but even to me, this picture was so vibrant that I am breaking my no color rule for the very first time. My image does not do it justice but if I were to ever hang just one color picture on the wall of my living room, this would be it.

We then took the underground to Gloucester Road and after a 30 minute walk through leafy Chelsea we arrived at the wonderful Physic Gardens. This oasis in the heart of London borders the Thames and is an homage to the various uses of plants. Once again on arrival, which conveniently coincided with lunch, we enjoyed a most delicious endive salad with blue-cheese dressing accompanied by roasted honey-glazed carrots. Now, although my natural environment is somewhat protein rich, this no carb vegetarian interlude was a complete delight.

Suitably replete, we spent a wonderful couple of hours roaming through the various flowerbeds. It was such a restful environment and many people had come simply to sit and reflect or perhaps read a book. The image I have chosen to reflect our visit is also my choice for the “Bench of Contemplation”. A finely dressed gent is sitting alone on a bench, enjoying an immaculate packed lunch whilst reading a novel. After all, what does a gentleman do in Chelsea on a quiet Thursday?

We were both very much at peace as we headed towards Sloane Square to catch our train back to Greenwich. En-route I managed to capture an image of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, home to the iconic Chelsea Pensioners, who are all retired soldiers of the British Army.

We always like to spend our final day in London by taking a visit to Covent Garden. We grabbed a modest breakfast of coffee and croissant from Paul’s and whilst Mrs. C swept off on her retail therapy mission to boost the U.K’s flagging GDP, I was left to wander the streets and grab a few images.

Avoiding Eye Contact - The London Underground.

What a fabulous week in our glorious capital. Precious time spent with loved ones while enjoying the sights like a tourist and we still don’t believe we have scratched the surface of what London has to offer.

I do hope you have enjoyed joining us on our London adventure. So Carpe Diem and remember, “It only Takes A Half A Day”!

We have so much planned for the rest of the year so stay tuned and warmest regards from a sunny Plymouth U.K.

Breton Chic!..........

June 18, 2024

Its hard to believe that we are already mid-way through June. 2024 has been such an exciting year for Madam. C et moi and there was no letting up as we prepared to join Aunty Sarah and Mike on yet another adventure, this time with a nautical bent; yes a weekend trip to Roscoff in glorious Brittany.

As many readers know we live in Plymouth located on the coast in the South West of the U.K. and for us, Brittany has a similar coastline, a not dissimilar climate but with the addition of that wonderful Breton cuisine and of course the most wonderful grape!.

It was to be a short trip, just two nights and we had planned to do much walking, some photography and to combine both with plenty of eating and drinking, with Fruit De Mer firmly at the top of my wish-list. Now I wouldn’t say we were keen but we had already telephoned the restaurant to ensure they would guarantee to have everything ready for us on arrival.

For me every trip involves two key decisions:

(a) Choice of headwear and outfit - I firmly believe that there is a hat for every occasion.

As many of you know I may be semi retired but I am definitely not shy and retiring. So, with my Breton Fishermans hat, salty sea-dog beard and a rather jaunty blue and white neckerchief to accompany my blue and white Deal jacket, I would say that the look was what I would term as “Breton Chic”! The other members of our team used various other non-complimentary adjectives and were not so enthusiastic about my attempt to “blend in” with the locals. I merely informed them that it was called style, that I did not want to look like a tourist and that it is always better to be a leader not a follower. The consensus was that I may be a leader but I might like to follow and remain a few steps behind them, especially when passing through French customs. “Qui s’en soucie”! Indeed, little did they all know that whilst in Roscoff I would be looking for an addition to my burgeoning hat collection, that would raise my Breton outfit to the next level. Hold that thought…….

(b) Choice of photography gear.

From a photography stand-point I was travelling light as we would be foot passengers on the ferry and I also intended to do a great deal of walking. I had decided to give the Leica M Type 246 Monochrom an outing accompanied by the wonderful 50mm Apo Summicron (with 4 stop ND filter to avoid clipping the highlights) and the 90mm Leica Summarit F2.4. I felt that should cover most bases. Both lenses were in silver which accented my beard perfectly (you see, the modern style-conscious man thinks of everything). I had also downloaded the Leica Lux app on to my iPhone as I wanted to see if this would give my iPhone imagery a more complimentary look to my camera images.

As La Tante Sarah (LTS) is an executive of Brittany Ferries, our “mode de passage” for this trip would naturally be the flagship ferry of the Brittany Ferries fleet, the rather luxurious MV Pont-Aven. Indeed LTS had kindly taken care of all arrangements and so we knew that our visit would be planned with a military precision. Eh Bien, all we had to do was to be at Brittany Ferries Millbay Docks by 12.30 p.m. As we only live about a 30 minute walk away we decided to go ”à pied” and stop off for un sandwich au bacon en route. Gosh, I am already slipping in to the “Franglais” and we haven’t even crossed La Manche. As regular readers will know its a Chivers family routine to have at least one portion of pork product every day whilst on holiday so this little stop-off was to maintain the family honour and reputation.

Thanks to LTS’s admin skills our check-in was a breeze and we were soon aboard the rather plush ferry, the MV Port-Aven. Once on board we headed straight for our cabin to deposit our luggage. I digress but a trick for young players is to aways book a cabin; when the weather is stormy one can endure “vomissements et nausées” in the privacy of one’s own stateroom and thereafter have a bed to collapse in to and when the ferry is full it might be the only place available in which to find a seat.

Next stop was to head up to the top deck as I wanted to capture some imagery of Plymouth, but with a maritime perspective.

My first aim was to capture the view across Millbay Docks towards the Hoe. Interestingly this was the view that the survivors from the sinking of the Titanic saw when they first arrived back in Plymouth. A sobering thought as we headed out to sea.

Then in to Plymouth Sound and passing West Hoe with the War Memorial and Smeaton’s Tower in the distance.

As we reached the outer limits of the Plymouth Sound I was determined to capture a view of the breakwater and fort.

The foundation stone of the breakwater was laid on 8th August 1812 and the entire structure completed in 1841. This 1,560 metre breakwater not only protects Plymouth Sound and its shipping from storms but also acted to defend Plymouth and its deep-water port during the wars with Napoleon and subsequently during WWI & WWII. To gain a sense of what it took to build, back in 1841 it cost some £1.5 million, which is today equivalent to £126 million. Imagine what that would do to your council tax bill if such a project was considered today.

The breakwater lighthouse was first operational in 1844 and still provides ships with guidance as they enter Plymouth Sound via the deep-water Chanel.

Having successfully captured the required imagery I looked to find the other members of our merry band of brothers. As I met up with them I heard LTS, who as you know is head of family hydration, mention that key phrase to one of the crew members, “Bonjour Matelot ou-est le bar”! I am sure that even if your colloquial french is a bit rusty, you get the drift.

Determined to maximise our use of the facilities we had a few pints of the on-board grog before finding some seats on the upper deck, to take in some rays and also enjoy a few zzz’s.

LTS having an Audrey Hepburn moment on the top deck.

Thankfully our crossing was very smooth and so no problem with sea sickness. As a rule I don’t suffer with it but when needs must the devil drives and like all good boy-scouts I came fully prepared and was wearing a rather stylish pair of travel sickness bracelets acquired from boots for £6.50 in a 2 for 1 offer (you know it makes sense) which were complimented by a double-dose of Stugeron sea sickness tablets (always go big for maximum results). Do they work….well they certainly didn’t make me sick so that’s all good then!

On arrival in Roscoff I passed through customs (some ten feet behind the others) and I noticed the customs officer could not take his eyes off my hat and jaunty neckerchief. Clearly the French appreciate haute-couture.

As the weather was so lovely (and incredibly there were no taxis…well it was dinner time and we were in France so….) we decided to walk the 15 minute journey in to the centre of Roscoff.

Being a ferry port most people, including me, normally drive off the ferry and head off on holiday without giving Roscoff a second glance. What a mistake we have all been making for as I walked through the streets with my Type 246 at the ready, I was clearly having an epiphany (no that is not a euphemism) at the old-world charm of this lovely town.

We arrived at our hotel mid evening and were checked in to an absolutely delightful room with a sea-front view.

After a quick night cap of the local Calvados (apple brandy) we retired for an early night as we were going to have a very busy day ahead of us.

Now when I say sea-view I mean sea-view. I woke up very early and when I opened the curtains to try and catch the sunrise this was the view from my bedroom window.

After a quick shower it was downstairs for breakfast. The French certainly know how to put on a spread. I took the continental option but with a twist. I had a selection of hams and saucisson with cheese, brie and Tomme and of course beautiful crispy local baked baguette all washed down with a steaming hot coffee. The twist, I added some crispy cooked bacon to a fresh baguette, topped with brie, just to keep up the family tradition.

With the tank full we headed off to the port to find our ferry to the nearby Île-de-Batz. Like any French fishing port the first thing you come across are the local fishing boats so I grabbed the obligatory image.

