Category Archives: Shadow on Tour

All about my trips

Shad continues his trip to London

Posted on by

As John and I headed into the City of London after our emotional encounter with the Tower of London poppies, we stopped for some comfort food to warm our cockles.  This culinary delight came in the form of hot-dog and chips from a van that claimed it was selling traditional London food!  Mmm.  I believe that sausages were originally imported from Germany and became popular at baseball games in America, and the relish didn’t feel very British to me.  Nevertheless, it was tasty.  Why it’s called a hot-dog I’ll never know.  I’ve come across a few dogs in my time as regular readers will know and not one of them had any bits that looked like a sausage in a bun.  My own theory is that people used to cook meaty sausages that were stolen by the dog when they were still hot from the oven and hot-dogs were born.  Of course a cat would wait until the sausage had been cut into bite-size chunks and garnished lavishly before running away with a decent helping.

 

London Basin

Anyway, I digress.  After finishing my traditional London dinner and grabbing a quick catnap, John and I picked up the pace so that we could see as much of the City as possible.  We walked briskly past the Royal Exchange, originally built in the 16th century as a centre of commerce, it has twice been destroyed by fire and rebuilt and is currently a plush courtyard with offices, luxury boutiques and restaurants. Another unique building you will see in the photos is the Bank of England which is authorised to issue banknotes in the UK and is the custodian to the official gold reserves.  Apparently the vault beneath the City of London needs keys that are 3 feet long to open and holds around 4600 tonnes of gold.

 

Bank of England
City of London Memorial
The statue of Queen Anne at St Paul’s
Duke Of Wellington
London Exchange

Check out these fabulously dressed ‘Beefeaters’ as they’re affectionately known.  The detachment of the ‘Yeomen of the Guard’ is symbolic of London and has formed the Royal Bodyguard for many centuries.  In case you’re wondering, they apparently derived their nickname from their position in the Royal Bodyguard in the 15th century when they were permitted to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king’s table.  No hot-dogs though!

 

RNLI – Tower Hill
Beefeaters

My tough little paws were starting the feel the strain as we sauntered along the Victoria embankment at the boundary of the City of London but a good photographer learns to power through.  From the Waterloo Bridge we took photos of the London Eye, Westminster Tower and the Houses of Parliament. Boy that Big Ben looked huge from the street below and the Gothic architecture was impressive and imposing.  According to the locals, Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster which was cast in April 1858, making him around 156 years old.  He is 96m (or 315 feet) up in the air and the clock weighs about 13 ½ tons, about the same as a small elephant.

 

Westminster Palace
London Eye

We headed to Trafalgar Square which was thriving with tourists and smart office workers going about their business.  Here we saw Nelson’s Column and the National Gallery and ended our whistle-stop tour of London on a poignant note in front of the bronze soldier.  The 7.5m high soldier sculpture commemorates the WW1 centenary and is based on the Unknown Soldier.

Shad does the poppies at the Tower of London

Posted on by

Picture this – a sleek black portly cat setting out for London from deepest Bognor Regis with nothing but a polka-dot bag on a stick and a dream. Rumour had it that the streets were paved with gold and this cat from humble beginnings was off to seek his fortune.  When he reached the bustling city he couldn’t believe his eyes, there were horses and cars, great tall buildings and hundreds of people, but nowhere could he see any gold.  This lucky cat with a vivid imagination was indeed on an adventure but didn’t have to worry about being tired or hungry because he was taking a trip with his ‘dad’ and business partner (John) to England’s capital, not to seek treasure but to pursue the passion in his life – photography.

A sea of red

A sea of red

John and I decided to take the train up to Londinium to see the beautiful Tower of London ceramic poppies before they are dismantled later in the month.  Each of the 888,246 poppies represents a tribute to British or Commonwealth service men and women who have been killed in action.  Around 4 million people are expected to have visited so far but it will be dismantled shortly to go on tour across the UK, being displayed around the country and then permanently in the Imperial War Museum.  Some of the poppies will be sold for £25 each and the net proceeds will be shared between the six service charities including Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.

