A quick catch-up ..

Not had much chance to blog lately .. real life's been getting in the way! We've been busy with the gîte and garden and I've been form-filling to get myself into the French tax system (Oh, goody!) ..

Like England, we've had lots of heat and thunder lately .. which has kinda slowed down my plans to paint the outside of the gîte .. but I'm back on track and should have it finished by the end of this week. (Gosh, that's interesting Martin!) ..

Not a lot to report on the photography front, other than to say I'm shooting a lot of landscape and flower pictures. Oh, and sunsets! From our garden we get a great view of the western sky, and I'm usually to be found out with a camera at sunset in the hope of adding another cracker to my collection. So where was I when this one occurred? In the bar, of course! I should add that I was there enjoying one of mein host Jean-Marc's fab 'Apero' evenings, which he throws on a regular basis. The key here is that it's important always to take the photograph, even if the positioning isn't the most perfect (Lesson over!) ..

Speaking of socialising, we were invited to dinner the other evening .. in our gîte! A family who've stayed there in the past returned again for a fortnight, and invited us round for a meal to say Thank you. A lovely evening, and we didn't have to wait for a taxi home. And, not only that, but we've taken our first booking for June. That's June 2019. (Hurrah!) ..

I'm in clover ..

Today is another Bank Holiday in France  - VE Day - and, driving through the glorious French countryside yesterday, my attention was caught by a bright red field over in the distance. "Oooh, poppies," I cried "Look at all those poppies", and I decided to pop back there last night to get some shots for today's blog. The poppies turned out to be clover! But, my God, how beautiful! I've never seen anything like it, and the setting sun really brought out the detail in the flowers. I vowed that a picture from the 'shoot' would be the theme of today's blog regardless, but then what happened? Sunrise happened, and today's second picture appeared like magic from our garden. There are gorgeous photographs to be had everywhere! 
 Man, I am in clover ..

Jets ..

We're right at the heart of the French countryside and when the street lights go off at night there's no sign of another human being visible from our house. However, as the sun went down last night, I was reminded that the world we live in these days is a small one. I counted no less than 12 jet con-trails overhead. You're never that far from anyone, anymore ..

Ma première exposition ..

'Small, but perfectly formed' is the best way to describe my first ever exhibition in France, now open at a punk club called El Doggo in the French city of Limoges. I've only managed to squeeze in eight pictures - it's a small bar - but it will give visitors a taste of my Joy Division photography and, hopefully, lead to more shows in my new country.

You might be seeing a trend here. As I sat down to write this blog, Facebook flashed up one of those 'Your memories on Facebook' things from three years ago. It was a blog about the opening of a Joy Division exhibition!..

May Day, May Day ..

My Mum used to tell us that if we washed our faces in the dew on May 1st then we'd have great complexions in later life. Obviously, it didn't work for me but, as a mist rolled over our garden this morning, I couldn't resist going out to photograph the new month's cool freshness. It's the first day of May, our first May in France, and the first time I've ever celebrated a Bank Holiday 'Tuesday'. Yes, the French do things on the day, which means a lazy day for us and a chance to make sure everything is ready for tomorrow. Tomorrow is another first - my first exhibition in France. Ok, it's more like 'hanging a few pictures in a bar', but it all counts and I'm so pleased to be getting my Joy Division shots out to a new audience. They'll be on show all month at a Punk club called El Doggo in Limoges. Hope you can make it ..

Ps: I washed my face anyway. It's never too late ..

ABBAtastic ..

I clearly remember watching ABBA win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, and it's true to say their music's been a constant in my life. I even took a girl to see 'Abba The Movie' on my first ever date. (It featured a photo-call with the group on the steps of Sydney Opera House and was the first time I'd ever seen a group of press photographers 'at work'. I was so into it that I took my poor date to see the film again the next night!)

Anyway, I'm as excited as anyone to hear they're releasing new music later this year, and look forward to hearing it. Having the group back in the news reminded me of one of my favourite jokes.

Which is my favourite from Abba? The blond, but I wish he'd shave his beard off!!

I thank you ..

Everything's vine ..

I was once bought a pair of vines as a 'Thank You' gift by a young couple whose Wedding I'd photographed. Little did I know that, within a few years, I'd be tying those vines into those we've 'inherited' at our house in France. So it was that, yesterday evening, I spent time training a red and a white variety of grape into the established hedge at the back of the garden. The sun was setting, a kestrel hovered in the air above and the latest residents in our gîte tell us they are "astonished" at how good it is. Yes, I'm delighted to say that everything's going vine ..

Saint George ..

