THE END OF SUMMER (28/08/11)

Yesterday Tan Hill was invaded by the Irish…………all we needed on a busy Bank Holiday……….Everything I needed, they saved the day. Tan hill is heaving. A slight problem with the stage lighting meant the bands were lit from behind and in front but no light on the band. My skill with a camera is limited but I’d defy David Bailey to get a shot in that light.

    If the Irish are a little strange there are plenty of English out of their trees……………

  And many, many more…………..These were shot at dusk so monster ISO but it is an image of Britain's highest pub doing what pubs should………….it’s like a Tardis it absorbs folk…………..Italians. Lithuanians, Afro Caribbean  and for all I know Gaddafi. He’d be welcome……..we like nutters here. So long as they are harmless loonies.

Six thousand four hundred ISO……..took me ten minutes to find ISO in the thousands on the camera. Also as official photographer I did expect a chair to stand on or at least a beer crate……….Official photographers are expected  to bring their own………….busy it is, standing room only. This is a support band twenty shots messing about with spot metering and locking it. This was the best I got.

A monster flash unit and an assistant to work it is what is required………..Or a decent camera man and I’ll hold the flash. A waste of time my continuing but one lives and learns.

Step back half an hour. Back to sanity.

The road is thronged……………. there are people. It’s pouring with rain, cold but we are waiting for a charity ride from the highest pub in Ireland to the Highest pub in England.

Some of the Irish contingent…………..Now I’ve left this photo as it is but the bloke on the right is duplicated, most odd, water in the works………I hope not. It’s also a little odd to dress teenage twins in the same outfits. A wonderful thing is the variation in cultures.

Irelands highest pub the Top of the COOM. Ritchie spelt it wrong……………when I told him he altered it………..Not my fault he said…… If the buggers could speak English I’d have spelt it proper. I’s sure they said CROOMB on the PHRONE. He got the ‘R’ rubbed out just in time.

Well…. Half rubbed out. This was supposed to be an electric assisted push bike run. Somewhere along the way they collected a few Harleys and a load of Honda Fifties.

What an achievement……………….I’m here.

And so is he………….don’t think much to his girl friend.

This image I love. Two bikers from Biker……………….Biker is an area of Newcastle. Their pronunciation is unintelligible to folk four miles away.  The Irish lad couldn’t understand a word so they commandeered his bike for a photo. It was almost dark this is the best and last of eight goes. He is still bemused. The lass on the left looks like butter wouldn’t melt………….said or I think she said. ‘ It’s fair pissing down Jus Tek us pikture’. It’s not coffee in the flask tops it’s vodka and cider…………..strawberry flavoured cider! So a good evening in the end.

I’m fine, this snapping can be hard work. So a  clear head. Odd how life transpires. I go out for a quick pint and end up crawling home………….go out for a serious booze up and come back sober……………..life is mysterious and to be honest a bit beyond me.

Two days of holiday to go, enjoy them.