 

The sea of red poppies is a moving piece of art that reflects the scale of the sacrifice made by the service personnel who have died in the line of duty and the humans that had gathered to look at it were full of admiration for the artist who created them and the meaning behind them.  And that wasn’t the only picturesque scene I witnessed on my jaunt to the Big Smoke.  The view of the city from the bank of the Thames was stirring – the bold structures that silhouetted the grey stormy skyline, the brightly coloured clothing of crowds wandering along the embankment, working barges and busy pleasure-boats bobbing noisily on the churning murky waters of the fast moving river.

 

The  naval vessel in the picture is HMS Severn, a Royal Navy river class patrol ship paying a visit to London for a few days so the crew can attend the Remembrance Service at St Paul’s Church on Armistice Day and help raise money for the London Poppy Appeal.  HMS Severn is moored alongside HMS Belfast, part of the Imperial War Museum’s exhibits that tells the stories of life on board this warship during the Second World War.  Look carefully at the photos and you’ll also spot St Paul’s, the Shard and the Monument – a tall stone column topped with a flaming urn covered in gold that stands as a memorial to the Great Fire of London in 1666.  I hope you enjoy the pics and I’ll tell you more about my London adventure next time.

The City

Shad does a basket-ball shoot

Posted on by

John and I have been looking for a way to build our portfolio and enhance our capabilities so we decided to enroll in Sports Photography School.  I dug out my old satchel from the bottom of the wardrobe and insisted that John find my pencil case as I was very keen to make a good impression.  But it turns out that photography school isn’t based in a classroom, but is actually an event shooting experience that takes you to all sorts of interesting settings.  Like the Copper Box Arena (a multi-sport venue in the Olympic Park in London used for the 2012 Summer Olympics) which was the location for a championship British Basketball League game between the London Lions and the Bristol Flyers last Friday.

 

Apparently the Flyers are a force to be reckoned with and unbeaten in their last few games.  However the Lions triumphed that night due to their mastery of offensive and defensive techniques.  Oh yes, I learned more than just how to improve my photography.  I discovered that basketball players pass and shoot, but more worrying they also foul, block and dribble.  Most of these guys were over 6 feet tall with huge strides and an extraordinary ability to navigate through the crowded areas of the court.  As you can see from the pictures, they were also adept at leaping vertically into the air, an essential skill required to perform a classic slam-dunk.

 

It was a great opportunity for John and I to develop our camera skills and I learnt loads about the importance of backgrounds and the challenges of timing key moments.  Some of the fun moments of the evening involved these pretty ladies collectively known as the Lioness’s as they danced their support for the team, always smiling and so cheery.  But there is also a role for the more sporty ladies out there and the game is played professionally by women in England.  The Women’s English Basketball League is a professional competition that has thirty national league sides and includes teams such as the Rhondda Rebels and the Sheffield Hatters.  I just love the names of basketball teams, like the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Denver Nuggets.  I discovered that there appears to be great reverence directed towards the feline species demonstrated through the names of teams such as the Charlotte Bobcats, the Detroit Tigers, the San Jose Sabercats, the Florida Panthers and closer to home, the Nottingham Wildcats.  I approve!

Shad does the British Wildlife Centre

Posted on by

Not many animals can grow themselves a pair of earmuffs every winter to keep their ears warm.  But the attractive ear tufts of the red squirrel are only required during the winter months and are molted in time for summer, ready to sprout again the following year.  I have tufty bits on my ears but they don’t shed and spread according to the season.  Still, I’m not jealous!  Anyway, if I want warm ears, John puts a woolly beanie on my head, which never goes down well because it messes up my coiffure!  The super-friendly red squirrels roam free in the walk-through enclosure and there were also some young ones called kittens can you believe.  I watched them hurtle across the trees and climb up John’s leg and one of them sat on his backpack and nibbled a toggle in case it was a nut.  They didn’t have to wait long for food when the keeper came with a bag of sunflower seeds, pine-nuts, apples and carrots.  It’s a myth that red squirrels eat acorns because in fact the acorn is difficult for the squirrel to digest.  Sadly they are very few in numbers thanks to the introduction of the grey squirrel from North America.  Not the poor old grey squirrel’s fault of course, but they carry a virus that is lethal to reds and have a tendency to gobble up the food before it matures enough for the reds to eat.