It's St. George's day today - he being the patron saint of Belfast, as any fule kno. I was lucky enough to photograph the great George Best on two occasions, and am pleased to say I asked him for his autograph. It says a lot that I neglected to ask Ryan Giggs for his! Such a shame that Best's life went the way it did but hey, the man enjoyed himself and you can't say more than that.

Despite my claim to be uninterested in football, I'm delighted that Man U are back in the FA Cup Final and I look forward to watching them beat Chelsea in a few weeks time. It'll be the second time I've watched the Cup Final from 'abroad' .. I remember getting up at about 2am to watch the 1991 final from New Zealand .. a few of us 'Brits' huddled around a tiny TV set in the reception area of a backpackers' hostel in Auckland. Great memories. They're the best!

Over to you, La Galerie ..

I thought I'd hand today's blog over to La Galerie, our gîte in Loubillé, France .. and it can let you know how it's getting on. (What do you mean, a gîte can't write? I'll have you know our gaff does its own 'Gîte Tweets'! ..

'Hi Martin, and thanks for letting me take over your blog today. It's a great opportunity for me to tell you how busy I've been lately. At the moment I have an English family staying with me - they've been here for quite a few weeks now as they're in the middle of buying their own house in France. It's been lovely to give them somewhere to call 'home' whilst they get everything organised, and such fun to host their pets, as dogs are always welcome here. Next week I have a French family staying with me. A couple from Normandy are staying for a week with their parents from La Rochelle. Really looking forward to meeting them, and I'll soon be buying wine, bread and other goodies to make up their Welcome Basket.

I've had a bit of 'tarting up' done in my front garden, and now have a lovely private gravel drive for my guests to park on. A new set of garden furniture and a lick of paint on my walls and shutters is on the cards too, now that the weather's perking up. (It's going to be 26 degrees later this week. Good job I have a cooling ceiling fan in my spacious lounge!)

Yes, spring is making itself known all around me. At the moment I'm surrounded by gorgoeus fields of yellow rape-seed, and buds, blossom and fresh lime green leaves are appearing everywhere. It won't be long until I'm back to my full summer loveliness. Lots of wildlife is reappearing, too. Hundreds of cranes flew over my head on their way back north, and a hoopoe called in yesterday. I have goldfinches, skylarks, black redstarts and long-tailed tits twittering above my head and birds of prey hovering in the fields around me. The swifts and house martins are back and, for the last two mornings, I've heard a cuckoo calling from the nearby woods.  I often spot deer and hares in the fields, and lots of butterflies are starting to enjoy my garden.
 
My friend 'Entre-Pote', the local bar in the village, has thrown some great party nights recently, to which my guests are always welcome. They do a great line in lunchtime meals, too. I'm so lucky to have this lively place just around the corner.

My owner (Yes you, Martin) had a busy day recently when he staged a 'Photo-Walk' around the village, teaching keen amateur photographers how to use their cameras. The photographs here are some that my owner took yesterday. Don't forget he offers One-Day camera workshops for anyone that stays with me. What a great way to spend a day of your holiday.

I'm lucky to be surrounded by some gorgeous chateaux, and they're all busy dusting down and opening up after their winter breaks. The cycling's getting good too, now that the weather's improving. If you don't want to bring over your bikes, don't forget I can organise 'wheels' for you when you're here. 

My bookings are looking good for the summer, although I still have some dates available. Check out my web-site for availability.

Thanks again, Martin. Maybe I can give you another update in the summer? Ciao for now. La Galerie x'

Brilliant. Thanks for the update and yes, catch you in the summer. Have a great Spring!

A boy named Mo ..

A lot of my friends know me as 'Mo'. It's a nickname I've had for almost forty years, from when my old photographic manager used to mark up the office diary - to allocate jobs to each of his photographers - and wrote what he thought were my initials next to the jobs he wanted me to do. So how lovely to see 'my name' in lights - or at least in old metal framing and a blossom-covered bush - when we went for a walk yesterday. Yo Mo, how's it hanging?..

Take another road ..

Another Monday morning, another day to do whatever the hell I like. I'm really getting the hang of this retirement mullarkey. I say 'retirement' because - despite my trying to dress it up - it seems I really have retired from work. I've come to accept that there's no realistic chance of me shooting weddings or PR over here and, to that extent, I've stopped promoting myself as a photographer. The frenzy of 'real-life' is over, and now I'm quite content to potter in our garden, or to see new friends for beer or a meal, or to simply sit and watch as our first French Spring unrolls in front of us. I've had time to re-edit my book, 'The Boy who missed Next Year', and have even started to write two new stories. Yep, as much as I loved the rush and the adrenaline of photography, I'm now quite happy to sit back and let the world wash over me. I've taken another road. It's bliss! 

Walk this way ..