We then found our ferry to the nearby island and bought return tickets for Euros 11 each. Tip of the day, buy a return ticket as the ferry is the only way you are going to get on and off the island. The journey each way is 15 minutes dependent upon the state of the tide; hold that thought……

MV L’Hermine - our trusty ferry pretty much fully loaded.

Mike Apo Summicroned in Monochrom at F2.

A bit of sightseeing en route to the Island.

Now we chose to spend our day on the Island as it offers a good 3 hour walk, the coast line and beaches are picturesque and there are lots of indigenous birds and with Mike, our resident Twitcher present, we had our quick identification resource available to us.

Now I had my Type 246 with me to capture the bigger scene and was not attempting bird photography. Next visit, and there will be a next visit, I will bring my SL2 and the 100-400mm Zoom for some nature photography.

As we disembarked the ferry I grabbed my first shot along the quay wall. I was already in my happy place and as we wondered through the main town I was able to collate the following images.

First view after disembarking the ferry.

Across the bay with the lighthouse “Phare de Lîle-de-Batz in the background.

Now Mike is also a keen photographer and had brought his Fuji XT3 and 18-50mm zoom. He captured this image of the girls searching for things to go in the “nature pocket” whilst yours truly emerged from the shrubbery, Type 246 in hand. He called this “Gorillas in the Mist”.

Guerillas in the Mist - Courtesy of Mike Williams.

Now we are on an island; how difficult is it to get lost? Well it wasn’t long before there was a “discussion” between the girls as to the route we should take. Fortunately yours truly was there with my mountain goat instincts. As I am an ambi-turner, I suggested we turn right (in case of doubt I always turn right) and keep the light house to our right at all times, (given the lighthouse is located in the centre of the island) and we would never be wrong. Voila! we were back on our way again.

So given my sage-like advice and that whenever I looked to the right I could see the light house, I decided to make a series of images of the same, but with different perspectives.

I forgot to mention that as a good boy-scout I had come prepared and en-route to the ferry I had purchased a couple of baguettes of Jambon Beurre as sustenance. After a couple of hours of walking my tummy was rumbling and so we found a quiet beach to consume our picnic and explore.

We then headed off to town for a coffee. We had delicious “Noisettes” which are very similar to macchiatos and really hit the spot when energy levels begin to flag.

As we arrived back to the ferry the words “Huston we have a problem” came to mind. We didn’t appear to have any water!

Oh bugger - where has all the water gone?

However the locals had thought of everything and had build a special concrete jetty out in to the bay, which you don’t normally see when the tide is in. On the Roscoff side we were equally devoid of de L’eau. Then I realised why there was that enormous jetty that was seemingly built in to the sea for no apparent reason. This was our dropping off point when the tide was out.

Crikey what can possibly go wrong, especially after the 2nd bottle of red.

Lobster Pots - already thinking about our dinner and the impending Fruits de Mer.

We now had a real thirst and so we did what most of the locals seemed to be doing, we stopped off at one of the local bars, enjoyed the sun and order a few glasses of the local grog.

A perfect combination - Hydration by Saint Erwann, imagery bt Leica.

It was then back to the hotel (whilst we could still walk in a straight line) for an afternoon siesta and a freshen-up. We agreed to meet downstairs in the bar before dinner for an apero.

When we arrived at the bar LTS was already interrogating Lucas, our young Grog Wallah, as to what was available. In the end Mike and I being easy to please had a couple of beers whilst the girls had two large kir Royals. I have never liked a cheap date and good job as when our Grog Wallah gave me the bill lets just say they weren’t giving them away! Anyway we were on holiday and the girls said it didn’t matter………so it didn’t matter!

Lucas - Our resident Grog Wallah. Image captured with Leica Lux App

A five minute walk away was Le Restaurant Surcouf and Madam was waiting for us. Already primed she served us a most excellent Fruits De Mer sans Nobbly Bits (the nobbly bits being whelks and cockles which no-one wanted).

We were presented with our lobster, who we shall call Francoise. Only problem was Francoise was still twitching. Its a bit like ordering a sirloin steak and trotting in Daisy the cow for approval. However, having crossed that particular ethical rubicon we decided that Francoise would do very nicely grilled and covered in local butter, accompanied by Spider Crab, langoustines and large prawns, backed up by a lovely green salad and a steaming bowl of French fries. All this, on the recommendation of LTS, was to be washed down with a cinq deci of the local chilled white wine.

Now I must digress but a tip from someone who loves lobster. Always order a female of the species as there is more meat on the breast. I am not sure where I heard this little nugget or whether it is in fact true. However It always seems to turn out ok so what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger….except for Francoise who went straight on to grill.

What is it the French say, “A fish must swim three times, once in water, once in butter and once in white wine”. Well bon appetite to that!

When our feast was presented it came along with various implements to crack, prong and scoop. I noticed a charming women on the next table to seemed to have completely eviscerated her crab in to a neat pile of crab meat whilst I seemed to be completely covered in mine. Not to worry Fruit De Mer is a participative dinner and lets say it was absolutely delicious and I fully participated.

Spider Crab - Now where to start with this bad boy? Image captured with Leica Lux App

Job Done! Image captured with Leica Lux App

Its fair to say that after a couple of pre-bed Calvados’s and a couple of Omeprazole I slept like a baby.

Again I woke up early, opened the windows in time to see that whilst the tide had gone out, the MV Amourique, our ride home, was just coming in.

The tide has gone out but the MV Amourique was coming in.

We had a couple of hours to kill before heading off to the port so LTS said they knew of a little beach nearby with great views and an excellent coffee.

Never a good sign - Out with the analogue sat-nav. Image captured with Leica Lux App

There must be something here for La Poche Nature. Image captured with Leica Lux App

A perfect end to a perfect weekend. Image captured with Leica Lux App

They always say that “better a good weekend than a poor fortnight”. I second that and thanks to LTS for organising a fantastic getaway. As we pulled out of Roscoff it was definitely à bientôt.

Ah yes, for those of you still reading you remember I mentioned that I would be looking to upgrade my Breton Chic look. Well I found this wonderful Breton Fishermans cap in the same material as my stylelish hat. What is the difference you may ask? Well it has no peak and as a result it is so much easier to use a camera, especially in portrait aspect. You see, once again I am mixing style with practicality. It is fair to say that our team were a tad harsh when commenting on my new look. I love it but what do you think?

And finally….even in the middle of the English Channel I managed to find Madam C. on a bench of contemplation.

We had a wonderful time in France and I hope you have enjoyed joining us on this visit.

We have so much more planned for the rest of the year so stay tuned and warmest regards to you all from a sunny Plymouth U.K.

Stourhead.......

June 1, 2024

Summer is almost upon us and as I go all Rogers and Hammerstein, “June will soon be bustin out all over”. So much to do and always so little time. This retirement lark is becoming increasingly hectic!

We were very excited to be meeting up with our dear friends Cathie and Nick Eagle. We spent many a great time when we were all “Au Moyen L’Orient” and we see no reason not to do the same now we are all based back in good old Blighty.

We had planned a little get-together in Frome, Somerset and thought it would be silly not to include a visit to glorious Stourhead. So we fired up Bucephalus, typed Stourhead in to Trixie and headed up the A38.

The Stourhead Estate is located in Wiltshire, a 20 minute drive from our hotel in Frome and if you want to see how the other half lived back in the day, then the Stourhead Estate is a great place to start.

Upon arrival we dropped in to our usual role; Mrs. C. procured an analogue sat-nav from arrivals and I dropped in behind looking for compositions and soaking up the information, as Mrs. C. effortlessly guided us around the grounds.

Now before I get in to the imagery let me give you a brief potted history of the Stourhead Estate.

Stourhead was originally owned by and was the home of the Hoare Family. Whilst the estate (comprising some 2000 acres or so) is now owned and managed by the National Trust, I believe The Hoare Family still own a neighbouring estate of similar size.

The family originally made their fortune through Banking and indeed, still own C. Hoare & Co, the Uk’s oldest Privately owned bank, which has remained in the Hoare family for 12 generations. Who was it said “never a borrower or lender be”!

Over the years each generation of the family have left their mark but in my opinion the house is un-impressive for an estate of this size and it is the gardens which are truly magnificent, having been widely regarded as “a living work of art”.

It was Henry Hoare II who originally conceived the gardens. In fact he went by the nickname of “Henry The Magnificent”. He sounds quite a character and was clearly a visionary, drawing inspiration for his garden from his many travels.

As we passed through the courtyard containing the usual Café and Shop and walked past the Spread Eagle Inn, we came to the beautiful St. Peter’s Church.

Having sorted my composition of the Church Mrs. C said “look behind you”…. As I turned the view took my breath away.

The next image comprises the Bristol Cross, flanked by The Palladian Bridge with the Pantheon across the lake.

