Flowers from Florida

On Saturday Irene and I made our usual visit to Nan. While we were there a basket of flowers had arrived. Margaret, her daughter was over in Florida to see her daughter Belinda get married. Margaret, thoughtfully emailed a delivery to her mum on this special day.

Nan and the flowers from Florida

I was only mrginally disturbed from the Scrabble game. It was only the first time that I had the right letters to make a seven letter word. I was not able to get out my first seven letter word of the game, but I did get out my second seven letter word; gaining a bonus of 50 points.

Nan enjoyed the morning, particulary the flowers.

Wedding and Trophy

Two week ago I received a lovely text. It read, "Hi Jim i am gettin married on the 19th july just wondered if u was available? Thanks eve" Eve turned out to be a lovely young lady who wanted me to photograph her wedding. Having met her and her husband to be, Gary, it was agreed that I would do the deed.

On Saturday 19th at 4:00 pm I turned up at St Michael's Church, Bramcote. It turned out to be a dry, sunny, but windy day. Photos were taken there and then at the 'Chequers' inn, Stapleford. Since then I have done the light-room work and created the proofs book. I have three systems available to produce the proofs book. One prints the data, but randomises the pictures. Another keeps them in order, but does not print the data. The one that I use prints the pictures and the data, but creates a right hand margin which is not helpful in book production. Does anyone know of software which will do exactly what I want; efficiently?

Eve and Gary - Married

On Monday, in the thick of wedding work along came another assignment. This came through my most regular customer, Francis. He needed a greeting card with a photograph of the trophy given by the 'Allotment Holder's Association' to the winning school gardeners. This was a chance to us my off camera flash and reflector. I set up my mini studio and did the shoot. The result was acceptable.

Pre-wedding Research

On Thursday Joni and I went out to St Michael's Church, Bramcote to check the wedding shoot location. We were there at the approximate hour of the wedding on Saturday. It was a drizzly day, but dry when we turned up. We did our usual walk around the church - checking the possibilities. I used my Nikon D50 for the test shots. This was a useful trip - note the clutter to the right of the entrance. I thought that the steps might make for a different shot. However, they could look too railway stationey

Main entrance

Bride on the steps?

The new Nikon D80 did not arrive until Friday lunch time. It has a lot of refinements to the D50 with more megapixels. Fortunately, it is not too disimilar to the D50 and after some practice shots I am confident that I shall be able to use it at the wedding on Saturday. I will be packing the D50 just in case.

Joni using D80 and off the camera flash

Available light

Jim'll Fix It

On Sunday it was another of Pioneers Church's 'Tea and Talk' event at Leicester House. The title was 'Jim'll Fix It'. The theme was the miraculous fixits of Jesus. Number were down. Jan and Lawrence were in Turkey, Pat and Arthur were at home on the ocassion of her birthday. But, most others were there. At tea time we ate half a birthday cake and took the rest to share with Pat.

On Monday Joni and I were back round to Jubilee House Christian School. A month ago we removed out of date computers from the ITC room. But, today we replaced these computers with even better ones including flat screens. The replaced computers are being distributed around the school. I have been asked to consider being a governor of the school. The main event of the day was my visit to potential wedding photography customers. After my twenty minute presentation I now wait until they have seen other photographers. I used the picture of Jan being confettied as my advertising picture.

On Tuesday I was able to complete my mission of producing a card for Francis to give to Evelyn (a neighbour) as a thank you for the work that she had done in judging a school gardening competition. I was only able to carry out the assignment by talking to her on her allotment. This is the result.

Tuesday evening was complicated. I had conflicting appointments. I decided to attend the Churches Forum meeting at the Methodist Church, stay for long enough to make my contribution, return to open up the Community Centre, go home, watch TV and then go to lock the Centre.

On Wednesday our main task was to go and baby sit in Milton Keynes. Before leaving I was able to water in the green house and lift a few more bricks from the path, weed under them and reline with polythene.

We had a good evening with the grandchildren who were easy to get to bed. Tim and Isla went out for a meal and then to the Theatre. (I would expect that this will appear in his blog.)
We arrived home just before midnight.

My Birthday

Me at 62

Is it true that birthdays run in the family? My brother's birthday (see earlier post) was on the 7th, my dad's would have been on the 8th and mine is on 9th July.
My birthday was low key in comparison to my brother's and was celebrated by mum and Joni.
We had a lazy start to the day and into the presents.

This was followed by a relatively dry trip into Derbyshire. We had a good meal in Bakewell and drove back to Rowsley which is on the northern end of the Peak rail. By fantastic, non-existant planning we arrived on a day when the steam train was running. We boarded and found seats in the old style corridor train. It went v.....e....r.....y s....l....o....w....l....y to Matlock.