I was delighted to lead a Photo Walk around our little village yesterday. Delighted too that I gave practically all of it in French, thanks to a little .. er, a lot .. of help from the DeepL translation app! I'm chuffed to bits that I got the turnout that I did, and chuffed to bits that everyone was so enthusiastic. The afternoon was a taster of the Shoot 'n Tutor One-Day Camera Workshop I offer at our gîte here in France. Thanks to all who came along. We'll do it all again soon ..

What joy ..

Thirty nine years! That's how long it is since I shot my Joy Division photographs at Bowdon Vale Youth Club in Manchester. Thirty nine years ago today, as a callow 18 year old junior photographer just 5 months into my career. Now I wouldn't normally have mentioned this anniversary, but ..

Tomorrow I'm off to meet with a chap in a town near here to discuss an exhibition of my pictures, and I was literally taking them out of storage this morning when today's date dawned on me. Funny how things work out ..

Moreover, I had an email last weekend from a Blogger, asking if he could use some of these photographs to go with a piece he was writing. The fee to me? Zero. My answer to him? No, you can't! Funny what people for free expect these days ..

Also last week, an email came from the Visitor Centre in Macclesfield - Joy Division's home town. I'd had some prints and booklets for sale there but the Tourist office has decided to return them to me. They weren't "selling well enough"! What joy ..

(Just as a matter of interest, today's shot shows an original scan of a strip of negatives from the gig. Interesting to see that, in those days of shooting film sparingly, four out of those five shots were selected for the exhibition!)

Makes me spit ..

There's a chance you played that 'drinking game' the last time you watched a film. You know the one? You take a drink every time someone on the screen has one. Depending on the movie, there's a good chance you could end up being completely sloshed. Well yesterday I played the 'spitting game'. I watched two football matches back to back and decided I'd spit every time I saw a footballer spit. Every goddam time there was a close-up of a player - or Pep Guardiloa, come to that - they coughed up a lovely big ball of snot. And full marks to subs Fabregas and Gabriel Jesus, both filmed spitting before they even got on the bleedin' pitch. Put me right off my family bag of Maltesers, it did. And what am I supposed to do with two and a half gallons of saliva?..

Who needs a watch? ..

It's been raining most of the week. The garden is a mud bath and there are now not one, but two leaks in our ancient red tiled roof. And do you know what? I love it! I love the fact that I still feel like I'm on holiday. This weekend marks five months since we moved over to France, and we're really getting into it now. Our chickens are laying two, sometimes three eggs a day (Omelette anyone?), we've given up on ironing our clothes and my kinetic wristwatch - which relies on movement to wind itself up - has stopped. I haven't worn it in weeks ..

More importantly, I'm really getting the time to do the things I want. I've decided to re-edit my book - The Boy who missed Next Year - and I'm putting together a Slide Show (Sorry, still can't stop calling them that!) that I'll be giving soon at our local community hall. I once went round the world with my little doll Minnie - that's her in Tahiti - featuring her in hundreds of shots as we journeyed around together. I thought it was about time her shots had a showing. Happy holidays ..

Technical PS: The pictures of Minnie are actually slides. Shot in the early 90s, I got through about 150 rolls of Kodachrome 64 using just one Nikon FM and two lenses.

Thinking of summer ..

Delighted to say I've just added another summer booking to the diary but, unlike years gone by, this was a booking for our gîte rather than for any Wedding photography. Funny how times have changed, eh? Yesterday I received a message from my e-mail domain name company, asking if I wanted to renew my 'UK Wedding Photography' domain name. Sadly, I told them 'no', as I won't be needing that anymore. My life is now focused over here in France, where bookings for the gîte are almost as important to me as Wedding enquiries once were. My photography is still the centre of my life of course, and coming soon is a 'Photography Walk' for keen amateur snappers in our village. The weather's getting better and the cameras are out. Seems I'm not the only one thinking of the summer ..

Think warm thoughts ..

The first shy flakes of snow are falling as I write this - our first snow in France! All a far cry from yesterday, when I took this photograph during our afternoon walk. Still, it won't be long until the Spring is here (we tell ourselves!) and it's fantastic to be enjoying the start of our first 'full' year here, and to be in at the start of the changing seasons. The room I'm sitting in now was one of the first we converted, and it's hard at the moment to recall the 100˚ heat of last May as I chopped up plasterboard and scraped ancient mortar from between the stones in the wall. Still, it's lovely to know that that kind of weather is on its way again. Warming thoughts indeed .. 

The Fallen ..

Very sad to hear of the death of Mark E. Smith, lead singer/dictator of Manchester band The Fall. I can still remember the excitement I felt as an 18 year old, hearing the unbelievably different 'Bingo - Master's - Break- Out!' on John Peel in 1978, a single I still own and play to this day. I even have on my wall a poster for a Fall gig at Manchester Students' Union. I took it down when I moved to France and put it straight back up as soon as I got here. He's definitely one of my musical Marmites - some of his stuff is totally unlistenable to - but yes, it's safe to say Mr Smith has had quite a defining part in my musical tastes. God bless ya, Mark E ... 