The High Cross originally stood in Bristol at the junction of High Street, Broad Street, Wine Street and Corn Street, the four principal thoroughfares of Bristol. There were niches containing the statues of Kings John, Henry III, Edward III and Edward IV. In later years it was viewed as an obstruction in the busy streets of Bristol. In 1733 the deputy chamberlain Mr Vaughan, who lived at the corner of High and Wine Street, claimed his life and house were in danger from it every time the wind blew. The 'progressive' magistrates ordered that the Cross be put away in the Guidhall and later re-erected on College Green. However, in 1763 it was declared a nuisance by locals and as it stood on land owned by the Cathedral it was deposited in a corner. In 1768 it was given away by the Dean of Bristol to his friend Henry Hoare of Stourhead, to use as an estate ornament.

The Bristol Cross with The Pantheon across the lake.

If you asked me about the image that epitomises Stourhead, it is the next image with the Palladian Bridge in the foreground and the Pantheon with its reflection shimmering in the lake. I was particularly pleased to have captured the two swans swimming through the reflection.

The Palladian Bridge with its five arches sits very neatly at the entrance to the lake. However, it is only for ornamental purposes. It has been quite cleverly designed to draw the eye through the arches and on to the vista behind.

Classic Stourhead - The Palladian Bridge & The Pantheon.

Our walk continued clockwise around the lake and as we wondered at the beautiful plants we came across the Temple of Apollo, its location surveying the entire lake scene. It is worth a walk up to the Temple purely for the view but the building was locked and so it really is just a folly.

I was like a kid in a candy store and wherever I looked I could see compositions. As we walked there was complete serenity and I believe this next image sums up the tranquility of a balmy afternoon by the side of the lake.

We were only 30 mins in to the walk and Mrs. C was keen to press on. As we came around a bend in the path the Pantheon stood before us in all its glory. I believe that the Pantheon was built in the mid 1700’s. It is quite stunning and would have been a wonderful location for a lakeside residence. However, when you enter you will see it filled with ornate statues and a beautiful domed ceiling with stained glass at its pinnacle. An amazing construction for something which could only have been used for entertaining or simply enjoying the view. It makes you consider the wealth of the landed gentry at that time that they could afford to create such follies.

The path continues to wind around the lake and out of nowhere you come across The Gothic Cottage. My understanding was that it was originally built as a lakeside dwelling for servants. Can you imagine being told I am ever so sorry but would you mind living next to the lake in this quant thatched cottage!

I was really pleased that from a photography standpoint I had kept things simple. I wanted that 50mm perspective to try and capture what the eye actually sees. The 50mm Summilux never seems to fail whether wide open or stopped down.

We were on a bit of a route march as we wanted to reach the main house before forecasted showers set in but there were so many opportunities to capture the simple beauty of nature.

Temple of Apollo from a different perspective.

As we continued our walk we came across another small building called the Temple of Flora. Perched in a secluded spot overlooking the lake it really was rather romantic. Other than our family motto “Magis Farciminis Placere” ( it means more sausage please) my colloquial Latin is a little rusty. However, I am reliably informed that above the door is a Latin inscription which means “Keep away anyone profane, keep away”. Not sure what to read in to that other than all who are kind, gentle and of good nature are welcome.

The planting is so clever and there always seems to be an opening through which one of the buildings can be viewed from a completely different perspective. One of my favourite images of the day is this view of the Pantheon from the opposite side of the lake.

Emerging from the shadows - The Pantheon from a different perspective.

Despite rain being forecast it was warm and sunny so a hat and a comfortable pair of walking shoes are definitely the order off the day. However, for some it was all a bit too much!

We then returned back to the courtyard where we took lunch under the shade of one of the trees. The food and coffee from the café were excellent although I am told, should you prefer something a little more substantive, that the food in the Spread Eagle Inn is excellent.

Time to move on to the main House, which I believe is a Neo-Palladian Grade 1 listed building. My consultation with Google revealed that Neo-Palladian is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio, involving concepts of symmetry and perspective. There you go I am still none the wiser other than to say, from a personal standpoint, although it is clearly grand I do not find it aesthetically pleasing.

The main house was originally built between 17-21 to 1724. after a terrible fire it was rebuilt in 1906.

I normally enjoy capturing the interiors of these grand houses but in this instance I found the house cluttered and so dark as to make it extremely difficult to appreciate the beautiful artwork that adorned the walls let alone capture it with my camera.

The only floor available to view is the ground floor and there is no access to either kitchens or bedrooms. I was most disappointed about this as you can very much tell how people lived by looking at the kitchens, seeing how they dined and the way they decorated and maintain the bedrooms and their private quarters.

For me the most impressive room was the library and the main desk which stood at its head.

I wasn’t about to let this spoil my day and as I walked out of the front door and on to the terrace I was presented with a quintessentially English view as “The Gentlemen Players” were enjoying an afternoon of what we know as “The Summer Game”.

What a fabulous day we had at Stourhead. Most importantly we shared the day with our dear friends the Eagle’s. What better place to capture the family picture than on the steps of the Pantheon overlooking the beautiful lake. A beautiful scene to capture beautiful people.

No blog in surroundings such as this could finish without including the Mrs. C. on the “Bench of Contemplation”.

So if you are travelling through Somerset or Wiltshire take a diversion and spend a day at Stourhead Estate. If you are a member of The National Trust (which I highly recommend you become) then entrance is free. If not adult entry is approx £20 per head and a family ticket is £50.

So there you have it dear readers, I hope I have given you a glimpse of the wonderful Stourhead Estate. The rest is for you to discover when you visit in person.

Stay tuned as Mrs. C and I have many adventures planned during the coming months. Meantime may I wish you all best regards from a warm and sunny Plymouth.

On Holiday With The Countess..........

April 26, 2024

Hello dear readers and welcome to a nautical episode of my Blog. Indeed, this adventure had been a trip planned for years only to have been thwarted by the dreaded “C” word (The Global Pandemic). Well, now we are semi-retired and back in the UK, Mrs. C and I have a new “C” word, Carpe Diem!

So, Mrs.C booked us on a 3.5 day epic canal adventure with the lovely people at The Wyvern Shipping Company, on the Grand Union Canal between Leighton Buzzard and Cosgrove.

Where is Leighton Buzzard (or as the locals refer to it Leighton-Be-Buggered) I hear your cry. To be fair I had to dig out the atlas myself (for those readers under the age of 30 that’s a book with maps in; call it an analogue sat-nav) and found it to be located somewhere in the vicinity of those two great British cultural icons of Milton Keynes and Luton. Well that’s all I needed to know so I packed the Billingham with the Leica SL2 with the 24-90 Vario Elmarit and the 50mm Noctilux F0.95 as well as my little Fuji XF10.

Now in an adventure like this, regular readers will know that Mrs. C takes over the admin and planning role whilst I ensure that the no less important but more esoteric matters are fully considered. In this case I ensured that I had appropriate head wear and that I had cultivated a look that was a panaché and would scream “salty sea dog meets semi-retired merchant banker”! Of course, that is for you to judge dear reader.

Uncle Phil was assigned the role as Captain on account that he has a boat and actually has some clue as to what he is doing. The Girls would take care of the handling and operation of all Locks as well as preparation of in-trip sustenance (Mrs. C had baked her famous lime drizzle cake and Aunty Jackie had prepared her mega flapjacks). For me they had kindly reserved the role of First Mate. Naturally I assumed this was a more supervisory role that would allow me to monitor operations from the poop deck of our vessel, offering advice and guidance whilst recording our adventures in glorious monochrome. How wrong that assumption turned out to be!

So we fired up the Polo, dialed Leighton Buzzard in to Trixie (that’s the lady in my car’s sat-nav) and headed up the M3 to Leighton Buzzard.

Mrs. C had set me some homework to learn a few knots that might prove useful in the operation of our vessel. I attach below said homework for those Topologists who wish to delve deeper in to this dark art. For me, I just settled on the old nautical favourite of left over right, right over left and cross your fingers.

We finally arrived at the Wyvern Shipping Co, situated in Linslade, Leighton Buzzard and a 5 minute drive from the local Tescos where we collected our vittles.

What a beautiful scene with our trusty vessel, The Countess, moored and gleaming in the sun, fully prepped and ready for us to assume command. Mrs. C was on top of the admin and the lovely people at Wyvern made the handover a breeze.

Once we loaded everything on to the Countess we were joined by Shaun, who provided a full tour of the boat and its facilities, gave a mechanical briefing, as well as explaining some basic need to know items about canal etiquette and boat handling. I saw him looking at my hat and it was clear that he had acknowledged my nautical origins.

Shaun would be accompanying us for the first mile of so, to provide on the go instruction and to take us through the first lock, before alighting just before the Globe pub, at which point we would be left to our own devices.

And Away - Giving the Countess the “Full Noctilux”.

Now all went very smoothly during Shaun’s short tenure as part of our crew. The only worry was what started as a sunny afternoon with a gentle breeze had now turned to darkened skies, intermittent rain and a 35 mph cross-wind!

As Shaun alighted, just before the Globe pub, he waved goodbye and clearly had a religious bent as he made the sign of the cross. What could possibly go wrong?

From that point onwards the weather went from bad to worse. The skies darkened, the rain started (there is no cover on the back of a canal boat) and the wind was blowing in gusts of up to 35 mph.