Changing ends at Matlock

Matlock has been changed very significantly with the building of the bypass to accommodate the new Sainsbury's store. There is no Peak Rail platform at Matlock; no shelter, just a bench and a time table. It is quite a walk along the river to town, but there is a new tarmac path through the trees. We found a tea room, enjoyed our mug of tea and went to the bookshop where one of the assistants insisted on giving Joni a Christian novel that had a good message. The it was back to the platform on to the train and back to Rowsley, the car and home.
We had a tea with surpringly, strawberry merengue for dessert.
Jenny from nest door appeared with a train card and two 'Hornby' maroon and cream coaches for my layout.

We finished the day with a three way game of 'Upwords' and sat to watch 'I am Legend'. This was a clever and well made film starinf Will Smith.
Bed followed.

Busy Monday

After crop picking I was straight to work unlocking and starting the setting up of the last Smiley's coffee morning in the NSCC. The rest of the day was spent in finalising my presentation for a wedding order.

The evening began by returning to unlock the centre for a new group known as 'Feminenza'. The seem to exploring the spiritual side of what it means to be feminine.
I then went off to meet with a couple who have asked me to photograph their wedding next Saturday. It should be a great occasion.
The day endeded by locking up the centre.

Adrian is 60

On Sunday we celebrated the birthday of my brother Adrian. It was at his home and we hoped for, but did not get dry weather. The tent like gazebo presented some shelter from the prevailing wind and rain. My side did not leak. It was good to see the Norwood family together. Aunty Mary is still going strong. Perhaps it is her cornflake sandwiches that do it. Her two daughters (my cousins) were there. We met the new baby Noah James for the first time.
I hope my brother appreciated the walking sticks that Irene suggested that I give him. (Actually two high tec. walking poles.)

Nottingham

Today Joni and I went shopping in Nottingham.

The day started in its usual way with a trip to the allotment to water in the greenhouse and pick strawberries.

At 11:00 Joni and I set off to walk down Ewe Lamb Lane. We just missed the bus and so walked down Nottingham Road to catch it at The Sherwin Arms. We discovered that the cheapest return ticket was the 'Kangaroo'. This could be used anywhere, all day and even on the tram. I bought one for Joni and used my pensioner pass for myself.

I planned the walk through Nottingham to start at the higher point and go downwards to the lower return bus stop. My photographic purchase was quickly as was the mystery purchase part way down to the Market Square. Here we turned left to visit the Castle. My bus pass was my free admission here, but Joni's only proof was that he knew his post code. Don't tell foreign visitors that the secret is to learn a local post code before arriving. You never got this from me. Creative gardening was going on in the castle. There was a Robin Hood bush and a Maid Marrian bush and a colourful planting on the slope to the castle.

Nottingham Castle

Creative Planting

There were the usual displays in the castle museum, but an interesting display of photographic art.
We walked along the battlements overlooking the town. It was here that my lunch time plans were changed. Just below me was 'Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem'; billed as the oldest pub in England, affectionately known as 'The Trip' and partly a cave in the 'Castle Rock'. In all these years I had never been in. We completed our castle walk and down the hill we went. It was a fabulous place. We sat in the upper room which was generally cave. Joni had soup of the day and I had a jacket potato with king prawns downed by a pint of beer each.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem

Robin Hood - On the way back from 'The Trip'

From here we walked on down to Broadmarsh. I took a picture on root. I made my Wilco purchase. Joni still can't work out what intend to do with a ball of string, parcel tape, wide white plastic tape, white mapping pins and a can of gold spray paint. Any suggestions!!!

The map pins were not white. The stationary shop was no longer opposite Wilcos. So back uphill we went. Failed to find any other stationary shop. And went home.

Shoppers at Broadmarsh

Guess what? When I looked in my draw to find a pot to put some of mum's white pins in I just happened to come across a pot that had even more white pins in.

Card Making

Tuesday saw me on a strange assignment. There I was, on the allotment, photographing a green/blue water butt and orange label. This image was to produce a card that was commissioned by my neighbour, Francis, to give to fellow allotmenteer, Noel, for contributing this water butt for use by our group of allotment holders.

Irene was up at the allotment today. She claims to be feeling a little better. We picked more strawberries, currents, gooseberries and did watering before going home for lunch. It was real Summers day and we had lunch of something and strawberries and sat reading for a little while.

Irene went off to the Spencers. I cleared ivy from the front lower guttering, cleaned the front windows, tidied up the cables now visible on the rear wall. This was followed by sanding down two of the breakfast room stools and applying the first layer of varnish.

I received a call to say that I would not be opening the center until 8:15.

Joini was over in Stoke viewing his new home for his second year in uni. We await a report.