What a square ..

I've set my Fuji X10 to 'Square' again in an effort to emulate the 120 film in my old Yashica 124 camera. I love the challenge I get from fitting the world into a square, with no advantage being gained from shooting either portrait or landscape. The thing is, I find it very easy to have my subjects 'look right' when they're put into that format so I know it's going to be a great new project. However, the privacy laws in France mean it's not legal to take photographs of people in the street without permission, so I have a feeling that this series will generally be landscapes. No problem. There's nothing square about that ..

(Click the shots to see them larger) 

Flyin' ..

It's four months to the day since we moved to France. Time flies! Yet, funnily enough, it seems a long time since I shot my last Wedding .. on the August Bank Holiday. I was reminded of it this morning when I received a lovely e-mail from Emma, the bride. "Thank you so much .." she said "for making our day so special. You made everyone laugh and feel so at ease, you’re an amazing photographer, your work speaks for itself, we have a beautiful album and set of photos we will treasure forever. You're a star xxxx". Thanks so much, guys..

As you can tell, this Wedding was turned around really quickly. The couple were keen to chose their images and I've already designed and delivered their Wedding album. Job done! Contrast that with another couple who have just got in touch to ask about choosing the shots from their Wedding .. two years ago!!
Yep, time flies alright ..

Poo ..

I love France and the French and everything about them. They have such a pride in their appearance, their food and their 'Frenchness' .. so why on earth don't they pick up their dog poo? It spoils the streets of every big town I've visited so far. It's so odd. I mean, they love their dogs and will happily allow them into bars and restaurants, but they just can't be bothered to clean up after them. After living here for almost four months now, it's just about the only sh*t thing I've come across ..

Turning over a new leaf ..

New Year trips to the nearby towns of Angoulême and La Rochelle gave me an opportunity to take out the camera - as if it's ever away! - and get some fresh photography under my belt. But instead of shooting 'tourist' shots and happy snaps, I found myself drawn to numerous trees around the towns. I'm not sure why. Perhaps the fact that most of them had no leaves on them made them more sculptural. Maybe it was a photographic acknowledgement that I, like them, have put roots down in France. Or perhaps it was just the plain and simple fact that a photographer never stops 'seeing' photographs and the satisfaction of the composition is enough. Time to turn over a new leaf and stop over-analyzing photography, folks ..

2017 ..

France! There, that's my review of 2017 done and dusted! We started the year here, painting the gîte last New Year's Day, and everything else we've done in the last 365 days has been to do with the country. We've planned our move, survived the whole process of moving, and enjoyed the last three and a half months of actually living here. So yes, as it's the done thing to review one's past year, I really can sum it all up in that one word. So here's to France and our new life of chickens, eggs and brilliant off-road mountain-biking ..

Oh, and a Happy New Year to you and yours, too ..

The best for Christmas ..

So here it is, Merry Christmas ..

I was delighted to know that some of my new French friends have actually heard of Slade, although the group's famous festive cornerstone never quite made it over here. There's a lot about Christmas that's different for Lesley and I this year - our first in France - but we're really loving it and enjoying the fact that we're a million miles from the rush, hustle and commercialism of our 'normal' Christmases past. In fact, the French are back to normal by Boxing Day and we ourselves have guests in the gîte on the 26th. On that note I'm putting up a shot from my archive - glum looking shoppers outside the window of Boots on Market Street in Manchester, circa 1981 - and just want to say Thank you for reading my blog over the past year, and have a great Christmas .. with or without Slade! ..

(Ps: Just how do you spell Christmases?)

A bit of a buzz ..

The excitement in the gîte continued yesterday, with the installation of a gorgeous new wood-burner .. just in time for our Christmas guests. Talk about cutting it fine! And now, after the thrill over our selection for the Brittany Ferries brochure, it's time to come back down to earth .. and quite literally too as I saw my first 'dropped glove' of the season. It was a good one as well, featuring as it did this symbol for a recharging point for electric cars. All very modern, don't ya know? Anyway, despite my best efforts to resist, I just had to take a photograph and add it to my 'On the one hand' collection of 462 other shots of dropped gloves! So I'm now at 463! Man, I need help! Trouble is, just like this charge point, it gives me such a buzz ..

(Copyright : Christmas cracker joke 2007!)

Pushing the boat out ..

