I don’t have many words, but I do have some pictures for you! It’s been another busy few months, at home and away. I think it’s because the sun has arrived and we’ve all been powered-up with a daylight energy boost.
I’m reviewing portfolios for Photo Vogue Festival later this year, and apart from always being glad to share my knowledge with photographers from around the world, I can tell you – I will never get bored of seeing my funny face on the Vogue contributors page.
I went to Antwerp – stayed in the beautiful Hotel Flora, went to the MoMu Museum of fashion, ate an excellent dinner at Fiera, and met a cat that looked like Joe Biden.
I took the overnight ferry to the Hook of Holland. Lay on my front, looking out of the window into the dark night, catching glimpses of occasional white waves, and then boats – lights flickering in the distance.
I took a trip to the Brabant region of the Netherlands to research an article and visit the new Van Gogh Village Museum before it opened to the public. Somewhere along the line the expedition turned into a full-blown potato pilgrimage.
My feature on Pula, Croatia took a double page spread (and a mention on the front page) in London newspaper City AM. It’s also online here, if you want to read the edited version.
I met an Alpaca named Peanut.
I’ve been embracing all the opportunities (and Alpacas) that come my way. Then I got Covid, which embraced me and took a while to let go.
Margaret has taken up a part time role as a product reviewer for Country Smallholder magazine. Her first taste-test was of some fancy chicken food. She liked it, but she would prefer grapes or carrot cake next time.
We gave 50 copies of our POETRY book to Mind for visitors to their Rest Hub in Norwich. The feedback was overwhelming. Life can be difficult, but we can be kind – and it does make a difference.
I’ve been sent some interesting things in the post: a magnificent comb made of compressed recycled paper from 3RD/DIADEM, tickets for Goodwood Festival of Speed, £6000 worth of hair products and some out-of-date biscuits.
At Toiletries Amnesty things have been all go. We’ve begun a new campaign to help 1000 school girls (read the story, it’s devastating and we need to do something), the Community Awards are going well (nominate someone here) and we’ve welcomed some new Ambassadors to the team.
I don’t like to ask, but if everyone reading this could spare even just £1 it would make a huge difference, and it’s easy to donate via PayPal. Please?
The AUTO PHOTO exhibition opened in April at Bicester Heritage, as part of the Sunday Scramble, where my S2 Elise was also on show. The exhibition has been so well received that Motorsport UK have extended it from the original two weeks to…. three months! Yes, that’s right, a quarter of a year. You’ve got until 28th July to check in and check it out. And, you could also be part of the 2023 AUTO PHOTO exhibition, if you submit your images here.
There’s a lot happening at Shutter Hub (I think I say that every time I write, but it’s always true). We’ve got the YEARBOOK Awards (with some great prizes), and the OPEN Exhibition (at Cambridge University this winter), and one of the exhibitions I’m really looking forward to producing this year – TO THE SEA – an ode to the ocean, something for the sea. It will take us back to the beautiful seaside town of St Gilles Croix de Vie, and I can’t wait to be there.
This season’s reading list goes something like this: Owen Jones and the V&A by Olivia Horsfall Turner / The Vogue Business Sustainability Leaders Survey by Bella Webb (because I contributed towards it) / Water Rock and Smoke by Eric Oliveira / POETRY from Shutter Hub Editions (because, since the feedback from Mind I’ve been thinking about it a lot).
If you’d like to keep up with what I’m up to work-wise (talks, events, exhibitions, that kind of stuff), you can find my Agenda on my website. And, if you’d like occasional updates about all sorts of other nice things, in your inbox, you can join my mailing list here.