Most sane canal goers had moored up for the afternoon and called it a day. Not the Chivers boys. “When Needs Must the Devil Drives” and we were determined to push-on through to our planned first night’s mooring at Fenny Stratford.

Just when we thought we were getting the hang of things we approached a very severe hairpin bend with a broad beam canal boat coming in the opposite direction. The other skipper was clearly of questionable parentage and even though he could see we were novices clearly wasn’t going to give way. The fickle finger of fate seemed to be pointing directly at us. At that moment Uncle Phil looked me in the eyes and that telepathy that only brothers have kicked in. In that instant we both new that there was only one thing to do…..Engage the Warp Drive!

Phil opened up the engine and with some pretty deft steering, the holding of breath and with squinty eyes we narrowly avoided the oncoming vessel. No time to be complacent because up ahead the bank of the canal was approaching at a rate of knotts (well about 4 mph actually). Again Wharp Drive engaged but this time in reverse. Suffice to say we narrowly avoided disaster and soon had The Countess back on the straight and narrow.

Things were strangely quiet on the bridge of the Countess for about 5 minutes as we both regained our composure. As we continued onwards the rain continued to sting our faces and the wind grew ever stronger.

Our respite was only a short one for up ahead loomed our next challenge. The Three Locks. The Three Locks are a series of three locks located next to a pub called The Three Locks. You can see where I am going with this.

We were passing through these locks with another boat, also from Wyvern. We successfully navigated the first lock but as we were waiting our turn in the waiting pool, a strong gust of wind caught our bow and pushed us sideways. Now the pool was about 40 feet wide and our boat had a length of 65 feet so we were in danger of being wedged.

I was immediately dispatched to the pointy end which required a 65 foot dash through two bedrooms, the kitchen and the lounge before I was able to retrieve the “Pole of Panic” and push us away from the concrete wall, all whilst trying not to fall in. Meantime, Uncle Phil was undertaking a similar activity at the rear of the boat whilst also operating the rudder and throttle. This is what you call real teamwork and finally we managed to regain control and we passed through the remaining two locks without incident.

Fortunately for us, the bad weather had ensured that there were no alcohol enthused locals outside of the pub, who would have no doubt proffered their “encouragement” as we fought to save our vessel and our pride. With both intact we pressed on although we knew that we had definitely dodged a bullet.

It goes without saying that I did not have one opportunity to capture any of the aforesaid events. It was literally all hands on deck. As we cruised to our planned mooring point at Fenny Stratford both Uncle Phil and I were completely knackered. This was supposed to be a relaxing canal boat holiday but my back was aching, my knees were throbbing and we were already at stress level ten! The remainder of the afternoon passed without controversy or incident and we managed to find a suitable mooring at Fenny Stratford.

This seems to be a sensible moment to mention Mooring:

Ideally steer towards the bank at nothing more than 0 mph to avoid sinking.
Put the fenders over the side of the boat that will be next to the bank whilst not falling in to the canal. NOTE: Canals are filthy. If you fall in there is a danger of contracting Weils disease. Google it; You do not want to contract Weils disease.
One of the crew steps off the pointy end on to the bank with a rope attached to the boat. If you do not attach the rope to the boat you are buggered ( nautical terminology referring to placing oneself in an unforeseen unfortunate position).
Our skipper then points the rudder to the right and gives it some throttle and the back of the boat comes in to the bank.
At this point The First Mate, yours truly, steps off the stern of the boat with a rope in hand, said rope being attached to the centre of the boat. It is my job to hold all 20 tons steady whist the skipper drives a mooring pin in to the ground, both fore and aft, before attaching the mooring ropes. Then for good measure, we put a third mooring pin in to the ground at the centre of the boat where I was standing and attach the centre rope.
We decided that my right over left, left over right and cross fingers didn’t actually cut it. So we used the old yachting knot of 0800 or Locking Hitch / Cleat Hitch. Basically wrap the line once around the base of the cleat and bring it over the top. Then wrap the line around the opposite side of the cleat and bring it over the top of the cleat again. Wrap the line under the first arm again forming a figure eight pattern over and around the cleat. Then form an underhand loop and slip it over the first arm you started with. Then pull the free end of the rope to firmly secure the cleat hitch. Finally, always tie the knots on the cleat on the boat and not on the mooring pins. This will secure the boat but allows for easy release. Clear as mud. Then perform such operation in fading light, torrential rain and a 35 mph gale. You get the picture!
You are now successfully moored and can go back on board and crash out on your bed in order to overcome your nervous breakdown.

Our skipper, windswept, soaking wet and shell-shocked after our first afternoon’s adventure.

That evening we walked in to Fenny Stratford and after a few beers and a delicious Thai curry we relaxed and were able to have a giggle about the days adventures, or should I say mis-adventures. The main thing was that we had overcome adversity and worked as a team. The Chivers Boys can deal with anything.

I don’t remember my head hitting the pillow and I slept like a baby and snored like a Lion according to the rest of the crew. Harsh but true :-)

However, everything starts early on the canal and by 6.30 a.m. I was wide awake and captured the following image of tranquility and calm (to my relief) through the rear door of the boat.

Whilst the girls were knocking up a hearty breakfast of steaming coffee and bacon rolls, we performed the necessary daily engine checks and left the engine on tick-over so as to keep the batteries charged whilst we used the appliances such as toaster and microwave. On this particular type of boat you can only use two appliances at any one time.

The skipper working through engine checks.

The First Mate ensuring everything is ship-shape.

Like coiled springs our crew prepares for the day-ahead.

As we slipped our mooring we then gently cruised in to the centre of the canal with a view to reaching The Black Horse Pub for lunch and then mooring for the evening just before the Cosgrove Aquaduct…hold that thought.

Finally we were in control which enabled me to take in the beauty of our surroundings and also grab a few images. I started with some of the wildlife.

Serene and beautiful but with a beak like a chainsaw.

Posing for the camera - A Heron looking for its lunch.

Canal folk are in interesting bunch. Most are just like you and me except that they have decided to step off life’s treadmill and seek a more tranquil existence on the canal. I am a believer that all that glitters is certainly not gold and we met a number who had definitely gone off the radar for one reason or another. However, I found most genuinely hospitable, eager to lend a hand and often keen to stop and have a chat. Indeed, there were many living a solitary life although perhaps they may have lived a similarly solitary life on land. Loneliness can be a dreadful thing and perhaps a friendly chat with a stranger is often enough to keep up one’s motivation.

You could also see many vessels projected the nature and state of mind of their owners:

One thing is for sure, when you are chugging along at a snails pace I found it all a very zen-like experience and it was very easy to let your mind wander and lose concentration. That is when accidents happen and there was plenty of evidence of this along the way. So for all canal newbies, be alert at all times.

Not much leeway when passing under bridges.

This is when concentration is really required.

By this time the girls were operating the locks with consummate ease. Generally they are straightforward and come either singularly or in series. Some have added complications like the one below at Fenny Stratford which had a swing bridge in the middle of the lock, which acted as a pedestrian bridge. This had to be unlocked and manually swung to one side before the lock could be operated and we could pass through. Remember to put the bridge in place afterwards. It is a methodical process but there are often locals or volunteers on hand to help you out if you have a problem.

Shaun from Wyvern had helpfully explained the operations of the locks but one thing is for sure, you will know when the lock gate is ready to open as the water levels and pressure will equalize and it will move quite easily. Until that moment, there is no way you can open the lock gate.

Note: When operating the locks take your time, take care not to fall in and do not drop the winding handle in to the lock.

I managed to grab the girls operating the swing bridge using my little Fuji XF10 whist stood on the towpath holding the boat steady with the centre rope.

The girls operating the in-lock swingbridge at Fenny Stratford Lock.

I found the most comfortable and safest position to capture imagery was in the bow of the boat. I regretted forgetting my polarizing filter and the light could sometimes prove to be challenging. However, there are many opportunities to grab interesting reflections and also catalogue the changing environments as we passed through country side, through towns and past industrial locations.

We had two main challenges. The first was crossing the two aquaducts, at Bradwell Mill and Cosgrove and the second was to turn our vessel around at the Cosgrove Winding Point … hold that thought.

The narrow approach to the Bradwell Aquaduct.

Having passed through the Bradwell Aquaduct without incident we found a suitable mooring point and settled in for the evening. As it happens luck was on our side as just as we finished mooring and battening down the hatches we had thunder & lightening, followed by very large hailstones and then pouring rain.

We had a lovely dinner on-board in the lounge of the boat, played board games and generally chilled out. This was the canal boating I had been promised and a welcome detox from everyday life.

The next morning were were up early and ready to meet the morning’s challenges. The first was to cross over the Cosgrove Aquaduct. You can see below that it is narrow and there is only room for one vessel. Fortunately the canal is quiet in April and so there were no queues and we slipped across without delay.

You will note that on one side there are railing and on the other nothing but a 100 foot drop. However, from the middle of the aquaduct the view was stunning.

The Cosgrove Aquaduct - Note the sheer drop on the right.