I have a bit of spiffing news! Our gîte has been chosen to be included in the Brittany Ferries brochure, for people looking to book an all-in ferry journey and holiday in France. An inspector came to check out our property yesterday and gave us the nod there and then. She was going to take some photographs but realised I was a photographer and went away with a memory stick of my images instead. We'll start to appear on their website by the middle of next month and will be included in the  next brochure which comes out in the middle of next year. We are so delighted. We'd already planned to open a bottle of champers last night to mark our third month of life in France, so you can imagine how much we celebrated this extra bit of fantastic news. (Clue: sore head this morning!)
What a lovely end to an amazing year ..

Moving on ..

It's exactly three months to the day since Lesley and I formed a little convoy and drove down to start living in France 'for good' .. and man, how time has flown. We've done so much in that short space of time, too. All our stuff is unpacked and has a place in our new house, and we've already made so many new friends here that we're having a meal for some of them this evening to thank them for their welcome ..

One lovely thing about our new house is that it has a clear view of the western sky, enabling us to see every sunset throughout the year (Unless it's cloudy, of course!!) As we near the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, it's great to see the sun setting at its farthest position to the left. Another couple of days and it'll start moving back to the right. An Emirates A380 jet flew over at sunset yesterday, headed from Milan to New York and, thinking about our 750 mile journey, I couldn't help but wonder if people on the plane were heading off to start new lives of their own.

Lord, I don't half get sentimental at Christmas! ..

For good ..

There are a few things that have made me realise I've definitely left England. Taking my UK house keys off my key-ring was the first one. Having to kiss every woman I meet on the cheeks (twice!) is another. Driving on the right, of course. Unpacking my radio and having spoken French come out of it (That was funky!) Getting forms in triplicate (The French are very bureaucratic) and having to search for fresh milk (The French don't do it .. they love UHT!) .. but two things smacked the point home good and proper. I got an email from the members section of Badminton England, telling me I'd been removed from their records .. and then a pal in the UK asked me when I'd be back over for a drink. I'm sorry? Back over? "But Mike .." I said "I live in France. I'm not coming 'back over'.."

It felt bloody fantastic ..

(And no, I don't mean because of you, Mike ..)  

Earning my stripes ..

My first by-line in France! You can just about make it out in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. It's the back cover shot of our local village monthly magazine and if you ever needed proof that we now live in the depths of the French countryside then here it is. We all got excited about the installation of a new zebra crossing! How amusing ..

The photograph's also one of the first shots on my new - old - Fuji X10 camera. I wore out the first one I bought just under 6 years ago so, as the camera's now discontinued, I've had to source a nice second-hand model to replace it. The funny that was that, despite the fact that I thought I knew the camera so well, I glanced through the instruction book that came with it and discovered that it's able to take panoramic 360˚ shots. Guess what I'll be shooting a lot of soon ..

More Christmas shots coming up this weekend, too. I've been asked to photograph the village's childrens' Christmas party on Sunday. Memo to self. Do not shoot them on the panoramic setting ..

Johnny who? ..

The biggest rock star you've never heard of! That's how The Independent newspaper described Johnny Hallyday, who died on Wednesday and set off a wave of wall-to-wall TV coverage and national mourning. Yes, poor old Johnny. You know? Johnny Hallyday? The Rock God? Good old Johnny? You know?..

The thing is, we English don't know. Most of us have never heard of him, but Johnny Hallyday has been, well "An Icon", as it says here, in France since about 1922! He is (was!) the Bees Knees when it comes to music in France. Adored, loved, held on high. And now he's dead. It's like saying Cliff Richard, Vera Lynn and Posh Spice had all popped their clogs on the same day. Ok, maybe not Posh Spice, but you get the idea. And it brings into sharp focus the musical differences between England and France. We don't know any of their music, and they know none of ours. Only last weekend, during a loud and drinky Karaoke night, I was trying to explain just how big Gladys Knight and The Pips were. The French in the room had never heard of them. Neil Diamond? Nope! Cliff? Not a chance. The music scene is so insular here that none of our "icons" have made a dent in their charts. Likewise (apart from Vanessa Paradis!!) none of their big names mean a thing in the UK. And they say music is the international language. That'll be the day ..   

Here's to the next one ..

I know she gets wheeled out every year, but I just love this photograph of a nun in a party hat tucking into Christmas lunch! The shot is now well over 30 years old, taken when I was covering a Christmas lunch for OAPs in, of all places, a casino in Salford. It's one of the pictures in my B/w Archive, something I plan to build on now I have more time here in France. There are still loads of negatives yet to be scanned, and I can't wait to get cracking on them in the new year. I also have a new exhibition in mind, which I'll start to shoot by the Spring, and I've arranged with a couple of companies over here to shoot some property photography for them once the weather improves ..

This is one of my favourite festive traditions. Christmas is a time to reflect on the year just gone, but it doesn't half get me looking forward to the next one ..