 

The British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield (Surrey) was the location of my tour of Britain’s nature and it was a fabulous opportunity to see a great collection of species native to the country including buzzards, eagle owls, adders, badgers, Muntjac deer and the endangered water vole.  The dinky little stoats and weasels were only around 7-10cm long and as cute as buttons but apparently they are voracious little carnivores and you wouldn’t want to stick your paw out to one of them.  Stoats, weasels, polecats, mink and pine martens are members of the ‘mustelid’ family and have all faced persecution by being hunted for their fur.  But they are feisty little critters and a few escapees are starting to re-populate numbers in the wild.  Unlike the meek and mild hedgehog who are becoming increasingly rare in the UK’s gardens and hedgerows.  I was lucky enough to watch Turbo, a zippy little spikey thing with the tiniest of noses scuttle around in the grass with her keeper, showing us all how delightful hedgehogs are.  John and I were so moved by their plight for survival that we are now making a few adaptations to the garden to make it a hedgehog friendly place.

 

As John and I continued our strolls around this wonderfully natural place, I stopped suddenly, sensing the close proximity of a family relative.  I expected to see fearsome felines as I stalked my way to the Scottish wildcat enclosures, creeping slowly round the corner on my haunches, keeping my head low to the ground as my eyes darted left to right.  But instead of terrifying, the 3 quiet striped tabby cats with bushy ringed tails in front of me were really quite pretty and surprisingly small.  My posture changed to that of a confident moggy with a swagger in his step and a flick in his sleek black tail.  But my cockiness was soon replaced by a healthy respect when I found out that although they have pink noses and white whiskers and are the same size as me, their species dates back to pre-history and they are completely untamable.  Domestic cats like me are descended from the African wildcat and have developed a certain understanding with our human companions, but the Scottish wildcat is truly wild and walked this land for millions of years before mankind arrived or domestic cats even existed.  Even sadder then to find out that they are on the brink of extinction thanks to hunting and habitat destruction.  Once found across the British mainland, they are now confined to the Scottish Highlands and number as a few as 300.  The cats at the Centre represent pure stock and have been identified as suitable for a captive breeding programme aimed at reintroduction to the wild.  In the meantime, they are being well cared for at the Centre and I noticed that all the animals lived in paddocks and pens that reflect their natural habitats, the drinking water in every enclosure was clean, and it was clear that the focus of the Centre was the animals.  So good luck my little furry friends and I hope you prosper!

Shad does a Stag-do!

Posted on by

The stag in question was not an intoxicated man celebrating his upcoming wedding; it was in fact a beautiful Red Deer with magnificent branched antlers, an auburn coat and an alluring cream coloured patch on his rump!  He was strutting his stuff amongst the vibrant greens and rich autumn browns of Bushy Park, home to both Red and Fallow Deer that roam freely across the grounds.  Red Deer are the largest of the UK’s resident deer species and can weigh 90 to 140 kg (up to 22 stone) depending on the food available.  This young man was about a metre high (almost 4 feet) and seemed to enjoy sweeping his antlers across the reeds and bushes by the river.  He ended up wearing a crown of twigs with pride.

 

The 320 deer currently residing at Bushy Park contribute to the diversity of plant and insect life by grazing which, unlike cutting, creates variation in the structure of plant life and does not damage the anthills, thereby adding character to the grassland.  This chap certainly added character to his environment, with his funny hat and funny noises.  He emitted a kind of bellow, like a loud creaking door or a grizzly human baby having a squeaky grumble.  May be he was getting ready to attract the ladies as part of ‘rutting’ behaviour during breeding season.  Apparently the stags invest much time and effort competing with other males for the females by having roaring contests and walking in parallel, bobbing their heads up and down and barking.  Unfortunately, all this puffing of chests and clashing of antlers can sometimes lead to conflict, causing injuries or even death.  It seems like an awful lot of effort just for a date.  They should take a leaf out of my book and try swinging swagger and a cheeky grin!