We then entered the Cosgrove winding point, a 70 foot wide pool that was situated in front of Cosgrove Lock. Again, we were the only vessel there and this could have proved much trickier in the middle of summer.

By now our crew was operating like a well-oiled machine. The girls were on look-out on either side of the boat, I was positioned at the pointy end, ready to spring in to action with The Pole of Panic and Uncle Phil operated the rudder and throttles with the dexterity of a concert pianist.

In no time we had made the turn without any incident and were back on our way across the Cosgrove Aquaduct.

The First Mate positioned at the pointy end.

Whoop whoop we had made it - Well done team!

Our elation lasted but a minute as up ahead there seemed to be something moored on the Bradwell Aquaduct. as we moved closer we found that someone had decided to moor on the acquaduct even though there was ample room before and after the aquaduct. We passed the boat with literally inches to spare as the vessel owner came around the corner grinning saying that he just had to walk his dog! Don’t even get me started on that one!

Is that something moored on the viaduct!

Some people are extremely inconsiderate.

We had made such good time that we were able to take a very leisurely cruise on our final full day. In fact 800 rpm or slightly less than 2 mph is the way to go.

We had planned to go through The Three Locks and moor-up by the Globe Pub for the night, before passing through Leighton Lock and deliver the vessel back to Wyvern by 9.00 a.m. the next morning.

It was time for elevenses so we pulled over, moored up and soaked up the sun and scenery over a cup of tea and a slice of cake. We were all in our happy places.

Our skipper being given the full Noctilux.

You had to be there to appreciate how beautiful and relaxing it was.

Now that we were in complete control I thought that I would be able to record us passing through The three Locks on our return journey.

Fortunately this time the weather was calm and although the girls were in full control of operating the locks there were volunteers present from the Canal Trust to help smooth our way through.

The waters rise and so do we as the locals watch with a degree of respect at our competence.

Volunteer James asking where I had bought my hat - clear a man of style and taste.

We moored up Just after the Globe Pub and settle in for a coffee and a flapjack. At that point a large Heron was seen walking along the towpath and stopped directly in front of our boat to undertake a spot of fishing. This is my favorite image of the trip. I particularly liked the Pigeon on the branch above seemingly waiting to see if there might be any leftovers should the Heron be successful.

The First Man - I had finally earned the right to wear my hat.

The next morning we cruised through Leighton Lock and on to Wyvern to hand back our trusty vessel.

Shaun was waiting for us on the dock and as we gently slipped in to our mooring berth, without the slightest hitch, he gave us a smile and simple nod, which said it all. We were now canal people.

What a wonderful 3.5 days on this beautiful stretch of canal. We always have such a great time with Uncle Phil and Aunty Jackie. We all like the same things and everyone is prepared to muck-in and roll-up their sleeves. For me it is a wonderful thing to spend quality time with my little brother, my best mate and someone I love dearly.

Having well and truly scratched the itch that is canal boating we will definitely be returning for a second go. However, that will be after the trip to Seville, Rhonda and Cadiz so watch this space.

Ah, you thought I had forgotten. Even on a canal boat I managed to find a Bench of contemplation.

I do hope you have enjoyed this nautical episode but stay tuned as Mrs. C and I have much more planned for the rest of the year.

Warmest regards to you all from a relatively warm and sunny Plymouth.

Pound Farm........

March 27, 2024

For my regular readers you will have seen a recurring theme….Family. Mrs. C and I have always made family a priority, especially when we lived overseas. All our holidays were spent either with family and friends visiting us or in us traveling back to Uk or Spain. With our children growing up in an expatriate environment, we always felt it was important to keep them grounded, to make sure they retained a sense of belonging to the UK and above all, ensure they spent time with family.

One of the ways we have tried to achieve this togetherness is, on an annual basis, to bring as much of the family together as possible at a particular location. We have tried a few but for the past few years we have chosen the wonderful Pound Farm.

Situated a 5 minute walk from the sleepy Somerset village of Bishops Lydeard and located in the foothills of the Quantocks, this beautiful farm house sleeps 18, has all mod-cons, but above all, has a dining table that seats 18 and which is the focal point of our family holidays. I love to sit back and see everybody sitting around the dinner table, eating, drinking, chatting and laughing.

This year we had full attendance and as the last of the clan arrived and were hugging and saying their hellos in the family kitchen, I was already welling up with tears of happiness.

The “young people” have finally arrived.

This was also to be a special visit to Pound Farm. Our Matriarch, “Mother”, had broken her hip over the Christmas period and had experienced a very tough time during rehab. Thankfully all went well and this was an opportunity to focus on something positive and joyous and surround her with the people she loves.

From previous blogs the reader will be aware that between Mrs. C and Aunty Sarah, everything is managed and organized with military precision. As a result nothing is left to chance, everything has its place and everyone has a role:

Grandad Robert: Our Patriarch and actually believes he is in charge.

Mother: She is actually in charge.

Mrs. C: Logistics, baking and providing me with regular “advice and guidance”.

Alice: Alpha female.

Eleanor and Anna: Trainee Alpha Females

Mark, Kevin & Matthew: Eating and drinking as much as possible.

Simon & Joe: I.T.

Mike: Our resident “Twitcher”.

Kitty: Our resident “Horse Whisperer”.

Eleise: All things interior design & fashion.

Maggie: being cute and cuddly at all times.

Aunty Sarah: Aunty Sarah retains her role in charge of family hydration and always ensures there is plenty of grog to go around.

Uncle Chunkle: All matters photographic.

For this visit I was anticipating the possibility of precipitation. So, I brought the Leica SL2 with the Leica 24-90mm Zoom (both are weather sealed), as well as the 50mmm Noctilux F0.95 which I manually adapt.

What I love about Pound Farm is the light and shadows, particularly when using the Noctilux.

Big Ted in his usual place in the window at the top of the stairs.

Grandad Robert’s 2023 Curried Pear Chutney - An excellent Vintage.

Ofcourse, regular readers will be familiar with our 4th generation, the wonderful Maggie. She filled the house with laughter and giggles and for Uncle Chunkle (that’s me) the camera loves her and she loves the camera. So I make no apologies for sharing lots of images of her whenever possible.

A family tradition is that every year our Patriarch calls for a family meeting, to be held at the nearby Quantock Brewery Tap Room. Needless to say there is always 100% attendance.

This year I was delighted to sample one of the stouts, “Pleasant Pheasant”. Lets say it was really good and lets agree that I might have over-sampled. Perhaps that is why, even with auto-focus, my “hit-rate” declined after the the third pint!

All filled with that beautiful nectar, brewed from that special water that flows down from the Quantocks.

Mark - Our expert on all matters pertaining to Beer, seen sampling a cheeky little IPA.

Us older folk could not keep up with the young people so as the beer haze descended we headed back though the village and across the fields for an afternoon snooze.

Bishops Lydeard - Centre of the Village.

I am old enough to remember when these contained telephones.

Busted! - Aunty Sarah and Mike having a sneaky hot tub.

The “Young People” maximizing use of the facilities.

Another highlight of this years visit was the celebration of a number of significant birthdays. Joe and Kitty were turning 30. Grandad Robert was about to hit 90 and after 20 years at the age of 39 Mrs. C has final become a women of a certain age.

As we actually celebrated these significant events on my birthday, I was allowed to blow out the candles. I must also thank everybody for all the cards and wonderful presents.

I also use our annual get together to update family portraits:

Grandma and Grandad with all the young People.

It is fair to say that we had all detoxed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and everybody disappeared to do their own thing. Some took to the hot tub, some took the opportunity for an afternoon snooze, others went off for some pitch and put and some of us headed off across the fields to soak up the beautiful Somerset countryside.

So there we have it; a year in the planning and over in a flash. This is why I write my blog, to record wonderful memories in both pictures and words.

As even the young people get older our all consuming lifestyles increasingly get in the way of the important things in life. Our family is our rock, its who we can rely upon in times of trouble and who we can love and enjoy at every opportunity. So lets all make the effort to ensure we keep this tradition going, wherever and whenever possible.

I love you all and look forward to our next gathering in June at Somerset Cricket Club Taunton.

With warmest regards from Plymouth.

A Fresh Pair of Eyes

March 19, 2024

As creatives we generally tend to always be in search of fresh inspiration to ignite that creative spark. Sometimes, we forget that the things we know and love and which are most familiar to us can provide all the creativity we need. It just requires us to have a different perspective and take a look with a fresh pair of eyes.

I recently returned to Dubai, a place which I loved and where I thought I had maxed-out my creativity. Yet, upon my return, and having spent 18 months away, I really did have a different perspective on both the place and the people.

The first example is the thumbnail to this Blog, the iconic Burj Khalifa. When I lived in Dubai I must have passed it a 1,000 times. The challenge was always how to capture this wonderful building in a different way than the thousands of images posted online. For me it was all about the light and perhaps how to give this building a different perspective. Here are a few of my favorite images, each taking a slightly different perspective on the same subject.

Same building but a different look. My personal favorite is the first with the sweeping curves and is the one I have hanging on my living room wall.

