So, Twenty-Ten is in sight...

...and here's my end of year image!

I shot it on holiday one time, and had intended to use it as a symbol of how tough 2009 has been...I lost my Dad in May, and work's not been as busy as it could be (to say the least)....so it's been quite an uphill struggle.

But, as I've looked at the picture, it's started to feel more a sign of GOOD TIMES ahead.
The land of plenty stretches before us..let's go get it!
(Either that or it just means pomegranates are gonna be massive next year!)

:) HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!

Pop the champers...!

Yes, it's time to celebrate!

New Year?
Naaah....my short-listing, with this photograph, in the Editorial Section of the Professional Photographer of the Year awards. The judges said.."The quality was high, with a strong sense of storytelling evident in the judges' final selections"...Woo hoo...Happy New Year!

Me cat's bin playin wit' string....

You couldn't make it up ...Click and listen!!!

No rest for the wicked..:)

Stale mince pies and TV repeats?
Not for me...I've wrapped up my 2009 Wedding season with a lovely winter wedding snuck in between Christmas & New Year.
Slippy, chilly Wedding in Hale then into Manchester for a swanky 'do' at Albert's Shed, Duke's '92 in Castlefield.
Just love this shot...James and his new wives..!!

Phew...survived!

Can't hang about, though!

Gotta book my Valentine's meal and get some Easter eggs in...
What, you mean your shops aren't plugging these things...?

Makes ya sick, doesn't it !

Ho Ho Ho.....!

Tut tut...

Hmmmm.....Down boy!!

Flippin' 'eck!

I always joke that just before Christmas there's always one bride that asks for prints from her wedding to give as Christmas gifts. I've just topped all my records!
A young lady whose wedding I shot in June 2006 has just emailed (It's 11pm on December 22nd) to ask for a Canvas print to give to her In-laws for Christmas!!! (We've had a laugh about it..she says she's always on the last minute..but !!......)

Ho ho ho....

Actually, Bah, Humbug!

Not gonna do a 'Bah, Humbug' on you here....but just watching/listening to all the traffic reports of snow-affected trains/planes/airports/roads/drive-in McDonald's (Made that bit up)...it does make you wonder WHY DO WE ALL HAVE TO BE IN THE ONE PLACE AT THE SAME TIME ???

I'm going to design a seven week long Christmas...dip in as you feel..no pressure on transport...no queues at the shops...no rush, rush..effin' rush!

The one thing I hate about Christmas? Boxing Day! When people ask "DID you have a nice Christmas?"...Finished ? After all that ???

Actually, forget it...Bah, Humbug !!!

Oooh, a nippy one!

Now THAT was a white wedding!
Snow, snow, snow for Jo & Simon, but the brave pair (and their guests) were good enough to stand out in the zero degree weather while I got my shots....or maybe it was the mulled wine!

Humbug and Happiness!

First, I need to get a couple of bugbears off my chest during this time of thinking of others....
Parking on Pavements and Feet on Seats.
Tut tut, you selfish people! Remind me to publish some pictures of drivers on their mobiles.
Ah, I feel better now!

On a less 'Grumpy Old Men' level, out for the second 'Boozy Do" and I must say 'Well Done' to Manchester City Council for their Christmas Market. Best of three around the country that I went to this year. Mucho Gluwein, a great atmosphere and the added bonus of snow when we all went the other day!

Love it!

Just emailed a..well, let's say a big London photography gallery (As that's what they are)...about the stocking of my new book Don't Miss That..and the e-mail came back as:-

Subject: [Junk released by Allow List] My Book
Junk released ..love it!
Ps..The shot is from that book..... Don't Miss That

Satisfaction....

31 years down the road of this photography mullarkey and I still get a kick out of seeing my work in print. Here's the result of the Hooky shoot back in October, used recently in the Reading Mail.
My faves from the shoot are on my web-site...

As we near the shortest day...

....I just had to show you these shots.
Planet Neptune and Triton, one of her moons.... like a mother and child..lit by the sun at a distance of 2,795,084,800 miles....and a drip from my tap this morning..lit by the same sun!
Isn't that awe-inspiring? Far out...literally !

Where's Cliff?

Mistletoe and mulled wine but thankfully no sign of Cliff Richard at this week's winter wedding at Willington Hall.
Fantastic Christmas atmosphere and time for a spot of off-the-camera flash as my lovely couple braved the chill of a gorgeous December sunset.

Gets right up my nose...

Out last night for the first of the Christmas 'Boozy Do's'..and hoarse from shouting this morning thanks to the ever-rising levels of noise in the pubs. Why do they put the music up sooooooo loud??

Yes, Dukes '92 I'm talking about you !!
Bah, humbug!

Forgot to say....

..I stopped on the way home for lunch in Haltwhistle, Northumberland...and found myself here!
Now there's a bonus!
Flamboyantly marked with a launderette, by the way !!

GeordieLand

Just back from a couple of days being a culture-vulture in Newcastle...Martin Parr at The Baltic, The Northern Sinfonia at The Sage, Gateshead, The Angel of the North, Hadrian's Wall and the Roman Fort of Vindolanda. ( Sadly translated as White Land, and not Curry Kingdom, as I could have murdered a Masala!)

Parr's collections are fun and interesting, The Sinfonia's version of Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis had me crying (in a good way!)..and the Angel is amazing!! Had it all to myself on a chilly December morning, then this young lady turned up and suddenly I had my scale!

Didn't see Cheryl Cole, though !

Ah, fame...

Now I know this is going to make you dizzy, but Mark Page, a friend of mine who writes/runs a really good photogblog...(Oooh I just made up a new word !)..has posted a blog about my blog on his blog, so I'm going to post a blog on my blog about his blog...

Still with it?

Good, 'cos now I've got to tell you this. I'm flattered to have just been in touch with a writer in New Zealand who I've "discovered"...(ie: found his book in a charity shop then got hooked)..and he's emailed me to thank me for writing to him so I'm gonna blog him too to thank him for looking at my blog....Read Joe Bennett immediately!

I'm bloody Blog-eyed now!

See..there's always another viewpoint...

My sister called to say an old schoolfriend had died. I told this to a friend of mine. "Gosh", he said" I didn't know you had a sister!"........