 

Anyway, when deer are in rutting season (September to November) or when they are caring for their young (May to July) they can feel a bit vulnerable and defensive, so John and I hid behind a tree some distance away, ninja-style.  The advice is to stay at least 50 metres away and not to touch, feed or photograph them at close range in case they become aggressive.  They are wild animals after all.  Here’s a little bit of info you might find useful at the next pub quiz.  Only the males grow antlers which are made of solid bone and are shed and regrown annually, becoming progressively more branched as the stag gets older.  Re-growing their antlers is a demanding business that requires a lot of energy and nutrition to complete, but a fresh undamaged set each year gives them an advantage, and quite frankly looks darn good!

Shad shoots a charity gig

Posted on by

As you know, John and I have a strong affinity for nature and we support animal welfare charities in as many ways as we can, but this time it was the animal supporting a human cause in my role as official photographer for the Saga Louts.  Please note that although I have just referred to myself as an animal, it’s on the understanding that I meant it in the most sophisticated sense!  Regular readers will be familiar with the Saga Louts, a motley crew of middle-aged crooners who love music and happily give their time to worthy causes like the Ocean Youth Trust South (OYTS).

 

The OYTS works in partnership with other organisations like youth clubs, schools and social work teams to identify young people, many of whom will be disadvantaged or vulnerable in some way, and offer them a unique opportunity for personal growth.  It involves being part of a crew that sails a 72-foot long yacht across the seas for a few days and extends a long-term programme of work to participants, ensuring lessons are learned and achievements are celebrated.  The youngsters (aged between 12 and 25 years) include children who have been bullied or bereaved, young carers, victims of crime, those with family situations affected by substance abuse, or those who simply wish to broaden their experience and face new challenges.

 

I’m no expert but I have eyes and I see a desperate need in many young people these days to learn essential life skills such as cooking, confidence, coping with unfamiliar situations, learning to communicate with others and dealing with conflict so that they can lead a more healthy and constructive existence.  I can only imagine the joy and the trials faced by the staff and volunteers who organise and facilitate these adventures so hat’s off to them for making a difference to all those children’s lives.

 

 

The venue was the Fareham Sailing and Motorboat Club at the back of Portsmouth Harbour looking out on to the Solent.  The Club’s history dates back to the 1800’s when ladies and gentlemen took to the water in leisure sailing craft and rowing boats.  These days the clubhouse has space for cruising yachts and motor boats, and room in the workshop for a band and a bunch of enthusiastic ladies doing their version of a handbag-shuffle!  It was great to see these lovely ladies shimmy the night away while the Creekers played folk music and shanty songs in their top-hats and waist-coats.  They were followed by the Saga Louts playing their crazy mix of punk, rock and 80’s dance.  The gig was held as part of an Ocean Youth Trust South campaign to raise funds to buy a new boat so they can continue the remarkable and life-changing work they do.  Sounds like a great excuse to get stuck into the BBQ.  Get your wallet out John, I’m buying burgers to raise money for a good cause.  Well the photographer needs to keep his strength up you know!

Shad does the West Midland Safari Park

Posted on by

Nothing melts the heart like a baby elephant as you can see from these lovely pics of Sutton, the first baby elephant to be born at West Midland Safari Park in its 41 year history.  At birth, African elephants can weigh 100 kgs and stand at 3 feet tall, growing anything up to 12,000 kg (14,000 lbs) and 13 feet tall at full maturity, making them the largest land animals on earth.  As John and I watched this little lad playing and bonding with his mum and auntie, I felt a huge sense of sadness at the fate of many of his cousins roaming the wilds of Africa.  Nevertheless, it was a privilege to see him flap his ears and practice using his trunk to grab branches and swing it in the breeze.  According to National Geographic, the trunk alone contains around 100,000 muscles and is used for lots of fun activities like smelling, drinking and trumpeting.  Sutton was very cute and put  smile on my furry face (metaphorically speaking of course) as I watched him gaze lovingly at his mum, copying her movements and sheltering under her tummy every time he felt shy.