When living in Dubai, Downtown and particularly Dubai Mall was a weekend destination. When it was 45 degrees centigrade outside this air-conditioned environment beckoned, not only for some retail therapy but also for our regular breakfast haunts such as Pauls and La Durée.

Familiarity and routine sometimes resulted in a creative block. However, on revisiting I suddenly remembered how much there was to capture in this wonderful place.

Reflections of Giorgio & Ralph - Fashion Avenue

Now as a resident of Dubai I was particularly guilty of driving everywhere. Walking was confined to the couple of months when temperatures dipped below 35 degrees centigrade. Otherwise, it was from air-conditioned home to air-conditioned car, to air-conditioned office, to air-conditioned mall. You get the picture. The thing I never used was the Dubai Metro. Its a bit like living in the UK and never taking the bus.

This visit was different. The traffic was manic, particularly in the downtown area and so Mrs. C bought a couple of tickets for the “Golden Sector” of the Dubai Metro so that we could enjoy this mode of transport in relative comfort. It also proved an interesting source for imagery and made me realize that I should have made more use of this when I lived in Dubai.

The Walk from Dubai Metro Station to Dubai Mall

You see, I went from wondering what I might capture to not having enough time to capture it all.

Now I am the first to admit that I am a creature of habit and I do like my routines. Anyone who knows me would testify that when I lived in Dubai, if you wanted to find me on a Saturday morning between 10.30 a.m and 12.00 that you need look no further than the wonderful Leica Store Dubai Mall.

Mrs. C and I always took our breakfast at La Durée Fashion Avenue. Our lovely waitress Ellie always showed us to the same table and then without asking brought us Americanos with hot milk accompanied by Poached Eggs with beef bacon well done. No stress, no anguishing with menus just a hour of tranquility to start our Saturday morning.

Mrs. C then headed off to “Brands For Less” for some retail therapy and I headed of to my Xanadu, the wonderful Leica Store Dubai Mall.

I was always welcomed by Gina with a smile and an espresso and during the next hour or so we would talk cameras and all things photography indispersed with various members of the Dubai Leica community popping in.

During these visits the wonderful Gina helped me enter the world of Leica, my first acquisition being the glorious Leica M10P and 50mm Summilux Asph. So on this return to Dubai I thought it best to revisit Gina with my original purchase, so as to square the circle so to speak.

The rest is history and over the years Gina helped me put together a rather extensive collection of cameras and lenses. So much for my original one camera one lens! If you want to know more have a read of my recent Blog “Pandora’s Box” where you can see some of my gear and my thoughts about it (spoiler alert; I am a complete Leica Fanboy so all views are utterly and completely biased!).

So I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to returning for my Saturday morning coffee at Leica Store Dubai. It was like coming home. Gina had come in especially and Eman and Maria were also there. More coffee, lots of catch-up over what had happened since my departure but no purchases, even though that Silver SL2 kept winking at me. Perhaps on my next visit; hold that thought and note to Gina!

For any of your Leica needs I cannot recommend enough that you contact the team at Leica Store Dubai Mall. They are the No.1 Leica Store globally and the level of service is absolutely top notch.

Notwithstanding all of this the people we missed the most were our “Dubai Family”, Claire, Seth and the boys. We spent so much time together over the years and they were and still are a huge part of our lives.

Claire did point out that they were short of a few pictures of the boys since we had left and so I did not need asking twice.

What a wonderful time we had and two weeks passed in an instant. So much had changed around Dubai in 18 months but all the important things remained the same. At the end of the day it is not about the place, its all about the people.

Speaking of people, following the recent change in my profile picture on the various social media platforms I did receive some comments that I was looking rather Ernest Hemingway. I leave it for the reader to judge!

The Silver Fox - Sporting the monochrome look!

I hope you all enjoyed my brief return to Dubai and I look forward to sharing more adventures in the very near future.

Warmest regards from Plymouth.

Pandora's Box

March 12, 2024

Well its a wet and window afternoon in Plymouth U.K. I have tried to go outside and brave the rain and wind, which can only be described as biblical and which would even make Noah abandon his Ark and take to the lifeboats. So, I decided to make a coffee and write a blog that up until now I had refused to write.

You see, I love creating imagery and equally enjoy telling the stories behind my images through my various blogs. I am also not a hypocrite and like most photographers I love buying gear, particularly lenses and have permeant G.A.S. What is it they say, “you date the camera but marry the lens”? I think I would agree with that and over the years, aided by Gina at Leica Store Dubai, I have managed to curate a not insubstantial lens collection which I continue to enjoy to this day.

So, in putting this short blog together, I thought I would answer the many questions that I am regularly asked via instagram or on this website, and show those of you who seem to be interested about the cameras and lenses that I use on a daily basis, along with my thoughts and general observations of the same.

I called this Blog “Pandora’s Box” as I knew that once open, the gear discussions will go on and on; But hey, who doesn’t love a new toy!

So whenever I discuss anything relating to Leica lets first of all deal with the elephant in the room; entering the world of Leica is expensive. However, its all relative. When you buy something that is precision made and for some an iconic design, you expect to pay a premium. This is polarizing, those that agree and understand it embrace it, those that don’t will never be convinced.

Fortunately, if Leica is above your budget or simply not for you, we are so lucky that there are a plethora of fantastic cameras available, across all brands and suiting all budgets. I firmly believe that with advances in technology pretty much all cameras and top end phones have the ability to assist photographers to generate fantastic imagery.

Whether the imagery is any good or not often lies in the eye of the beholder and down to the vision and skill of the person pressing the shutter. We tend to forget it is the photographer who takes the image, the camera and lens are merely tools of the trade.

Leica M10P & Leica 50mm Summilux F1.4 Asph

As you can see the M10P is simply a thing of beauty. In the world of Leica “less costs more” but what you do get is simply a work of art and craftsmanship. I have often heard the term “camera porn”; well for me, this is it. No detail has been spared in putting this camera together. It feels just right in the hand and when paired with the wonderful 50mm Summilux Asph the magic begins.

If you want video and flippy screens and lots of customizable buttons contained in a nondescript black box, you need not read any further. This camera is stripped back and built for stills photography.

The Leica M10P is a rangefinder with all controls at at your fingertips, Aperture, Shutterspeed and ISO and whilst you can shoot in aperture priority, the camera beckons you in to the world of full manual mode, allowing you complete control over the creative process.

The menu system of this camera has been designed by people who simply understand and in fact, as I shoot in full manual, I rarely have to delve in to said menu other than to format a memory card or update firmware.

I am often asked about camera settings:

I always shoot in manual.
I have no fixed settings as these very much depend upon the situation, lighting and artistic approach which is required at the time.
I tend to decide upon ISO (dependent upon available light), then the depth of field I am looking for (more often wide open as Leica lenses tend to shine at their widest aperture) and then play with the shutter speed to ensure correct exposure.
I like the process to be considered so I rarely use the continuous modes and set to single shot. As I have always said I am built for comfort not speed and I particularly enjoy the art of manual focus..
Metering is set to centre weighted. I only use Spot when I have some very difficult lighting situations such as when my subject is strongly backlit.
I rarely use auto ISO and tend to keep it simple. I normally shoot outside at ISO 200 and inside at 3200 although up to ISO 6400 is great should you quire it.
White balance I keep in Auto which for 95% of the time seems to work well.
I do not like to clutter up memory cards so I only shoot in DNG (RAW) and post process the images to create JPEGS on my laptop.
On the LCD I like to see the various exposure elements as well as the exposure gauge and the spirit level. That pretty much does it for me as 99% of the time I use the optical view finder, which after all is why you have a range finder.
The M10P does have limited touch screen functionality but I never use it. I told you I was old school!
I have the Visoflex Type 020 which I only use in the rare instances when I break out the 50mm Noctilux or the 135mm Apo Telyt. However, I have the SL2 to accommodate these lenses. More on that later.
Finally, as I only shoot in bnw / monochrome, so I set the exposure simulation to monochrome. This allows me to review my exposure and image in bnw / monochrome in the LCD but still gives me the RAW file in color.

That is pretty much all I need to do to set up the camera. I don’t use flash with this camera and I have not upgraded to later models as 24 mps is fine for my purposes and If I want more I have the wonderful Leica SL2 (hold that thought).

Given that I rarely use the live view for shooting and only shoot in single shot mode, I find battery life perfectly fine. I always have three batteries for all my cameras although I rarely need more than two.

The only thing I would recommend is to buy an ND filter, especially if you want to shoot at wide apertures such as F1.4 in very bright conditions, as the shutter speed tops out as 1/4000. I use a ND16 (4 stop) which pretty much has me covered. Indeed I tend to generally slightly underexpose and then if required, bring back the shadows in post.

Many people ask me about the optical viewfinder and how difficult is it to manually focus. I have to say that like many things it is just down to practice and muscle memory. I rarely have a problem these days for the subject matter I shoot. Lets face it there are horses for courses and If I was a sports and wildlife photographer then I might be looking for another piece of kit. However for travel, street and portrait I have no issues. Indeed, when on the street I can manually zone focus and the camera almost becomes point and shoot and thus is extremely fast to use.