If you can't beat 'em ..

It was bitterly cold here yesterday .. but gorgeous .. so with the thermometer at -5˚ we ventured out for a stroll and a morning of 'capturing clichés' in the frost. Hey, if you can't beat 'em ..

It all looked very festive though and, dare I say it, it is nice to see that Christmas is making itself known here now, with the switching on of lights and the opening of markets happening all around us. Lesley is off to sing with a choir at a Christmas Carol concert this afternoon, whilst I take a stand at a Christmas market with items from my Florescence range and gift vouchers for Camera Tuition and Family Portraits. Yes, I know I'm being commercial about it all but hey, if you can't beat 'em ..

Long ago and far away ..

This time last year I was at the North Pole, working on an ice-berg with Santa and a Polar Bear. Actually, this time last year I was shooting the launch of the Christmas Grotto at Manchester's Trafford Centre, and it's fair to say it was a bit more hi-tech and virtual reality than ever one of my childhood visits to Santa ever was (And I'll hold my hands up - this shot does look a bit rude!) ..

The funny thing is that, just as my childhood was a long time ago, my work as a PR photographer already seems as if it's from another lifetime. My last PR shoot in the UK was in August - getting on for four months ago - but I've settled so easily into my new life in France that's it's already becoming a dim and distant memory..
So long ago, so far away .. 

On a different plane ..

I had a quick flit back to the UK this weekend - always an opportunity to bring out the plane-spotter in me - but, my word, what a shock it was to be back in the 'old country' so soon after moving away. All those people! All those cars! All that noise! All that rain! All those delayed trains! All those disgustingly ignorant teenagers!..

I'm now happily ensconced again in rural France. Please don't make me go back to the UK any time soon. Even if it does mean I don't get to photograph aeroplanes!..

On the horizon ..

They do Christmas differently here. None of the UK's smaltzy tv ads or pubs displaying Christmas trees in August; no shops covered in decorations or playing carols 24/7. In fact, our little bit of rural France has only just about started to let the festive season make itself known. The supermarket allowed itself an aisle full of chocolates at the beginning of November, which has now grown to include a cardboard mock-up of a steam-train to mark the entrance to an expanded toy section, and our neighbour has put up some Christmas lights for his four year old. I went to my first Christmas Fayre of the season last Saturday and have another one lined up - when I'll be having a stall -  next week. It is so refreshing to see, and makes you realise just what a commercial enterprise the whole Chrimbo thing is in the UK. Of course, all of that could go out the window come December.
I'll keep you posted ..   

I'm booked in ..

It's as if it was meant to be ..

I was invited to a breakfast networking meeting the other day, down at a chateau near our gîte. As I turned into the drive my car began to make the most horrendous screeching noise, and a cloud of grey smoke rose from under the bonnet. I crawled into the car-park and pulled up, with a rather red face, next to a guy and lady who had driven in before me. Folks, they were car mechanics! A couple who moved to France a year ago and were, like me, at the meeting for the first time. Even better, their workshop is less than 2 miles from our house. I'm booked in for Monday ..

Into the meeting and we all start to press the flesh. "A photographer? .." asked one nice chap who turned out to be an estate agent "You don't do property photography do you? .." I'm booked in for the first week of December ..

Coffee and bacon butties were served. The lady handing out the goodies just happened to be the owner of the chateau. "We're having our Christmas Fayre this Saturday .." she said "You couldn't take some pictures, could you? .." I'm booked in for 11 am ..

It's as if it was meant to be ..

Ps: This isn't the garage I'll be going to, but a lovely quirky old building in the next village down from ours that seems to have been turned into some kind of impromptu museum. Très cute ..

    

Man of the land ..

There's an old photographic adage - and if there isn't there should be - that says you should always photograph what you're given so, yesterday, in the absence of a Wedding or a PR shoot, I shot what was in front of me, namely the stunning French countryside. The funny thing is that landscape photography has never really 'done it' for me before. I've looked at shots of hills and lakes and mountains and, I'm afraid, shrugged and said 'So what?' .. but yesterday something started to click. I was only out for an hour on my bike but photographs started to jump out at me all over the place. The setting sun, a returning flock of lapwings, autumn leaves dropping from the trees as new crops nudged their heads out from the delicious chocolate coloured soil .. it was incredible. And it was the exact opposite to the way I've always worked, with newspaper deadlines and hungry brides dictating the speed at which I've needed to work. More than that, I actually enjoyed myself and I'm really happy with the results. Expect more of the same, folks. I'm hooked ..

(Click on the shots to them 'em larger!)

Time to remember ..