 

 

The safari trail is a 4 mile drive that takes you through a range of habitats within the park which is situated in deepest Worcestershire.  The African Plains is home to a herd of white rhino’s who meander freely around their enclosure, munching on grass and hanging out with the zebras and giraffes that also live there.  The giraffes were so tall that I couldn’t see their faces without cocking my head sideways and lifting it up to a 90° tilt, but I had the chance to look them in the eye as they bent their 6 foot necks down to eat the food being handed to them by people in the cars.

 

 

The Wild Woods enclosure provides board and lodgings to an Asiatic wild dog called a dhole. These rusty red-coloured creatures are highly social animals and live in close-knit packs.  I admired their russet coats but was quite pleased that they were far enough away not to see me.  Being a pussy cat I could tell their canine instincts would have been strong enough to pick up my scent and I’m sure they can run pretty fast.  Although probably not as fast as the cheetah, the world’s fast land mammal capable of speeds of up to 70 miles an hour.

 

 

One of the most fascinating animals we saw was the Indian rhinoceros (also known as the greater one-horned rhino) with its segmented hide that looks armour-plated.  They made me chuckle because from behind they look like they’re wearing a skirt, hence the photos of rhino bottoms.  See if you can tell which one is the Indian and which is the white rhino.  Their prominent horns are unfortunately their downfall and many animals have been killed for this hard, hair-like growth which is used in traditional Asian medicines even though there is no evidence that it cures any ailments.  In this civilised and high-tech world, I find it barbaric and backward that some humans choose to hunt a species to the brink of extinction just to make money.  Despite protection and an international trade ban in rhino horn, it is still traded extensively throughout Asia.

 

 

Thankfully I cheered up when I caught sight of a fine feline specimen, the Sumatran tiger.  The Sumatran tiger is only found in the wild on the island of Sumatra in Indonisia and is another critically endanged sub-species of tiger.  It’s the only surviving member of the Sunda Islands group of tigers that included the now extinct Bali tiger and Javan tiger.  That’s why keeping these animals in captivity is essential so that they can one day become the breeding stock and gene-pool for future generations who will hopefully be returned to the wild as part of carefully planned reintroduction projects aimed at re-establishing a species in an area which was once part of its historical range and where it has become extinct.  I spotted some more big-cat cousins in the Realm of the Lions enclosure, an impressive landscape designed to imitate the savannah grassland.  It contains boulders, plants and a sculpted lion head rockwork from which a waterfall cascades into a pool below.  Check out the magnificent African lion sitting on top of the sculpture surveying her realm.

 

 

John and I had a good time at the West Midland Safari Park but we definitely chose the wrong day to go.  It was a Bank Holiday and the huge volume of cars on the safari made it difficult to get a good view of the animals.  There is a zoo section at the site but it’s really a theme park full of rides aimed at children more than adults.  However it was worth the stroll around the amusement park to see this amazing posse of hippos.  Normally having a reputation for doing not much during the day and coming to life at night, these hippos were busy waddling from one pool to the next, splashing each other, seeing who could submerge under the water the longest and showing off their teeth.  Their big shiny bodies seemed slow on the grassy bank of their lake but appeared graceful in the water where they all stood in a circle like they were having a good old gossip.

 

 

 

Shad does Dudley Zoo

Posted on by

The West Midlands was our destination, Dudley Zoo the organisation, 2 or 3 hours was the travel duration to visit Daseep the Sumatran tiger was our expectation.  She is a special feline relation because of her work in conservation; hopefully she’ll exert a lot of persuasion to ensure the future of her generation.

