Teddy Bears Picnic

August the 16th is Lottie's first birthday, at the moment I'm designing the invitation for a teddy bears picnic party.
This is the front page picture taken today.

Riding Centre

The only known picture of Wendy on a horse, taken at my Cousin Kath Lamacraft's place a long-time ago.
Knowle Manor Riding Centre, Timberscombe, Exmoor

Camilla Duchess of Cornwall

Over the years I have photographed most of the royal family, though sadly never Diana.
And like most people I based my feelings on what I read in the papers and watched on TV.
I was pleased to find what a delightful person Camilla Duchess of Cornwall is, when I photographed her at Bowood House dog show last week.
She chatted happily to all, remembering to smile at the cameras regularly, positioning herself to help the photographers.
And she often kept that special eye contact with the camera that makes a great picture.
Picture Copyright Sam Farr/The Bath Chronicle

I see Boots are moving from Southgate to Stall Street in September, here's a reminder of Boots when it was in Cheap Street (It's Dixons/ Curry's Digital at the moment)

Fluffy Dice

I suppose the name Rage fits the hells angel image, but where do the fluffy dice fit in?

Deck Chairs

Deck chairs in New Bond Street Bath.

Stolen Baby Charlie Waylen

Thursday February 24^th 1994 started the way of many on a local paper; I went to the Bath Royal United Hospital to shoot a feature on disposable nappies.
As I was leaving the maternity unit a police officer arrived, and before I got to my car two police cars arrived.
I called the office to see if they could check what was going on, and decided to stay while they checked.
More police turned up and started searching the hospital grounds, and it soon became clear that someone had stolen a baby.
After a couple of hours the hospital set up a press centre and photographers started arriving from agencies and national newspapers.
In the early evening the police announced the baby had been found, a reporter, TV crew and one photographer could photograph the parents Andrew and Louise Waylen with baby Charlie.
Press association photographer Barry Batchelor said “you’ve been here from the start you do it.
When I came out of the hospital, we dashed back to the office and I processed the film.
Our picture editor Kevin Clifford sat and trimmed the film down into lengths of three frames and handed them to the different newspaper wire units set up in the newsroom.
Next day my picture made every paper from the Sun to the Times, while we were doing it Barry’s pager went off telling him that police had started digging in a garden in Cromwell street in Gloucester,
He said “the baby is more important at the moment, I'll do it tomorrow”.
Little did we know it was the start of the Fred West inquiry and how many bodies would be in that garden?
A final strange twist was that a few years after I went to photograph the woman that stole the baby who was appealing for help for others like her.

Ball Pool

Lottie in the ball pool
Picture Wendy

Scanning a Colour Negative

Here’s a picture of Wendy changing Nicky’s nappy, the original is a 30-year old colour negative, I’m unable to get a good colour image from it.
I’ve tried the official Kodak digital ROC software, but the results are still poor.
Does anybody have any better thoughts?

Avon Valley Country Park

Nosy Goat

Nicky is home for a few days before

returning to the RUH for more tests

Tabitha
Little Miss Mischief

Nicky News

Nick had her tests today, but a camera went wrong.
And part of the test was missed, they may need to do them again.

She should know tomorrow.

Avon Valley Country Park

Ever had one of those days when everything goes wrong, yesterday was dreadful.
Jobs went wrong all day, then the computers crashed at work, the final straw going home after a 11-hour day I found my picture of a Kune Kune pig eating strawberries was planed for a black-and-white page.
Picture Copyright Sam Farr/The Bath Chronicle

Nicky is starting her tests on Wednesday.

Lottie perfecting the art of banging granny in the face with a green turtle.

Nicky News

Nicky is back on Charlotte ward of the RUH.

She is unable to use her mobile phone on the ward.

