APUG UK Spring 2007 Gathering

[Dave Miller]

Message from Chief Scout.
Those of you intending to arrive after 5pm on Friday and wishing to eat that evening are requested to phone the hotel beforehand and order your meal, and provide an ETA.

The telephone number is on the website: www.forest-view-hotel.co.uk

The hotel is now fully booked, but Chief Scout says pub in nearby village called Saracens Head still has vacancies.

 

[Dave Miller]

It's worth repeating that any other APUGers in the area are more than welcome to join up with us during our Saturday ramblings.

 

[Mark Burley]

Local walks...

Hi All,

I have managed to pick up a map with two or three reasonable walks with what looks like a set of landmarks along the way on each one - ie Yat rock etc.

Will bring this along with me plus a few extra copies if anyone's interested...

 

[Bob F.]

I'm going to have to count myself out this time around. I've been limping pathetically around the place the last week or so (not that I get any sympathy, Oh, no! Ha! Catch anyone around here feeling a little empathy for a poor benighted soul, tragically stuck down in the prime of his life*) and it does not look like it is going to clear up for at least another week despite the pills.**

Have fun, Bob.


* Is it possible that I may be over-egging this particular pudding?

** Are the pills supposed to make your veins stand out, your head throb and fill you with an overwhelming desire to eat a bale of hay and run as fast as you can around Aintree?

 

[Leon]

sorry to hear that Bob - hope you feel better soon

 

[FrankB]

That's a hell of a shame, Bob! You'll be sorely missed.

Get well soon, mate.

 

[BarryWilkinson]

You will be missed Bob, I hope it clears up soon.

Barry

 

[Dave Miller]

Hi All,

I have managed to pick up a map with two or three reasonable walks with what looks like a set of landmarks along the way on each one - ie Yat rock etc.

Will bring this along with me plus a few extra copies if anyone's interested...

Walk? WALK? :confused:

Bob, Sorry to hear you cannot be with us, I shall eat you cheesecake for you so don't worry about that.

 

[FrankB]

Mark, you're obviously not acquainted with Miller's First Law of Photography -

"If it's more than 50 feet from the car it's not photogenic"!

 

[BarryWilkinson]

"If it's more than 50 feet from the car it's not photogenic"!

Unless it's cheesecake!



Barry

 

[FrankB]

To be fair, I've never seen Dave make a photograph of a cheesecake.






...and he'd have to use a hell of a fast shutter if he did!

 

[A.C.]

I'm getting the feeling it might be worth me bringing the old 5x4 I've never properly got to grips with.
I can set it up next to the cheesecake trolley and work from right there...

 

[Leon]

ok everyone - I'll see you all tomorrow afternoon. I'll be there about 3 ish I should think

 

[Mark Burley]

Walking maps with a cheesecake proof finish...

I'm not sure we will be able to bring maps with a waterproof finished paper - but you could always wrap the cheesecake in them afterwards!

We expect to get to the venue a little later - so hold the fort and the cheesecake Dave.

 

[BarryWilkinson]

We expect to get to the venue a little later - so hold the fort and the cheesecake Dave.

Dream on!



Barry

 

[Bob F.]

Well, I just bought some nice pot-plants for the house so I'll be setting the Shen Hao up in the front room over the weekend and thinking of you lot trekking o'er hill and dale (in the approved Scouting manner of course)... If Dave over-heats from all that trekking, chuck him in the nearest stream and remind him of his earlier offer (or perhaps not)...

Have fun, Bob.

 

[FrankB]

We'll self-administer some anaesthetic in your honour, Bob!

Hope you get some good shots in comfort.

 

[Brian Jeffery]

Right, my cameras are packed and I'm ready to go. Oh dear, do I need pack clothes as well? Bugger, I suppose I'd better do that in the morning. I should be leaving about 2:30ish tomorrow so I don't suppose I'll be in Ross-On-Wye until about 6pm (Friday traffic willing).

See you tomorrow,


Brian

 

[FrankB]

I'm about ready to set off. Hope to be down to Ross around four or half past.

See you all there!

Frank

 

[Dave Miller]

Well it's all done and dusted.
We got back home at about 7pm after a long tussle with traffic in darkest Sussex.
We agreed that this was the best meet ever, helped in no small part by the excellent weather - well done Barry, and Tony (and Jean's) first class organisation, and reconnaissance, thanks to you both. Also thanks to all the others that attended, it was a pleasure to renew old friendships and make new ones.

 

[FrankB]

It goes against the grain, but I have to agree with Dave!

Tony and Jean did an absolutely A1 job on the organisation. The hotel they found was great, non-smoking throughout and with a quiet (apart from us!) lounge area where we could gather, view prints and chat. The food was excellent, the beer / cider / wine were good, the rooms were comfortable and it was situated right on the river bank. All this and Tony had negotiated a discount on the price!

Symonds Yat and the Wye Valley is (IMO) a little slice of heaven! Tony and Jean had thoroughly recce'd the area over the previous week and presented us with a list of suggested venues. The ones we opted for (Goodrich Castle, Lydney Harbour and the viewpoint at Yat Rock on the Saturday and the Forest of Dean on the Sunday) all turned out to be excellent.

Huge thanks to Tony and Jean for their work in putting this Gathering together and making it the best one yet!

Barry gets 8 / 10 for the weather, docked marks for a not-quite-blue sky on the Saturday and a bit too much cloud on the Sunday. Nevertheless, he did very well for a first attempt and will hopefully have perfected his technique in time for the Autumn Gathering!

Thanks to everyone who attended - some familiar faces and a whole lot of new ones, and a nicer group of people you couldn't hope to meet. The standard of prints shown really was excellent with a wide range of styles and subject matter. This is one of the best parts of the Gatherings for me, and the amount of talent evident at this one was really stunning. (Luckily I was there to bring the average down!)

And as to the burning question of whether Mr Miller bared all for our photographic attentions...

...thankfully no - the only tackle he got out was his Mamiya!

See you in the Autumn!

Frank

 

[A.C.]

A good social event for me, as a "first timer" too. I second the previous remarks and thanks to those who put the initial groundwork in to make it happen. Well done all.
I'll pack the film off to the lab today, and if there's anything I like there...well you might even get to see it!
I'm wondering where (and when) the Minox and Rollei images will appear.....
Later
Aynsley

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Are any of those who went to APUG UK Spring 2007 going on the ILFORD Photo tour?

 

[BarryWilkinson]

Most of it has been said already but I would like to add my thanks to Tony and Jean for organising a very enjoyable weekend. The weather was good but could have been brighter, beginners luck I think! It was nice to see some new faces. Looking forward to the Autumn Event wherever it occurs.

Barry

 

[Leon]

I'm sorry to everyone for dashing off on the first night without saying goodbye.

My Wife's mother had been very unwell for a week or so before the weekend and it was touch and go if I was going to attend at all. Things had settled down for her by the end of last week so we decided that it would be ok for me to come. Sadly she took a turn for the worse on Friday night and is still in a very unstable and poorly state in hospital - with not much expectations of any improvement. Understandably, my wife wanted me to come home asap as she didnt want to be on her own. So I downed several cups of coffee , waited a few hours for the beer to wear off and drove home in the early hours of Saturday morning after leaving a payment cheque and explanatory note in reception.

So big apologies to all - it was great meeting all those that I hadnt before, sorry we didnt get a chance to talk further. And it was excellent to catch-up with those I'd already met.