I was asked last year to give a presentation on “My Interests” at the Morriston Camera Club, which I then forgot about. I was reminded recently that this was about to happen in two weeks! Initially I had intended to give this presentation on the Maritime Volunteer Service. However, since I recently resigned from this it would not have been appropriate to have continued with this. I have now had to hurriedly put together something on my newer interest – The National Coastwatch Institution, or NCI.

Obviously I do not yet have a suitable collection of photographs of the NCI, and have therefore had to raid their web-site, ( nciwormshead.org.uk ). Most of the photographs there are too small a resolution to be of use, so I decided yesterday to take a run down to Rhossilli and try and get some of my own. Inevitably Gwen (our dog) loves being with me when I am on watch at The Worm, so she had to come with me. As I have found out many times before, she has an uncanny knack of appearing in the photographs, a bit like a certain cartoon character in the Western Mail, or Alfred Hitchcock in his films. I managed to Photoshop her out of some, but she appears next to the child’s pushchair in the first photograph.

Here are a couple of the shots I took anyway;-

Gwen managed to get her nose into this one as well. This is the unedited version…

Despite numerous signs and warnings, tourists regularly get cut off. Considerably less though since the NCI have been active.

This time of the year is total pleasure for the landscape photographer in Wales. We have had a crap Summer – rain, rain and more rain. But the last couple of weeks have been magic. Here are just a couple of images which sum up the nature of the light at the moment, taken in an arboretum outside Carmarthen.

The world must be alerted to the plight of Jennifer in Avalon, Australia ! See Alex’s – blog http://www.dryadmusings.com/

We must come to her rescue…. and get the film rights! Will it be like “Neighbours”, taking us a year before we know what happens next. Residents of Avalon must be activated, search her out, explain her plight, and lets have some photos!!!! We are waiting Alex

Found some piccies at http://community.noflies.com.au/missing+avalon/jennifer–will-you-marry-me-/18653269

And the definitive views of the Australian public on http://www.news.com.au/comments/0,23600,26144851-421,00.html

Something of a pot-pourri of photographs from our visit to Falmouth – maybe an odd selection, but I like the variety of images. Starting with a slightly odd one, a funeral was taking place in the town centre. You don’t see many as elaborate as this any more – not here anyway. Not an easy event to photograph without being invasive. A difficult call, so I waited until the mourners had gone into the church.

Funeral falmouth

A bit of a story behind the next shots. I was looking for the NCI lookout, said to be near Falmouth, in order just to make a social call to fellow members. It was not so easy to find. Carol, without a map, and with a GPS that was not co-operating, found the nearest point as being the “Nare Hotel”. It was decided that we should have a drink there, and enquire of the locals. However, what we stumbled upon was something from a different era ! The Hotel is superb, the setting is exquisite, the guests are mainly elderly and extremely well-heeled (£200 per person per night), and they even have a yacht for the exclusive use of residents ! It’s the kind of place you expect to find Poirot mooching around.

I think that it is summed up by a quote from the brochure, “Children’s early supper is served on The Quarterdeck since young guests are not expected in The Dining Room in the evening. Families often dine together on The Quarterdeck and, in case nanny has been left at home, there are baby-sitting and listening services which can be arranged”

Check it out on http://www.narehotel.co.uk/welcome . When the lottery numbers come up we will spend a week there!

Nare Hotel

Nare Hotel

It must be admitted that Falmouth itself is a tempting choice to move to. It really has so much to offer in it’s beautiful surroundings and countryside. An element of Cornish nationalism is still evident, and who can blame them with the annual invasion of insensitive tourists and long-term incomers – who also offer the economic lifeblood to this area. Not an easy balancing act. Hey Ho.

OK, a couple of tourist type shots….

Church Interior Mawnan Smith

OK, maybe not so touristy photographs…

Graveyard at Mawnan Smith

OK – so I find graveyards fascinating, does that make me weird?

OK, back to the tourist stuff…

King Harry Chain Ferry Falmouth

Going Spare

And finally, a shot of Carol & Gwen on the St Mawes Ferry,

We have just returned from a very enjoyable week in Falmouth. It happened to be Nick’s Birthday while we were there. He has reached the very sensible & mature age of twenty four, as is aptly demonstrated in the photographs which follow. Nick has a ploy, which is to take all visitors to Skinners’ Brewery, which I must admit make particularly fine real ales – and that coming from a Guinness drinker is truly a compliment. Anyway, back to the Birthday Boy being sensible….

Mr Sensible - after a few jugs

Now, the strange thing about Skinners Brewery – which makes it really worth visiting – is that after the tour of a small family run business, they let you loose behind the bar, and don’t charge for what you drink. Admittedly, there is an entrance fee, which Nick tried hard to recuperate in the time we had afterwards. I think that he tried every ale on offer, and was still fairly reasonable afterwards. (Perhaps a “little” more animated than usual!)

So here is a shot of some of the foreign staff that Cornish Breweries are now employing….

The Bartender

And of course I couldn’t do a piece without including a shot of Nick & Ros

Happy Birthday Nick ! Make the most of it – you will be changing nappies on the next one