Header Challenge 17th November 2010 � Childhood Antics.

Welcome to this weeks header challenge. This weeks theme was chosen by yours truly. Therefore for this weeks theme I chose `Childhood Antics`. Now I thought that would be a wide enough subject matter to produce lots of interesting headers and posts from my friends in the headbanger team, Tom-fishing guy, imac, Lanny and Gailsman.

Now being a parent I have lots of photos that could be used for this topic as you may have guessed. So for something different I haven't taken any new shots for this weeks header but dug some out of my collection,  and no I'm not just being lazy these were harder to choose than taking new ones.

We have `look at me I cute`.

 

`fun in a tunnel`

`Shall I jump?`

`Who needs toys when you have the box!`

I�m the king [queen] of the world!`

and the old time classic `swing time!`

I hope you enjoyed my children's antics and yes there are three different girls in the photos they just all look very similar, we call them clones. Poor kids.

I wonder what the girls will think when they see this post ?

Let me know what you think via the comments button and then have a look at what the other headbangers have come up with this week.

Day 3 of our family holiday to Pas de Calais, France.

 

Well day 3 of our holiday has arrived. The girls were up early, 07:30 just so they could go out and get us all fresh croissants and pain au chocolat from the local boulongerie. All I had to do was leave the money out for them and wait for the call for breakfast, can�t be bad.

Well following breakfast our eldest daughter Keziah chose our day trip today, we are going to visit Ypres just across the border into Belgium. She had been there before as part of a school trip and loved it so much, she wanted to show the whole family.

We decided to stop on route at an Abbey that was said to have spectacular views looking down across the valley from where it stood.

Its true it did, although the weather was a little overcast to show the scene off at its best. It did however give me a chance to try out my new lens again.

In the group of cows you can just see at the right of the above photograph was a lone horse.

I couldn�t get him to smile for the camera but then he probably didn't know I was there at the top of the hill photographing him.

The Mounts de Cats abbey is near the town of Godewaersvelde in the Flanders region of France. The monastery founded in 1650 by the Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony, although it is now run by Trappists monks known in the region for their cheese making.

Unfortunately we had arrived on a morning when the monastery was closed to the public. We could have waited until the afternoon to visit but that would mean missing out on our visit to Ypres. So we had an early lunch looking out across the valley, before heading across the border into Belgium.

Upon arriving in Ypres (sometimes spelt Ieper) you can�t help but marvel at the Cloth Hall that dominates the � rote Markt� Town square.

The Cloth Hall that stands today is a complete replica of the original 13th century building, known to be one of the largest commercial buildings of the middle ages. This replica was built following the complete destruction of the original building by Artillery fire during the First world war, where all of Ypres was flattened to the ground.

The Cloth hall is now home to the �In Flanders Fields Museum� of which the entrance is in the above photo. We will leave the inside of the museum to another post.

Looking around the square there was lots of restaurants or Brasseries with their colourful awnings and outdoor seating areas.

There was so many of them we just had to stop for afternoon coffee!

The Brasserie we visited had these great ceiling decorations.

Looking out across the square whilst we enjoyed our drinks, I was amazed to think that everything you could see had only been built since the end of the first world war.

The architecture looked so much older.

But then I suppose that was the idea.

There is a wonderful fountain so I just had to try and get my daughters wet�

Well as we were in Belgium and they are famous for� �chocolate� we thought we had better find some.

It wasn�t hard, there are a number of chocolate shops around the town centre.

Well upon entering the shop and seeing the large display of chocolate before us�

and with having a family who all seem to appreciate good chocolate, we left the shop considerably lighter in the wallet and probably a few pounds heavier.

One of the events Ypres is famous for is the Last Post played by the Ypres fire brigade every night under the Menin Gate.

The Menin Gate was constructed in 1927 and designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield. It stands as a memorial to all those who fell, officers and soldiers, of the commonwealth forces, who died in the Ypres Salient area and who have no known graves, between 1914 and 15th August, 1917.

The Menin gate as you can see is a main thoroughfare into the centre of Ypres, but even so, every night no matter the weather, the road is closed at 8pm and the last post is sounded by the men of the Ypres Fire brigade.

They sound it as a mark of honour to all those from around the world who lost their lives in defence of the town.

A poignant ceremony follows including the laying of poppy wreaths in remembrance to those fallen.

Our day in Ypres draws to a close with lots to think about and many happy memories.

Tomorrow on my blog is header challenge with this weeks theme being �Macro� chosen by imac so I will return to France after that, but still come and see me and my fellow headbangers, imac, Tom-fishing guy, Gailsman and Lanny attempt to create a header and post on the theme macro.

Technorati Tags: France,Ypres,Belgium,Abbey,Flanders,Ieper,photo,architecture,fountain,chocolate,Menin,Gate,memorial,soldiers,ceremony,remembrance,monastery

Family Holiday, to Pas de Calais in Northern France

Our family�s summer holiday this year was to the Pas de Calais region in Northern France. We rented a little cottage which was part of a barn conversion in the Les Palmiers complex in the town of Arques.

Arques, France

We rented the cottage for a week via the �Cottages 4 you� website. We had booked cottage holidays with this company before so found the booking of this one fairly straight forward.  When we booked it, we received confirmation and were instructed that the tickets and arrival documentation would be sent out closer to the time of the holiday, which they were. Unfortunately there was a French tourist tax and deposit added on later, this was requested to be payable on arrival at the cottage.