Remembrance Day in France is marked with events on the actual day of November 11th, rather than the nearest Sunday to the date, so means that today I'll be at the little war memorial in our village to mark the Armistice, and I'm flattered to say that I've been asked to photograph the occasion by the lady who runs our local monthly magazine. It's the first 'commission' I've had since moving over permanently, and it feels great to get back 'hands on' again after a break of several weeks. It's also lovely to be accepted into the village so quickly and I can safely say that both Lesley and I feel really at home here, even though we've been here such a short time ..

I've photographed Remembrance Day for many, many years. This photograph was taken at the Cenotaph in Eccles in 1977. Imagine that! 40 years ago! Just think how many men from WW1 would love to be able to say that. As I remember the war dead I also remember my past, and realise once again how fleeting this life is. It's a shame it's wasted by fighting each other ..  

Seasons in the sun ..

I've visited France during the winter, and the Spring, and the summer .. and now the Autumn .. but I've never been here for a long enough period to actually notice the seasons changing. So it's lovely that I've already had enough time here to witness the slide from Summer to Autumn. When I arrived here in September it was gloriously sunny and hot and now, as I type this, it's minus 4 degrees outside! Winter is on its way and it won't belong before I get to 'enjoy' what the locals say will be at least minus 17 degrees ..

It's so lovely though! We know for a fact that our winters here won't be like the wet, drawn-out affairs we endured in England. Yesterday Lesley and I walked for almost two hours in glorious sunshine, through empty fields and quiet lanes, feeling the warmth of the sun on our faces. There is, in fact .. dare I say it .. a drought here, with people worried about potential water shortages soon. We put that to the back of our minds as we strolled through the countryside and, with Christmas in mind, I photographed the huge bunches of mistletoe - or gui, in French - covering the trees around us, and kissed my 'old life' goodbye ..

The pace of life ..

Nobody said that moving to France was going to be easy and man, I can't believe today's gruelling schedule. I'm going to be exhausted by tonight. We start off with the weekly coffee-morning at the community centre - a great way to get to know our new (and lovely) French neighbours; then it's time for a more structured linguistics session this afternoon - French and English speakers teaching each other new words; then I'm at a new Yoga session that's starting in the hall - thought it'd help me relax (ha ha) .. and then we're off to a Curry and Quiz night in the next town along from here ..

So, all that painting and plastering I need to do .. it can wait. Well, it's not as if we're in a rush, is it?

I live in France now ..

Almost four weeks into 'the rest of my life' and things are going really well! Wardrobes are built and filled, bikes have been bought - and ridden! - and I've been invited to have an exhibition in the local community hall. Just as importantly, the gîte has been occupied for all the time I've been here, and we've just taken our first Christmas booking, which we're really rather delighted about. I've changed the name of my website, too. You can now find me at photographyinfrance.fr .. which is a damned fine name, if you ask me!

My UK Wedding career still has a presence though, as I'm in the middle of designing three albums from Weddings I shot earlier this year. However, I am in the rather curious position of wondering whether I'll ever go back to any of those venues I worked at for all those years. Something tells me I won't. I live in France now ..

A land of milk .. and baguettes!

A vending machine .. for milk. And one for baguettes. Outside! On the street! Two minutes in the UK and these would have been smashed to bread and butter pudding. Just another reason to love France and, two weeks into living here 'all the time', that list just gets longer and longer ..

We've been unpacking solidly for those two weeks, too. God knows how we own so much stuff! And where is it all going to go? Still, every day is like Christmas as we tear into boxes and packages to find all this .. er, stuff .. but the end is in sight and we're almost straight in the house. Almost ..

Photographically it's early days but I have had another Wedding enquiry for France, been volunteered to offer a 'Pet Portrait' shoot as a prize for a local animal charity and been offered an exhibition at the local Salle de Fêtes - or community centre - so people are starting to know I'm here ..

.. which is a very nice feeling indeed!

And now for something completely different ..

I've started a new blog. It's just one of the many new things happening at the mo, like last night's New Moon, and yesterday being the first day of Autumn, and Lesley and I moving to start a new life in France ..

It's called MILF! Mo's In Loubillé, France. Why, what did you think it stood for? It'll be all about what's going on over here - be it with my photography, our gîte or .. well, anything else that grabs my fancy. I hope you find it worth reading, and perhaps I'll see you over on the new page ..

France!

We're here! We made it! We live in France! It's official ..

Oh man, it feels great but NOW I know why they say moving house is stressful. My heart didn't stop thumping all day Monday as two hyper-efficient removal men loaded our lives into shiny, big lorries. We just have to wait two weeks now to see it all again on this side of the Channel! I thought I might have been more emotional about moving on after 22 years in the same place but, watching the lads clear the rooms, I tweeted about the incredibly short time it took for a 'home' to become just a 'house'. As you can see though, my all-important Mac came with me in my car, and I type this on the floor of my new den amidst a lot of empty space and a few half-used pots of paint. And now? Well now, we get on with settling into our new home and our new country and you really couldn't make this up but on both days this week we received new bookings for the gîte, which bodes well for that new direction in our lives. What with that, my Gite & Wedding photography in France and my camera tuition, it really is all very exciting!..