It is testament to this lens combination and my love of 50mm, that I very rarely switch out lenses on the M10P. The only time I tend to use another lens is when traveling and I have my wonderful little Leica 28mm Elmarit F 2.8. Just for those wide angle shots.

The only real downside living in the UK is that the camera and lenses are not weather sealed. As a result I really do hesitate to use in rainy conditions.

Not that much more to say about the M10P. The shutter is extremely quiet and the camera itself looks like a traditional film camera and is very discreet in use. I cannot tell you how many times people have come up to me to ask me why I am still using a film camera, only to be surprised when I tell them its a digital rangefinder.

However, I let the imagery speak for itself. Any limitations are down to my ability, not the equipment.

Leica Type 246 Monochrome & Leica 50mm Apo Summicron F2

If you thought that buying a Leica rangefinder was polarizing, how about buying a version that only produces monochrome images! Welcome to the Leica Type 246. In fact this version was issued in 2015 and would be seen as old technology since then there have been a couple of updated iterations.

The Type 246 is based on the M240 platform and uses a full frame 24 Megapixels CMOS sensor with no Bayer filter. As you can see it is produced all in black with no Leica Red Dot although, as usual, I like Silver lenses on my M bodies and in this case I have the superb 50mm Apo Summicron, one of Leicas highest resolving M lenses, which rarely leaves the front of this camera. IMHO it looks so sexy on the Type 246 and its image resolution is just stunning.

Shooting with the Type 246 is basically the same as the M10P with some significant differences:

Great care must be taken not to blow out the highlights. Once they are gone they are gone and it is so easy to do. Exposing too much to the right can be an image killer.
An ND filter is a must. Minimum ISO is 320 although I generally use 400 as my base ISO. I am not sure why I use ISO 400 but I guess I shoot this camera on a similar basis as BNW film, where I use Ilford delta 400.
Creativity can be enhanced through the use of color filters. I use both yellow and orange filters.
You must learn to “embrace your shadows” as this camera will encourage you to shoot in low light with no flash required.

Why haven’t I upgraded to the latest range of Leica Monochrom cameras? Well honestly I am simply comfortable with my trusty Type 246. It ticks all the boxes for me. This camera had great image quality when I bought it and still does today. If I were starting out today I would probably buy the latest and greatest but honestly I am super happy with how it operates and resolves and would wholeheartedly recommend anyone wishing to step in to Monochrome only cameras to try one.

If find I tend to do minimal post-processing on my monochrome images. I either seem to get it basically right in camera, just requiring tweaks and crop adjustment or else I get it completely wrong and bin the image.

Also I have no skin in the megapixel debate and for my rangefinders and computer limitations 24 mps still remains more than adequate. I have some large prints on my living room walls to prove it.

If I could change one thing it would be to remove the video capability. I know this sounds strange but I never use it so would rather free up all processing power and design to accommodate stills photography. Thats simply how I roll. although your use case may differ.

As I constrain myself creatively to BNW / Monochrom, I am often asked why I don’t exclusively use a camera with a monochrome sensor such as the Type 246 and sell all the others. I have thought about it and I guess that sometimes I would like a raw file that gives me the option to use the color version. Indeed family members often ask me for a color version. It doesn’t necessary suit me creatively but I ham more than happy to have the option to oblige.

Here are a few images taken with the Type 246 & 50mm Apo combo.

Leica SL2 & Leica 50mm Noctilux F0.95

If you have read this far, you will have guessed how much I love Leica Rangefinders and 50mm lenses. So why buy a traditional style EVF driven camera? You will be surprised to learn that my primary reason for buying the SL2 was as an advanced platform to make better use of certain Leica M mount lenses; primarily the 50mm Noctilux F0.95 and the 135mm Apo Telyt. You only have to pick up an SL2 and look through that 5.76 million pixel electronic viewfinder to understand why.

For me, it brought both these lenses to life and focussing became a doddle. Also, due to the fact that it has an electronic shutter and allows sutterspeeds up to 1/40,000 I don’t need to use an ND filter when using the Noctilux wide open at F0.95.

I do have SL lenses, which I primarily use for landscape and nature, namely the 24-90mm Vario Elmarit, the 100mm-400mm Vario Elmar and one of my most favorite lenses the wonderful 90mm Apo Summicron SL.

Everything has its specific use case. If the weather is bad and I am just wanting a walk around I will take the SL2 and 90 mm Apo. It is compact. weather sealed and in my opinion the rendering from the 90mm Apo is absolutely stellar.

However for 90% of the time I have the 50mm Noctilux F0.95 welded to the front of the SL2. At 47 mps the camera gives me a higher image resolution, bearing in mind that for my website I am limited to an image size of 20mps. However, it aids the process of cropping when and if that is necessary.

If I could only have one lens and one camera, it would have to be the SL2 with the 50mm Noctilux F0.95 manually adapted. That is how much I enjoy this set-up. On an M body the Noctilux is super front heavy. On the SL2 it balances beautifully.

Again my principal set-up with the Noctilux manually adapted is as follows:

I generally shoot at F0.95 unless creatively I want a much deeper depth of field.
The SL2 is set up in full manual mode. Aperture controlled on Lens, ISO via the bottom of the two custom function buttons on the front of the camera and shutter speed via the control wheel on the top of the camera.
I use the top function button on the front of the camera to zoom in when precise focussing is required. This allows me to keep my eye looking through the EVF and simply moves my finger from the grip the to the button in a seamless manner.
I use the FN button on the back of the to toggle between my user profiles. These are both BNW but one has red focus peaking and one is without focus peaking. I generally find focus peaking distracting but sometimes it has its uses.
I have the EVF set up so that when looking through the screen it is devoid of information other than what I need namely, the level gauge, focus point and the Histogram top left. When I half press the shutter button I get the shutter speed, ISO and the exposure meter along the bottom. Note: when manually adapting M lenses with the Leica M to L adapter, there are no electronic connections so the aperture doesn’t register.
I almost always shoot in single shot unless the subject matter demands differently.
Consistent with my M bodies on the SL2 I use centre weighted metering most of the time. Again, I tend to only use spot when the lighting situation is challenging and demands it. Maybe there is a better way but this seems to work for me.
White balance is set to auto.
I only shoot in DNG (RAW).
I have two SD cards and unless I am shooting something where I absolutely must have back-up in camera I have the SD cards set up to switch to card 2 once card one is full. Anyways, I always down load my images at the end of a days shooting on to my laptop and external hard drive.

Once I am in this set up I hardly ever have to delve in to the menu and can focus 100% on composition and the creative process.

This is what works for me and I am sure that each of you will have your own way of setting up your camera and I would love to hear your thoughts, comments and advice in the comments section.

Here is some imagery with the SL2 and 50mm Noctilux F0.95:

Leica Q Type 116

I have to confess that I own a Leica point and shoot. Admitted not just any point and shoot but a silver one! Yes this is the camera I was never going to buy but which I have grown to love.

Every Saturday morning I would walk in to the Leica Store Dubai to have coffee with Gina and just inside the door was a stand with the various iterations of the Leica Q. Each time I would pick one up and say, “Looks great, nice auto-focus but I love to manually focus and being a 50mm man, the 28 mm focal length is just not me”.

Of course that fateful day happened when just after giving me an expresso and a biscuit Gina pulled out a Leica Q Type 116 in SILVER! I immediately crumbled and after taking it for a quick test run around Dubai Mall the deal was done. Although a used version, the camera was immaculate and as usual I left Gina smiling but with my wallet just a little lighter.

I actually think this was a smart purchase. The 24 mps lines up nicely with my M bodies and the size and build makes this a great travel / street camera. Sometimes when I have the M10P or SL2 with 50mm or longer, the Leica Q gives me a wide angle without having to stop and change the lens.

Auto-focus was fine for me as I only usually focus manually and so me autofocus did take a bit of getting used to. As did the 28mm lens….but what a lens!

In the world of Leica, Summilux generally refers to a lens with a widest aperture of F1.4. On the Leica Q the 28mm Summilux has a widest aperture of F1.7 but what is 0.3 amongst friends! Let me assure you this lens is absolutely fantastic in the way it renders and just when you think you have witnessed all the magic a twist of the lens near its base turns it to Macro Mode and a whole new world of creativity emerges.

When I tire of autofocus by pressing a button on the focus tab you can manually focus the lens lust like my other M lenses. Steve is very much in his happy place with this set-up.

This camera and lens set up often comes with me on short overseas trips or when walking around sketchier locations where I don’t want $20k of Noctilux and SL2 removed from my person at knife point. Have you visited Barcelona recently!

Despite not being weather sealed I have used it in all weathers and during a recent blizzard in Prague, when temperatures dropped to minus 8, this little camera did not miss a beat.

