Skibbereen - Christmas Lights

The season of Christmas light switch-ons has started. Having covered the first of the season in Cambridge last weekend, I moved from East Anglia to West Cork for the next switch-on. Sad it was that the famed Olympic silver medal-winning brothers, Gary and Paul weren't available to do the honours in their home town, but that didn't stop the crowds gathering.

Opening with a procession headed by the fire brigade, the civil defence, then assorted vintage tractors and cars, the children watched as Santa and Mrs Santa made a grand entrance in a horse-drawn carriage. Then it was down to two lucky girls from the National School to perform the honours. What a moment for them to remember.

The lights are now on and the countdown to Christmas has begun in Skibbereen.

Wedding of Charlotte & Dale - Preparations

Every bride wants the perfect wedding day and when I got an out of the blue phonecall on the 3rd September, it was from a bride who was staring disappointment in the face.

"Our photographer has let us down. Can you do our wedding on 17th September?"

Two weeks later, there I was, squeezing into the home of Charlies' parents-in-law-to-be, along with a host of family members, the make-up lady, a veritable menagerie of pets, including her lovely and huge German Shepherd dog. Despite the initial impression of chaos that greeted me, everyone was amzingly relaxed, none more so than the beautiful bride. She calmly sipped her glass of prosecco through a straw as her makeup was done, and whilst the music channel TV played hits of the 80s in the corner of the room. Her response to "How are you feeling?" was:
"I can't wait!!"
Charlie was truly happy and her plan for a perfect wedding day was clearly on course.

Bridal preparations are such an important part - the weeks of planning finally coming together in the hours before the ceremony, and yet it is just the ceremony that all the guests get to see. They and indeed the groom, would probably never see what went on behind the scenes if it weren't for the photographs. So, Dale, here is a little black and white insight into what went on before your gorgeous bride walked down the aisle to marry you.

Just before 2.45 on Saturday afternoon, a pensive Miss Charlotte Bone left home with her father, soon to become Mrs Dale Hatt in a 3.30 ceremony in Braintree Town Hall.

Congratulations and may I wish you both a wonderful honeymoon on the Maldives!
There will be a full gallery of colourful pictures ready for you and your guests to view in a few weeks time.

Please feel free to leave your comments below.

May Day Morris Dancing

This morning the alarm was set for before dawn, to ensure we arrived at Wandlebury, just outside Cambridge, in time to see the dawn Morris Dancing by the Devil's Dyke Morris Men on this May Day morning. The day when tradition has it to roll in the dewy grass, although today the dew was of the white crunch variety.

(This is the holding page to ensure a 1st May date on the blog post and whilst the rest of the edit is completed in between a full weekend of assignments. Do come back later for the full set of images)

Care Free Area

Celebrating 5 years of blogging with a view over my care free area

Little did I imagine, that when I wrote my very first post on this blog - five years ago to the day, and entitled 'Car(e) Free Area' that my very own 'care free area' of Ireland would have played such a big part in my life during that time. Anyway, here is a view of my care free area in 2016.
More of West Cork in future posts.

Yes, it is five years that I've been bombarding you with my words and pictures although of late, the posts have perhaps been memorable for their absence. For that I do apologise but for the first post of my new year for the blog in 2016, I would like to thank everyone who has read, shared, liked and commented on these ramblings I have posted from the the various corners of England and Ireland, and sometimes, the wider world. Rather than me do a review of the year (well with half of the last year devoid of blog posts, it would be a bit difficult!) I would love to hear YOUR views, thoughts and memories of my previous efforts, and tell me what you enjoyed and what you would like to see more of...

I wait to hear from you

Oh and Happy New Year! (If a little late!)

New Beginning...

The Milky Way over Lough Hyne

The cloud is finally clearing and it is the beginning of a new month, with new hopes, new dreams
...and a new future.
What better time to return to blogging - something I had enjoyed so much and so sadly, had got drawn away from.

My thanks to Y for encouraging me return.


This is MY Advent!

Saffron Walden Carnival Procession 2014

It is an event that comes around once every three years and is superbly organised by the Saffron Walden Round Table. Eight days of events, many taking place in the big marquee on The Common, and which is where the many amazing floats assembled yesterday for the Carnival Procession.

With the theme of 'Carnival of Nations' there were many different interpretations but all those involved had put in huge amounts of work, with the hope of equally large crowds coming out and lining the streets to watch them parade by.
For the procession three years ago, it was a lovely day but that couldn't be said for Saturday. The clouds hung black and heavy and it wasn't long before the heavens opened, just as the procession was setting off.

It failed to dampen spirits and over a period of four hours, the procession wound its way around the town, with buckets and nets collecting all the contributions, and which someone now has the joy of counting! And as always it will be an incredible sum for charity.

Without any further ado, I will allow the pictures to speak for themselves - my take on the day being the little details that can often be missed.

Enjoy!

(By clicking on the first image, it will open up all the images into a viewer)

And so was the rain-hampered procession a success?                        Well now!

If you would like copies of these images for use on social media or files for prints, I would be grateful if you would contact me first for terms and conditions.
Please respect my work by not dragging images from my website, as it would be in breach of copyright.
All images are Copyright © 2014 Celia Bartlett Photography

400