Someone called me about three four months ago, and asked me how much I wanted for the pix of Jack McConnell reading the Beano. I quoted him a three figure sum - fairly reasonable I thought and he said he would call back... Guess I can stop holding my breath. So how does one get a photo of Jack McConnell, The First Minister or whatever is the odd name for the Scottish Prime Minister holding the Beano? Well this was one of the earliest photos I ever took for the Stirling News, back in 1987 or 1988 and that was when Jack was just Chair or vice chair of Leisure and Recreation so he had to be in all the photies. I think Eddie was the Chair at that time or it might have been John Hendry. Basically if you were an office bearer in L&R at Stirling District Council in those days you would be in at least five press releases per week minimum. So Jack was there with the big L&R Playbus and I managed to prize a Beano off one of the kids - no actually I took my own copy of the Beano just to b
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The First Minister reading the Beano. That little kid at the back was n't really grumpy honest. I could name him if only I had access to the old database. I told him to look like that. And Jack probably hasn't ever read the Beano. Well not the editorial section. I remember he mentioned the pix after it appeared in the paper and told me someone had suggested it was a bad idea. I'm not sure if it was one of the press officers - sorry can't name them or Mike Donnelly but you know, my suspect was closer to home. Anyway I told him that it was an excellent picture, that I had already made a 20 by 16 for my book! I had too.
Whee! Having identified exactly where the camera was on this ride at Euro Park, all we needed was bit of Austin Powers co-ordination. I am completely buttoned up (the back even!) because earlier, both me and Myriam were almost drowned in the Nordic Rafts. So not taking any chances this time. f8 at 60th of a second is my guess. Sort of wraparound lighting too. What do you expect for 6 Euros? Bailey?
Mop Week and Mob Week: The subtle difference. Well the our marvellous friendly neighbours (OMFN's) are oficially known as the Stolochnayas although I can't guarantee that the spelling of that famous international brand of vodka is correct. When it snowed heavily in February, they helpfully pointed out that our version of Mop Week (seriously, Kehr Woche, how can that be the description of an activity?) was NOT what they would call Mop Week. Actually only one of them said this and the other one stood as stiff and as quiet as someone would if they listened to this sort of crap day in, day out for more than forty years. Still being Anglo-Bavarian we are maintaining the farming version of the stiff upper lip (that's a potato in each cheek, I guess.) and paying no attention to them at all - well that's not completely accurate because one of them lost a pair of tights the other day, ( I'll leave it to your imagination to decide which one!) - they must have fallen from wh