 

Don’t know what came over me just then, I went all Oscar Wilde!  Alright, I know, my poetry is more comparable to Pam Ayres than a great literary artist like Oscar Wilde.  Although I’m not disrespecting the lovely Pam, she is a talented and entertaining lady.  Anyway, I digress!  Daseep was chosen this year as the face of an international conservation campaign that supported Global Tiger Day held on 29th July to raise awareness of the shocking reality of the world’s tiger populations.  According to a Dudley Zoo spokesperson, there are now just 3,500 tigers left in the wild, of which there are fewer than 140 surviving Sumatrans.  Three year old Daseep and two year old male Joao are paired as part of an international project to safeguard one of the world’s most critically endangered species.  Check out the whiskers on these beautiful animals, and the facial markings so bold and striking.  I’m not jealous!

 

Dudley Zoo (in the Black Country region of the West Midlands) looks as though it is built on platforms in a circular pattern that surrounds Dudley Castle on top of a hill.  It has over 1,000 animals representing over 200 different species like these Chilean flamingos that seem to enjoy standing on one leg and the otters and sea lions that started yawning every time I got my camera out.  Some of the animals were struggling to keep cool in the recent hot weather so the zoo splashed out on cold showers for the Asiatic black bear and cooling fans for the meerkats.  The monkeys and apes were treated to fruit-filled lollies and staff have been applying suncream to the sensitive skins of creatures who are normally hidden from direct sun by the South American jungle.

 

One of the big attractions at the zoo right now is a trio of special new arrivals born to four year old mum Daisy the lynx (Carpathian lynx to be precise).  They are the first of their species to be born at Dudley and have recently started to explore their outdoor enclosure.  Born in May this year, the cubs appear to be developing nicely and Daisy is doing a grand job as a first-time mum alongside three year old dad Dave.  Then there’s the orangutans who are partial to a drink of squash and had a unique way of drilling straight through me with their eyes, like they knew what I was thinking.  This cheeky orangutan was called Jarong and had the biggest cheek chops I have ever seen!  I saw the giraffes whose pace of life is slow to very slow and they were so relaxed that they let the keeper rub their tummies.

 

The highlight for me had to be meeting the snow leopard cub Makalu who was born on 17th April.  He is making excellent progress, bonding with his mum, gaining weight and chasing anything that moves.  He was named after one of the world’s highest mountain ranges within the Himalayan region bordering Nepal and China were his species apparently originates.  What a privilege to witness these exotic and rare wild animals share their experiences of family life with us.  Roar!!!

Shad does the Cat Protection annual summer fête

Posted on by

I just love days like this, waking up to the sound of birds singing and the early morning sun warming the air, I felt an optimism that you feel when spring is just around the corner.  Overcome with an urge to share the moment with my John, I hopped on to the bed and stood on his chest as he lay there pretending to be asleep.  I started kneading the duvet and purring which is usually an effective way of getting the old fella to stir.  Failing that, a good chomp on a big toe does the trick!  Today we had plans that I was looking forward to – a hearty breakfast followed by a jaunt to Clapham Village Hall to show our support for the Cat Protection summer fête.

 

Reception
One of the three pen corridors

I had that Sunday morning feeling and was taken by the desire to appreciate the wondrous complexity of my environment.   Like the beauty of the flock of Canadian geese that flew overhead just as John was putting me in the car, the scent of the honey-suckle bush that grows underneath the lounge window, the simplicity of the life of the bumble-bee that buzzed happily across it’s flowers and the comfort of the motor vehicle that allowed us to travel several miles in a short space of time.  As I enjoyed my philosophical ponderings, I looked up at the sky and hoped that the dark clouds would clear in the time for the afternoon.

 

Bandit

By the time John and I reached the Linga Longa Café in Findon, the rain was bucketing down and we both got wet just dashing from the car to the door.  They wouldn’t let me sit at the table due to health and safety regulations (although really I think it was because there were other customers there) so I had to eat from a plate on the floor which I’m not used to.  Nevertheless, I had a delicious cooked breakfast (which consisted of a fried egg, a rasher of bacon and some baked beans) which filled my tummy up a treat.