So how do I generally set it up:

I generally set ISO, aperture and shitter speed manually except for the autofocus where i use auto focus single shot.
ISO I set to 200 when outside and then only adjust when light fails sufficiently that my shutter speed is too slow. Inside I generally set to ISO 3200. I generally have had no problem with image noise and the camera performs well in low light.
I generally shoot in single shot unless the creative situation demands otherwise.
Exposure metering centre weighted.
I know the camera has a digital zoom capability whereby it can crop in camera to either a 35mm or 50mm view but I prefer to keep at 28mm and any cropping is undertaken in post.
White balance primarily set to auto.
I only capture images in DNG (RAW).
Generally when walking around the streets I am at F5.6 but wide open at F1.7 I find the Bokeh pleasing.
The camera has a video capability but I have never used it.
To protect the camera body Gina sold me a half case with an integral grip which I really like.
The camera came with this super cool push on silver Leica Lens cap. That was going to be lost in 2 minutes so that stays in the box and I bought a rubberized lens cap online that I saw on red dot forum which is perfect.
With autofocus I have started to learn to shoot from the hip when walking the streets but I have found this little camera to be extremely nimble. The later variants, Q2 and Q3 will no doubt be even more refined and have a higher megapixel count but you know, I have never been tempted to upgrade. This simply does the job and I would whole-heartedly recommend anyone wishing for a gateway drug in to Leica to scour the web and try and pick up a used Q. If you like it, then you will move to an M in a heart beat and will be well and truly hooked. I did have a Fuji X100F, which by the way is a fantastic little camera. However, once I bought the Leica Q I found the Fuji got little use and eventually I sold it.
Is there is anything that I would change on the Leica Q? Three things really:
(a) I wish it had an internal ND filter like the X100 series.
(b) I wish the on-off switch was simply that. However it has the option of single and continuous shot. I sometimes move this by mistake and end up taking multiple images.
(c) I would remove the video button to somewhere else on the camera as it is too close to the shutter button for my fat fingers. In fact you probably have guessed that I have never used the video so they could remove that functionality all together and I wouldn’t mind. These things may have already been changed in the newer iterations.

Here is a selection of imagery take with the Leica Q Type 116:

I am often asked about straps. I have no affiliation but all of my straps are from Rock and Roll. I have the brown “Hendrix” strap on the SL2, a black soft leather braided strap on the Q and simple classic leather straps on the M10P and Type 246 in yellow and Burgundy respectively. I know, yellow, but its how I roll!

I have not included my Leica MP film camera in this review because I still have not put enough rolls of film through it to feel qualified enough to discuss film shooting and perhaps I will write an Analogue Blog in the future. I have a 35mm Summilux glued to the front for that reportage feel. All I will say is it is truly a liberating experience shooting film with this beautiful camera although, in these inflationary times, it is an experience that comes with a cost. Hold that thought until a later “Analogue” Blog.

So if you have reached this point thank you! In summary, what might you have learned from this Blog:

I am a self confessed “Leica Fanboy” so my reviews are suitably and unashamedly biased :-)
I have more 50mm lenses than god!
You may have correctly assumed that I do not aspire to be a camera reviewer. There are plenty of people on YouTube who are much better qualified to do so.
The best place for specifications are in the user manual. I have not yet met a photographer who reads the user manual. Enough said!
For me photography is a passion and I am blessed to have these wonderful cameras and lenses to help me to express my creativity.
You have hopefully gained some idea as to how and why I use the various combinations of cameras and lenses. I have a number of other lenses but what you have seen is what I use for the majority of my imagery.
Could I do it all with one camera and one lens? Probably, but what would be the fun in that.
If you want to enter the world of Leica call Gina at Leica Store Dubai. You will not regret it, you will get a fabulous service and support and they do serve excellent coffee!

I hope you enjoyed this slightly different Blog but stay tuned as Mrs. C and I continue to record our various adventures. 2024 looks to be an exciting year.

Warmest regards from Plymouth and yes, it is still raining!!!

Glorious Gidleigh

March 9, 2024

Some say that a man is only as old as the women he feels! Well given that Mrs. C has spent the past 20 years basking between the magic ages of 39 and 40, I guess I have continued to feel extremely young at heart.

Another wise man once told me that ageing is just another word for living. As I look in to the bathroom mirror it would appear that I have certainly lived!

So as Mrs. C verges on becoming “a women of a certain age” (we have been married for 37 years and she tells everyone that she was a child bride) and given that we continue embrace the theory of “Carpe Diem” too its fullest extent, we decided to celebrate the occasion and book in to the wonderful Gidleigh Park Hotel, located just on the edge of the village of Chagford.

So we fired up the Polo, dialled Gidleigh in to the Sat Nav and headed across Dartmoor in search of paradise.

Now, I have neglected to mention that the wind was approaching 50 miles an hour and the rain was horizontal and coming across the moors like tracer bullets. Inclement weather can sometimes be an issue when driving across Dartmoor. However, regular readers will know that the Chivs have what is known as “Churchillian Fortitude” and basically this was a summers day for us hardy residents of Plymouth.

Now the problem with a Sat Nav is the propensity to blindly follow its instructions. As we headed through Princetown “Trixie” (yes that is the lady on my Sat Nav), instructed me in a polite yet domineering manner to turn left.

As an ambi-turner I immediately obliged only to immediately regret it! She had directed me down a country lane with grass growing down the centre of the road (always a bad sign in the West Country) that was only six inches wider than my car. As there was no turning point, the rain was getting harder and the light was beginning to fail I pressed on. Just when I thought things could not get any worse they did; we reached the bottom of the hill to be confronted with something that resembled the Sea of Galilee. The water stretched on for about 30 metres and there was no indication of how deep it was. I certainly could not reverse back up the road so “when needs must the devil drives” and I put my foot down and went for it.

Eventually and with some considerable relief on my part, we emerged on the other side relatively un-scathed and breathed a huge sigh of relief. Having crossed that particular rubicon we were greatly relieved to see the signs for Gidleigh along with another sign underneath which said “don’t give up you are nearly there”! Clearly there had been others who did not have our frontier spirit.

Then all of a sudden we turned a corner and there it was, our Xanadu, the Glorious Gidleigh Park Hotel.

As we walked through the main door I knew we had made the right choice. There were pairs of Dubarry Wellies of all sizes tucked behind the door, just incase we had forgotten ours (we had by the way).

Dubarry - Just in case you had forgotten yours.

We walked past the inviting lounge which seemed to have the words “please indulge in a rather superior brandy and then snooze” written all over it.

The ideal place for a brandy and a snooze

Then we were welcomed by Simon, our General manager and as if by magic our bags disappeared and we were sashayed in to said lounge to enjoy a plate of smoked salmon sandwiches and a couple of glasses of red. Yes we were both in our happy places.

Gidleigh may be termed as “old school quality” so photographically I tooled myself up in a similar vein with the Leica M10P and 50 summilux. I was in 7th heaven with the surroundings and mood lighting.

A bit of still life en route to the room

I believe that someone had spotted that we were in danger of spending the entire afternoon eating smoked salmon and drinking red wine. Not a bad way to spend a wet afternoon, when a charming young man appeared and offered to take us to our room.

As we walked in a smile came across my face. The room was beautiful and on the window sill was a decanter of Medeira and a flask of cold water. I assumed the water was there in case of fire so we proceeded to tuck in to the rather cheeky medeira, accompanied by some rather lovely chocolate truffles.

Madeira and chocolates - The flask of water was in case of a fire!

At this point I had a serious look outside the window and we certainly had a room with a view!

Room with a view - I spy a potential bench of contemplation

So reluctantly we tore ourself away from the Madeira, borrowed a couple of pairs of Dubarry’s and headed off for a walk through the grounds.

As you can see the grounds are absolutely beautiful. Everything is of course wet and damp, after all this is Dartmoor England although, the woodland is in fact almost like a tropical rainforest.

We managed our 5000 steps and headed back to our room, only to find that a bottle of Champagne had been placed on the dressing table with the compliments of the Management. That was going to make that long soak in a hot bath even more enjoyable!

Dinner was booked for 7.30 and Management had suggested that we might like to arrive a little earlier for an aperitif. Always polite Mrs. C and I duly obliged.

Dinner was absolutely delightful. There was no rush and each course was carefully explained by the Maître D’. I have included the menu for reference.

For the record, I started with the prawns, followed by the venison and ended with the cheese, all accompanied by a cheeky little claret. In addition there were various amuse bouches and pre-deserts and the whole culinary experience was quite fantastic.

Following dinner we moved back in to the lounge for coffees and petit fours and with a very nice touch our hosts sent a delightful message in celebration of our birthdays.

What a fabulous way to have a joint celebration of us both becoming personages of a certain age. Next morning we rounded things off with a traditional “Full English”; basically a pork-fest including wonderful black pudding and a local delicacy, hogs pudding!

Good things always come to an end and it was then time to fire up the polo and head back to Plymouth (this time ignoring Trixie and taking the A38 dual carriageway).

Ah, you thought I had forgotten. No blog can end without the Bench of Contemplation.

So that was a little Glimpse of us celebrating a major milestone in our lives. Still very much in love we continue to Carpe Diem and make the most of every minute together.

Lots of adventures to come so stay tuned and warmest regards from a wet and windy Plymouth.