Remembering Davo

Whilst looking through old emails, I came across a poem from Davo about our friendship. I've been thinking about him a lot lately (mainly because I am watching the final few episodes of Lost!! We used to discuss Lost for hours, about what was really going on and how it would end. He was so cross that he would not get to see the grand finale when he was dying 3 years ago. We agreed that I'd watch it right through to the last ever episode and he'd be there next to me on the sofa each time!! I know he has been doing just that and I am glad about it!).

Davo died 3 years ago tonight, the wee neep! He is loved and missed as much as he ever was!!

Anyway, the poem...

Soph

My soul is the piano, her words are the keys.
Together we compose, the best of symphonies.

How my soul replays her words of the day.
Like a composer writing a play.

I hear the music, as she strikes a key.
an orchestra, is what I see.

Two souls that share a common ground.
a friendship they have found.

What is a piano, without the player.
It's like a soul, without a desire.

It sits alone in the dark,
waiting for someone to light a spark.

A hope or a desire,
waiting for someone to inspire.

To play a song of the heart,
a song of two souls that will never be apart.

Flying High

Along the lines of my previous post about flying, I recently dumped a load of images from my mobile phone and found lots of photos I had taken from planes in the last couple of months! Not very exciting but thought I'd post them so they see the light of day!

Flying to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

Flying to Lanzarote, 2,000ft above the dirty, smoggy volanic ash cloud!

Leaving Lanzarote.

Tiger Moth

Just looking back at what I actually did get round to writing about last year and can't believe I missed out the best thing that ever happened to me!

I really love planes and boats and last year my dad bought me a flight in a 77 year old Tiger Moth. I have always wanted to fly one. I paid a bit extra on top so I could
have a whole hour's flight. It was absolutely incredible.

G-ACDC belongs to The Tiger Club at Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent. She is the second oldest Tiger Moth in service. She served with the RAF during WW2 and has been in civilian service since 1953.


The day of the flight was perfect - sunny, great visibility, blue skies etc. You sit in the front cockpit if you are the passenger. The seat harness seems ever so basic when you are being strapped in. 5 leather straps that come from all around you and meet in the middle and lock you in. I had my authentic biggles hat and goggles too of course.

When you taxi along the nose points right up in the air so you can't really see ahead of you, just either side. We took off and were setting out to fly over Elmsted, where my parents are, dad was waiting in the garden. Dad was a pilot himself and this is probably where I got the passion to fly from! He used to regularly fly from Goodwood to Kent to see his mother for the day (as I am sure Clare remembers well!!!). Commuting by light aircraft!!

Over Ashford my pilot Brian gave me the controls. I could see the magnificent Wye Downs with the famous white chalk Crown on it, 12 miles away so headed off to where I knew Elmsted would be from there. Apparently I was just like a homing pigeon. I am sure the people of Ashford were running for their lives!! It was really incredible flying this beautiful, ancient old plane over the stunning scenery of Kent, going over the hills and valleys that I know so well. Dad said he heard her ("the old lady") coming in to the valley and coming down low. He was in the garden with the dog when we flew around. By then Brian was in control again so I could take some photos. Brian asked if I wanted to do a loop-the-loop! Of course! Oh wow...words can't describe it! I think I whooped embarrassingly all the way round! Dad was taking photos from the garden apparently. Really loved seeing all the local woods and villages from the air. A bit more flying around and then we headed off to the coast. We flew all along over Folkestone, the white cliffs of Dover and beyond, then came back in land.

Now this is where my smile faltered a bit. Brian asked if I wanted to do some aerobatics. OK, loved the loop-the-loop so bring it on. We did a vertical stall and a nose dive. G2 apparently. The 8 second stall was fantastic, loved it. Tipping over backwards in slow motion was OK too. The nose dive made me think I was about to die! You realise that these little old leather straps are the only thing holding you in! My entire body weight was trying to burst through them. Oh god.... then the blue of the sky and the green of the land are the right way up again and you just have to pray that you weren't really screaming 'mummy mummy mummy' down the intercom too loudly! ;-) I think I will do it again this year because I can't remember ever enjoying anything as much as flying. I really fancy learning to fly properly too.

In the same photo folder I also found some of Tolly on a walk the next day. I would like to point out that this is a pedigree working cocker spaniel. Note the number of rabbits in the background, completely unfazed by the gundog's presence. Note the stupid gundog running in the opposite direction without a care in the world!!!! Well done Ptolomy!!! :-) Mind you, he is a mean, lean, hunting machine when it comes to socks! No other dog has a patch on him there!