Her Patient Line number is 07081 344952

Builders Hi-Fi Marshfield

Nicky Hospital Update

After a lovely 48 hours being ill in the comfort of my own home, I have to return to the RUH tomorrow as my weekend leave is over. I'll be having tests this week to try and determine what is causing the pain and what we can do about it. It's possible that I have Crohns disease, which has been a "possible" for a long time, it's also possible that my adhesions (scar tissue) are sticking my insides together in a rather unhelpful way. There isn't much they can do to help if that's the case, as more surgery means more adhesions. I am currently on enormous doses of opiates to help with the pain, but am still not very comfortable. Obviously it would be rather difficult if I need this much pain control in the long term as I am already rather tolerant to the drugs and that will only get worse with time. I'm being readmitted to Robin Smith (Surgical Admissions) and will probably be moved on to another ward from there. I'm expecting to be in for the week, but hoping that I'll be allowed out next weekend if they want me to stay longer. I'll keep Dad updated and I'm sure he'll post on the blog if there's any news. Thanks for all of your sweet thoughts and cards, they cheer me up no end, Nicky x

Oldbury Nuclear Power Station

Oldbury nuclear power station photographed, from what was at the time the tallest hydraulic platform in the U.K.
It was brought in to check the cladding on the main building, and was easily tall enough to pass over the roof.
When you looked down to see the size of the lorry it was mounted on, it looked like it would topple over at any moment.

Spider caught on camera.

I'm not much of an expert on spiders, but when I was going to bed last night this spider was busy wrapping its dead prey in silk on the cistern in the bathroom.
There are 300 different UK spiders I think this is a daddy-long-legs.
I snapped it with a Nikon D2hs with 60mm Micro Nikkor at f22, bounced flash.

Fresh Air

Here's a job with plenty of fresh air, this line worker is standing on the top arm of a transmission tower around 150 feet up.
Yes he is wearing a safety line, but you still need nerves of steel.

Norwood Goats

Tabitha and Helen feeding the goats
at Norwood Farm
Picture Wendy Farr

Sam gets his richly deserved award at last.

Princess

Nicky has had a couple of bad days, with a great deal of pain.
Last night she was admitted to the RUH, and is on the maximum dose of painkillers but still feeling pain.
She is in room 8 of Charlotte Ward and now allowed to use her mobile, so why not give her a call to arrange a visit.
It's on the first floor of the Princess Anne wing, and here are some of my snaps of a young Princess Royal Opening it over 20 years ago.

Oldbury Power Station

More pictures from Oldbury Nuclear Power Station open day in 1986.
The queue to visit the pile cap and a view from the pile cap crane of visitors looking into the reactor.

Great Dog

I spotted a great dog in Timsbury today; he's a cross Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Spaniel.

James Gray MP

Ive been out to Lackham College in Wiltshire this afternoon to photograph a visit by the Duke of Edinburgh.
While the photographers were waiting for the Duke we were chatting to James Gray the MP for North Wiltshire, when this cricket landed on him.
Couldn't resist a quick snap of it!

World Cup

I think this sums up the World Cup.

Oldbury Nuclear Power Station

Steam rides at Oldbury Nuclear power station open day.

Nuclear Power

With all the interest in Nuclear energy at the moment, I thought it was worth digging this picture out.
It was taken about 25 years ago so I may not have the Facts 100% right.
I took it at Berkeley nuclear laboratories, and it was a mini Lego type of nuclear reactor.
They assembled the graphite blocks in various ways, to try new ideas.
My picture shows one of the scientists with a bulb representing the power output of the nuclear reactor.

Green Goddess Diana Moran

80's TV star of breakfast TV Diana Moran is a fully qualified teacher of exercise.
In 1993 the Exercise Association of England presented her with their Special Achievement Award for taking on at the impossible task of keeping Sam Thin.

Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey from our old bedroom window in the Abbey Churchyard.

Bishop of Bath and Wells

Early in 1988 I was sent to Wells for the enthronement of Dr George Carey as Bishop on Bath and Wells.
I remember it was a gloomy overcast day and I was dreading the job, as special arrangements had been made for a colour front page (a rare event in 1988).
As the new Bishop came out after the enthronement, the sun came out and the sky turned blue.
Set against the magnificent Bath stone frontage of the cathedral in his gold vestments it made a striking picture.
GOD certainly smiled on both of us that day.

Pictures Copyright Sam Farr/The Bath Chronicle

New Bathroom

Well it's time for a progress report on out new bathroom upgrade after only 40 years.

This was the state of play on 30th of June.

The Floor in now down and the new window is in, the bath has been removed while Phil tiles the walls.
We picked a corner bath with a seat, as if this one lasts another 40 years I will be a hundred and two and may not be standing in the shower.