So we packed the car with all the important things such as camera, spare lenses, tripod, filters oh and a few clothes, not forgetting passports and tickets as well and set out on our trip from South Lincolnshire, England to Arques, France.

The journey down from Lincolnshire to Dover went well if a little cramped for the rear passengers in the car, (why do teenage girls need to take so much luggage?)

We even had time to take a few pictures of the white cliffs of Dover before we got on the P&O ferry to go between Dover and Calais.

On arriving in France we drove about an hour inland to the town of Arques were we had booked to stay. My daughters thought it fun to keep reminding me �right� drive on the �right� although I only nearly forgot at one junction and there were no other cars close by.

When we arrived at Les Palmiers in Arques, the owner of the cottages met us as we drove in to the complex and gave us a guided tour around the cottage.

Each cottage had its own private garden where you could sit out for a meal or drinks or just for a bit of sun.

In one end of the converted barn was an indoor heated swimming pool, one of the reasons we chose this property.

You could lie in the pool and look up at the lovely beamed ceiling�

or just sit and relax in the comfy chairs whilst the children played in the pool.

The whole barn conversion was very nice. All the rooms were clean and well furnished, our bedroom even had a king sized four poster bed, luxury. The complex was gated and therefore felt secluded and quite peaceful.

The region of France in which we stayed is renowned for its canals and waterways, its fine coasts, great historical heritage sites and museums and of course its abundance of gastronomic delights too.

As we had arrived late afternoon at the cottage we decided to save the exploring of the Pas de Calais region of France until the following day. Instead we had a relaxing evening, some went swimming while others read or played games. The day travelling across had went very well and the cottage was lovely, it all bode well for this being a great holiday.

Come back tomorrow and see how our first full day of the holiday in France unfolds.

Technorati Tags: Calais,France,cottage,barn,conversion,Palmiers,Arques,French,tourist,tripod,Lincolnshire,England,Dover,pictures,garden,children,luxury,cliffs

First Days of School and nursery

For many families around England today was a first. A first of their child starting a new term in nursery, a first at primary school, a first at secondary school and even a first at six form or college.

As a family we are just as blessed. Our youngest daughter Harriet started secondary for the first time this morning.

 

Supplied with all the essentials needed for her first day including gifts supplied by her prayer parent to help her settle into school life (her prayer parent is also a teacher but at a different school) She was ready bright and early this morning, allowing just enough time for a hurried photo before she went.

Our eldest daughter Keziah was also starting a first this morning. She began her first day of six form (although it was really only registration because she was back home by 11am).

The school she goes to requires the six formers to wear business suits so I managed to get a quick photo of her too in the early morning sunshine before she left in the taxi with her sisters.

Our middle daughter Esther moves up to year 9 today as well. I didn�t manage to get a photo of her in her school uniform this morning so here's one I prepared earlier, (taken last week whilst on holiday).

It was a first for another member of our extended family too. Our niece Amber started her first day at nursery school resplendent in her new uniform.

As nearly all parents says it doesn�t seem long enough since they were born for them to be going to senior school and six form, but I�m sure they will do us all proud. Congratulations all of you and everyone else enjoying a first of one description or another today.

I�m sure you will join with me in wishing them all the best in their new schools.

Technorati Tags: School,nursery,England,college,daughter,gifts,prayer,parent,teacher,photo,sunshine,Congratulations

Colour enhances the photo's story.

Yesterday I spoke about how the use of black and white imagery can help to tell the story of the photo.

Well today I can show you that their counter 'colour images' can also help to enhance the story.

The bright primary colours in these pictures help to enhance the play element of these child portraits.

I came across these pictures in my old portfolio folder. They were take a number of years ago when I was commissioned to take the annual photo's for a nursery school in London. I took formal shots of all the children but also these candid photos. Looking back it is the candid shots that stand out and tell a story. I will look to share more with you in the future.

I've had to scan these images in as they are old prints so please excuse their quality.

All the fun of the Fair.

A little while ago I bought you some of the photo's I took at the RAF Waddington Airshow.

I took my youngest daughter with me for the day and just to prove I didn't make her just sit and watch planes all day, here are some photos from the funfair.

We got there early so as you can see there were not many people at the stalls yet.

Harriet chose to go on the waltzers first. Trying to get a good photo whilst the waltzer whizzes by at great speed is great fun in itself. The colours really stand out and the blur shows the speed of the waltzer as it flashed past. 

 

We went back over to the fair later on in the day after the main air displays.

Its good to see smiling faces on the rides.

Schools Out, for ever!

Yesterday was our youngest daughters last day at primary school.

It was the end of an era. All 3 of our girls have gone through that same primary school in rural Lincolnshire.

Now Harriet is the last one to leave.

She went out in style though as she won the Miss Atkinson award for excellence in academic and all round achievement throughout this last school year.

The day was rounded off by a game of rounders (excuse the pun!)

It was staff versus the year six pupils.

Even the Head of school joined in.

There did seem to be more missing of the ball than hitting it though.

Some of the boys broke the trend though and hit it right across the field getting a full rounder in the process.

The final score was unfortunately a win for the staff ( only the second time they have won in the last 7 years).

It's been a good school and all three of our girls have done well there.

But now it's time to say, bye, bye school and on to the next chapter, of secondary school.

Well done Harriet!