 

Millie

As we arrived at Clapham Village Hall for the fête, there were no marquees in sight, only the vibrant green grass of the rain-soaked fields that framed the venue.   Apparently the volunteers had tried to put the tents up but the strong winds had defeated them so all the action was to be held inside.  John carried me in (as I don’t like getting my paws wet) and I was greeted by lots of smiles and friendly caresses from many of the volunteers who know me and/or John from previous events as well as our photos.  I was in my element, surrounded by cats, cat people, cat pictures, cat paraphernalia and all things cat!  There was a lovely assortment of cats looking for new homes, like Widget (a cheeky 6 month old who charmed everyone with his playfulness) and Posh (an attractive black girl who had her eye on me).

 

Incidentally, do you remember Teddy and Tinks, the kittens I told you about a few weeks ago who came into care in a poor condition?  Well you’ll be pleased to hear that they have found a great new family to look after them.  And so has Jasmine, the shy black and white lady I befriended at my mate Ginger’s house.  Since Jasmine moved on, two brothers called Harry and Bertie (the fluffy ginger and black cats pictured here) took up residence in the pen but were soon re-homed to a nice family, which left a space for a lovely cat called Milly who I am hoping to meet next weekend.  You’ll also be pleased to hear that a few hundred pounds were raised at the fête which will go towards caring for the cats and cheeky Widget found a new home that day too.  The money was raised through generous donations, sales of cakes and drinks and cat related bric-a-brac.  But it wouldn’t surprise me if a large portion of the money came from John and a fosterer called Penny who went mad on the tombola, buying tickets galore.  Penny ended up with a bag full of goodies she could hardly carry and John won 3 cuddly toys, 2 bottles of beer, 2 bottles of wine, 1 bottle of coffee liqueur, a cat calendar and a bottle of mouthwash.  I guess we all know what to expect for our birthday presents this year!!

Bertie
Harry

Shad does the Silverstone Circuit

Posted on by

On Friday night, John and I sat together in front of the computer to work on some photographs, exchanging ideas about lighting and composition and clicking furiously away on the mouse.  Then the familiar ping of an email coming in on John’s phone brought an invitation to Silverstone race track, home to some of the greatest events in British motor racing such as the 2014 British Touring Cars Championship and next year’s British Grand Prix.

 

Silverstone started life as a wartime airfield until the end of the Second World War when an ex-farmer was employed by the RAC to transform the airfield and farmland into a race track.  On 2nd October 1948, 100,000 people flocked to see Luigi Villoresi in his Maserati beat 22 other drivers and mark the beginning of Silverstone’s racing history.  The circuit puts two and four wheels through their paces as drivers battle it out for the thrill of the chase and the entertainment of the crowd.

 

The drive up to the Buckinghamshire / Northamptonshire border took about 2 hours and I stayed in my basket in the car for safety reasons.  It’s so comfy in there with my blanket that I dozed off and it was a good job too because John’s friend (who had the tickets) got caught in traffic on the M1 following a dreadful pile-up.  Unfortunately he was delayed by 2 hours but when he arrived, I woke up to the roar of the engines and the purring of the crowd.  I felt a buzz in the atmosphere as the vibrations from the sounds all around me spread through my muttonchops.  We were lucky enough to have a seat in the British Racing Drivers’ Club stand, surrounded by people who have achieved success in the sport or made a significant contribution to it.  John spotted several celebrated individuals and got a close-up of Stirling Moss (not that I’m one to name-drop).


Unfortunately there was bad news on the day we were there (Sunday 27th July).  A driver named Denis Welch from Staffordshire crashed in a 1960 Lotus 18 and sadly lost his life aged 69.  Our condolences to family and friends, it’s a tragedy when an accident happens, especially when it ends in a fatality.

On a brighter note though, the blazing sunshine, the slick racing tyres and good-looking smiley people parading around near the track kept the crowds happy and the tarmac hot. There were a great many Grand Prix cars on display as you can see from the pictures, including several pre-WW2 machines, a collection of Maseratis, some rarely seen motorcycles from the 1950s, examples of American automobiles such as the Ford Mustang, as well as Lotuses and Williams from the modern era.