Kent evening sunshine. Sigh. Can't wait for the Summer to come again. This has been a looooong cold winter so far and a fairly crappy time to boot! Can't wait for the warm sun so I can go and lie in the long grass and stare at clouds and just...chill!

Oops I Did It Again....

Why why why why why???

For the second time in six months I had my hair cut way too short!! Blah. It just floats around my head now as if I am under water.

Don't I ever learn?

Art & Crafty

First post of the New Year and it's a whinge! I bought a print online of an artist I really admire. I have wanted this print for a couple of years now but was waiting for the price to come down a bit. Was very pleased to have finally taken the plunge! Got a call from the owner of the art website saying thanks for the payment but they forgot they don't have this print any more! Lost for words really. Well...I have some but I can't repeat them here.

I spent New Year's Eve with one of my dearest and oldest buddies Melissa Sadie Wright (aka Homeslice). Liss is a celebrated artist, photographer and interior designer living on top of a mountain in Spain! We grew up together in the depths of Kent and basically spent nearly 30 years laughing until we almost wet ourselves! Niiiice....classy chicks! Her work is amazing, particularly her landscape and macro photography - which inspires my photography a lot actually. I have a few of her pieces hanging in my apartment. I wish I had more! Have a look at some of her work here.

Liss was drinking red wine mixed with coca-cola on New Years Eve. I did try to shuffle away and pretend I didn't know her but a few hours later and I was drinking pints of the stuff myself. It's a common drink in Spain apparently. It wasn't toooo bad! Don't tell my dad though!!

I have a new flash gun for my EOS so am playing around with that at the moment - bouncing the flash off the walls and ceiling etc. I have so much camera kit to carry around these days.

Got back from Davos and the World Economic Forum last week. The reception there was a huge success again. I was only there for two days and didn't have time to really venture out in Davos at all - or go up in the ski lifts like in previous years. It took months of preparation for this year's WEF and I am so glad it all paid off. There was some really wonderful praise and feedback coming my way afterwards from all sorts of incredible people/figures. Am very pleased about it all.

British Summer Time

I know I don't update my blog nearly as much as I should! Sorry!

Well we've been having a great Summer so far! The Almighty (with Floyd back in the line up) played 'Tommystock' with New Model Army. This was a benefit concert arranged for the family of a great friend of ours Tommy Tee. Tommy passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last December. Tommy was manager of The Almighty for several years and took them right to the very top, he also managed New Model Army. He was a great mate and a fantastic support to me throughout Floyd's illness and time in hospital. He came up to London regularly from Somerset to sit at Floyd's bedside 'sorting him out'. He sorted me out several times too. He helped me enormously with the Almighty charity shows in 2006. He gave moral support at every turning of our lives and is still dearly loved and sorely missed.

The concert itself was just amazing. Huge turn out raising lots of money for the cause! There was lots of Tommystock merchandise on sale too. The Almighty were feckin' brilliant. I just had to get down the front and jump about throughout the set. Brilliant! It took me right back to '89!!! Stump, Ricky, Pete and Floyd were really on form and I quite honestly think that was one of my favourite Almighty gigs. There were a few crushing moments when you remembered what this was all in aid of and how Tommy should have been there with you. But the boys did him proud!! I wish there was more to come from the Almighty (Floyd included!) because it's such a frickin' waste otherwise! I love that band, seeing them live and I know there are plenty of us out here who'd love to see them play a few UK shows every year!!! Well that's just my opinion anyway!

Floyd has joined Live N Kickin as lead singer!! They are huge mates of ours and Kent's biggest rock covers band (my homeland). I've known them for nearly 20 years now. They are great buddies of ours and we've been hanging out and seeing them all this time. They gig pretty much every weekend on the Kent pub circuit and have a huge following. They do a festival every now and then too. Floyd is in his element and is having the time of his life! You can check them out here and on Facebook here. They play Foo Fighters, RHCP, ACDC, Judas Priest, Killers etc etc. All great stuff!! Martin Kidd, one of the guitarists is a bit if a legend locally and is, quite literally, sh*t hot!!