A bientôt ..

 

Do you know what bugs me .. ?

It's funny to think that I probably won't shoot any more PR photography in the UK, but I'll tell you one aspect of that that I most certainly will not miss. I've been a freelance photographer since 1982, and there's one thing that's been a constant throughout all those years. Trying to get paid! A lot of companies are famous for holding on to their money. Pr companies are notorious, charities are as tight as it comes ('cos they think you should do the work for nothing!) and many other organisations will make you wait and wait before they pay your invoice. Appropriate then that, just three days before we move to France, I'm still trying to get paid for a job I did over three months ago. Back at the beginning of June The Imperial War Museum North booked me to shoot one of their 'Showcase' events, of which I've done a few. The marketing department had the photographs on their desk first thing next morning yet now, on the 15th of September, I'm still waiting to be paid. What hideous and discourteous treatment of the 'small business man'. How ignorant and rude and just plain .. well, excuse the French, twatty! I mean, how hard is it just to make one small payment like that as soon as one's photographs are received? I've chased and chased this invoice - this whole £200! - for over three months, and last night I had an email from the Museum's General Manager saying it would be paid today by BACS. Isn't there an echo there of 'It'll all be over by Christmas"? Watch this space! Come what may, I'll forever hold them in contempt and it pleases me no end to know that I won't have to deal with gits like these ever again ..

That's a wrap ..

Pleased to say I've been keeping the old shutter finger exercised in the midst of all this packing for France, having just had a lovely shoot with these two little belters, but now, aside from one last location job that's entirely dependent on the weather (ie: not looking likely!) that really is IT for my photographic diary. No more photography in the UK ..

And so my work here is done. It's the end. It's a wrap. Finished. Finito. Down tools. Time up. Call it a day. Some people are on the pitch; they think it's all over. It IS now ..

Oh, you get the idea .. 

Good things come ..

A certain lady in my life berates me for not throwing things away and I'll hold my hands up and admit that, as we're now both ploughing through all our belongings to decide what to leave and what to take to France, it makes for a time-consuming job on my part. Personally though, I think it's important that I still have my negatives from PR jobs that I shot in the 80s, and I think it's a cultural keystone that I kept a chocolate wrapper just because it's from a 'Marathon' and not a 'Snickers' bar.  However, even I was surprised when I dug out this little beauty from the loft yesterday .. a 1975 receipt from a camera shop in Eccles ..

At the weekend Lesley and I had a conversation about 'kids today' .. and how spoilt and expectant they generally are. (The fact that Christmas advertising is already beginning to creep in is what brought on that particular conversation. Grrr!) Things weren't like that in our day, we both concurred, and then .. Oohh! .. the appearance of this perfect example of  'the way I were brung up'! Now, if you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know I got into photography as a 13 year old and, back then, there used to be a camera shop in Eccles, where I grew up, whose shop window became the portal to my future. I'd stare through there at all the gorgeous cameras and lenses and drool and dream and fantasize. Then, one day, a beaut of a camera called a Halina Paulette Electric appeared in the 'Second-Hand' section of the window. It was 35mm .. a proper grown up camera and a big step up from the Kodak Instamatic 126 I'd been using but .. Ye Gods .. it was TWELVE bloody quid! Now twelve quid was a lot of money when you were a working class (Cue violins) 14 year old in 1975 but man, that camera was going to be mine, and the receipt tells the story of how I got it. The first thing to note is that the shop wouldn't let me have the camera until I'd actually paid for it, so I part-exchanged the 126 (Two quid) and set about paying off the rest of the tenner. It took me two months! From the 17th of February to the 19th of April - with payments of 50p or as much as two pounds - but I made that baby mine and she's gone down in history as my first ever 'real' camera. What a bloody gorgeous memory ..

I told you I was keen on photography! ..  

My French future ..

Time for a little selfie-shooting again, as I made my way back from France on the P + O ferry yesterday. It was a spot of creative relaxation after another mad, hectic four day flit over to the gîte. The day of our departure from England grows nearer and the trip was an opportunity to put another few things right before our arrival. Funnily enough I'm in France again next week, but this time - for the first time - to give my One-Day Photography workshop to a couple of camera-mad Brits who are staying with us. I now have no more work on the diary in the UK. From now on all my efforts will be concentrated on France. I've seen the future, as they say.
The future is in France ..

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