We also went to Download in June as our mates Def Leppard headlined one of the nights there. Massive crowd! 80,000 or so!! Amazing taking it all in and seeing walking, talking living legends walking around backstage. Such a fantastic day and Leppard were on fire. The crowd were brilliant! Floyd took himself off to the sound desk to watch (which is in the middle of the crowd) and I was side stage - very, very lucky of course and this was a total priviledge. We were very honoured to be part of such a huge occasion.


I've been to Arizona (just got back) to stay with my friend for a week or so. 45 degrees!!! Never experienced heat like that before but I managed to sunbathe in it a bit and spent the rest of the time in the pool! Scottsdale was absolutely beautiful though! Came back via Atlanta.

We saw Pearl Jam at the O2 Arena last week. We jumped on Floyd's Harley and got there in less than 10 mins! Bliss! Had time for a quick beer and then watch 2.5 hours of one of the greatest live bands out there! Of course we were doing it for our friend Davo too and imagined and felt him with us. I sung my heart out to 'Alive' with tears streaming down my face - but grinning too!! An awesome (if not long) night!!!

Will dig out some photos but I haven't been behind the shutter much of late!!

Soph x

Pearl Jam!

Whoo-hooo! Found out by completely coincidence yesterday that Pearl Jam are playing in London in August. I found a link to the pre-sale and got 2 great seated tickets!! I know Davo would be so proud!! ;-) They were his all time favourite, favourite band! Sadly he died just a few weeks before we were meant to see them in June 2007. Floyd and I still went for his sake and sung out lungs out to 'Alive' as Davo would have wanted! It was one of the best concerts I've ever been too!!!

Roll on August! Can't wait!

Soph

More Pics

I've been back behind the lens again this last week or so!! About time too! I have missed looking at life through the lens! Mustn't let so much time go by without taking photos again!

Took these shots last week in Kerry, South West Ireland (God's Country as they call it). It's my favourite place to shoot lots of landscapes. Our friends own an amazing property out there and we join them for weekends away and some madness. They have a motor cruiser too which we have excursions on to Dingle Bay. There are lots of wild dolphins bombing around the bay which is where the above pics come from. They just like having fun with passing boats but they are hard to photograph! They either leap out of the water about 2 ft away from you as you lean over the side of the boat wondering where they are....or they do acrobatics in the middle of the bay 500m away...when you think they are under your boat! Slippery little suckers!!!!!

Good Luck Stoat

I bit the bullet and entered my first photographic competition! (albeit partly against my will). Stoaty's gone in to a wildlife competition. As nice as the photo is, I don't think it is technically good enough because it's not sharp or clear. Believe me, these things really matter when you have a huge competition with very serious judges and are up against amazing photographers. So although I love it, it's just not up to scratch because it was taken so spontaniously.

I got my knickers in a twist the night before I sent it off. I couldn't decide how to crop it to make it better. Floyd said he didn't know, my friend didn't know either....so I just left it and it went off in all it's glory, completely unedited. The rules said you could alter it and make it sharper etc but over-editing is not allowed. So I just left it all well alone and didn't alter anything. They judge on technical ability (gulp), composition (gulp), understanding of the brief (whoops), originality and commercial appeal. The brief is animals in action, so I am screwed really!!! Here's the unedited, unclipped, unaltered stoat that I sent off.

It's a big thing for me...the only 3 people who ever encouraged my persuit of photography have passed away sadly. I think they'd be thrilled I'm trying!! I still need to try and do a portfolio for this other person who's shown an interest in my pics. I don't know where to start though or how to do it.

I think it's so easy to say 'look at my great photo' when it's of a beautiful landscape that you can't take a BAD photo of! So if I take a photo of a lovely castle by a lake and everyone says 'that's so cool', I feel a fraud, because it's not the photo that's cool, it's the scenery. I like clever photography, which I am no good at. But we live and learn and that's my goal, to be very good at it!!!

Soph x

Sexy Kinky XXX Girl Loves Me!!!

Don't laugh!!!! ...she does!! According to Skype, Sexy Kinky XXX Girl wants to be my friend!! There are some scary people out there on the internet!!! Away w'ye!!!

Skype's great. Sod videoconferencing with Tamzin in LA!! You can take comedy pictures of yourself with the webcam and the 20 second delay in-between clicking 'take picture' and the bloody thing actually working means you're caught in all manner of poses. Sigh. Useless thing. Here I am chewing my lip and looking very unimpressed tonight. Bluddy computers....grumble!

x