FIAP Club World Cup 2010

Boyle Camera Club would like to extend their congratulations to Dundalk and Celbridge Camera Clubs on their unprecedented achievements at this year's FIAP Club World Cup. Not only was it the first time that Camera Clubs from Ireland have featured in the top 10, but to be awarded 1st and 3rd place, is worthy of great celebration.

The World Cup, winning PANEL submitted by Dundalk Photographic Society is a stunning collection of photographs and a credit to club members. Equally impressive is the PANEL from Celbridge Camera Club.

As a club still in it's infancy, BCC can take inspiration from the photographic excellence presented by Dundalk and Celbridge. Although we may not yet be at this level, we acknowledge the achievement and send our warmest wishes to you both for the New Year.

TM.

AGM Tuesday 14th December 2010

Boyle Camera Club Committee 2011.

Joe Kennedy, Debbie Little, Andrew Rimmer, (Chairperson) Kit O'Connor, Paraic Brennan, Peter Boalch, Tony Murphy and Margaret Dolan.

Tuesday night's AGM was very well attended. The main business of the meeting involved the presentation of Officers Reports and the election of a new committee.

Stepping down this year are; Chairperson, Louise Cole and Secretary, Dermot Devine. Louise, in her capacity as Chair, has been very active and highly regarded during her term. A former Club Secretary, she has been a tireless promoter of the club and will be missed for her contributions at committee level. Dermot, always fastidious in his duties as Secretary, his calm and reserved assertiveness and wit, will also be missed.

The election of the incoming committee was suitably abrupt. Elected Officers are as follows; Chairperson - Kit O'Connor, Secretary - Paraic Brennan, Motivation - Joe Kennedy, Photoshoots - Peter Boalch. New Offices for 2011 will be; Andrew Rimmer (Treasurer) and Debbie Little, Margaret Dolan & Tony Murphy.

After the presentation of this months Motivation (Film Titles) and critique, led by Joe Kennedy, members retired to enjoy an informal social gathering which included food and wine to toast the Christmas Season and look forward to the year ahead.

Full Minutes from the AGM prepared by incoming Club Secretary, Paraic Brennan, available HERE.

TM

AGM Tonight!

It is our Annual General Meeting tonight, starting at 8pm in St Joseph's Resource Centre. The Agenda is as follows:
1. Welcome from the Chairperson
2. Reports from

• Chairperson
• Secretary
• Treasurer

3. Proposal of new committee members - there will be two of us stepping down and four people have expressed a interest in joining.
4. Any Other Business.

There will then be the slide show of the last Motivation, news of the next one and then any other outstanding club business, all followed by a Christmas Social, with food and wine...
LGC

Winter Exhibition Continues

Our exhibition opened on Friday night to a good crowd. There have been some very flattering comments and a number of sales already. There is still time to view the pictures - we are open from 11am until 6pm today, Sunday, so do call in if you are able!

Some photos from opening night HERE.
LGC

Exhibition Opens Tonight!

Join us tonight, Friday December 10th, at the opening of our Winter Exhibition of framed photographs. We start at 7.30pm in the Chambers Restaurant building, Bridge Street, Boyle (opposite the Royal Hotel), and we will be open from 10am until 6pm on Saturday (11th) and from 11am until 6pm on Sunday (12th). Pictures will be for sale and we will have local author and storyteller Barry Feely joining us for the launch tonight, signing copies of his new book.
Everyone is welcome - see you there!

Stories and Photos

Preparations for our Photographic Exhibition this coming weekend are well underway, hindered only a little by the wintry weather conditions!

We look forward to welcoming everyone to our opening evening on Friday, December 10th at 7.30pm, and we are delighted that local author and storyteller Barry Feely will be joining us then and will be signing copies of his new book. The Exhibition takes place in the former Chambers Restaurant in Bridge Street, Boyle, for the weekend.

Don't forget that the Motivation entries are due tomorrow (December 7th); the subject is 'A Film Title', and our AGM and Christmas Social will be held next week at 8pm on Tuesday, December 14th, in St Joseph's Resource Centre, Boyle.

There is still time to nominate someone for the committee, and we are pleased to say that there are already a few willing volunteers who have come forward.

LGC

About this weather...

The Regional Round of IPF Print & Projected Images competition due to be held in Mullingar tonight, Wednesday December 1st has been CANCELLED due to the snow and poor road conditions.

Update

Exhibition
Make a note in your diary to come and see our Winter Exhibition from December 10th to 12th, in the Chambers Restaurant Building, Bridge Street Boyle, (opposite the Royal Hotel).
You are invited to join us for the launch on the Friday evening (December 10th) at 7.30pm, when we hope there will be a good turn out to join us in a toast to local photography!
All of the pictures will be for sale - we'll publish more details here nearer the date (participants will receive further information via e-mail).
AGM
Our next monthly meeting, which is on Tuesday, December 14th, is also our AGM. We will publish the agenda here before then, but now is a good time to be considering who should join the committee (we already have a few volunteers!). If you would like to nominate someone, please make sure they are in agreement first! After the AGM we will be having our Christmas Social...
Motivation
We'll be showing the entries for our motivation after the AGM. The topic is "a film title" - tricky, eh? Do you think of the title first and then try to picture it, or do you get the image first and then try to find a film title that fits? Its a bit of fun - we're looking for wit and originality as well as excellent photographic skill! The deadline is Tuesday, December 7th.
IPF National Print and Projected Image Competition
The Mid Western Regional round of this competition is hosted by Mullingar Camera Club. Entries will be accepted at the Arts Centre in Mullingar from 7pm on Wednesday December 1st. Successful images will go on to the national competition in Athlone in February. Check out www.irishphoto.ie for more info.
Photos of India
Leitrim photographer Eunan Sweeney has an exhibition of images he took in India, taking place in the Dock, Carrick on Shannon. It opens on November 27th at 4pm.
LGC

Latest news

Pictured L-R: Linda Duffy, Andy Rimmer, Louise Cole, Susan Duffy, Amy Clarke, David Farrell, Margaret Dolan and Norman Little

Competition

Congratulations to the winners of the Lough Allen Photo Competition: Amy Clarke took first place, with Norman Little second, Linda Duffy third and Susan Duffy fourth. Highly commended were Margaret Dolan, Andy Rimmer and Tommy Earley. View the winning photos HERE. The prizes were presented by David Farrell and the Club expresses its gratitude to the Farrell family for their hard work in running the competition.

Club Business

Our November meeting included mention of the sad passing of one of our past members, Betty Meyler, who died the day of the competition after a long illness.

We also heard from picture framing expert Marion Fink-Thews, who showed us the different effects of coloured mounts and frames.

Tony Murphy gave a detailed critique of the Motivation entries, which were on the theme of 'Natural Frames'. Read the critique HERE.

Our next Motivation will be to picture a film title. We expect wit and ingenuity as well as fine camera work!

The portable studio lights are still available for any member to borrow. Call in to The Greenway Emporium in Market Yard, Boyle, to pick them up.

Forthcoming Exhibition

Next up for the Club is an exhibition/sale of work on December 10th-12th, when members have the opportunity to sell some of their photographs directly to the public. There is no limit of the subject or size, but the pictures must be in black frames with white or cream mounts. You will be able to set your own price, but the Club will take a 10 per cent commission on sales. Please let Louise know (on the usual number you receive texts from!) if you are interested in being part of the exhibition, by the end of this week (November 12th). If we haven't heard from you by then, we will assume you don't want to be included! The exhibition will be in the former Chambers Restaurant, opposite the Royal Hotel in Bridge Street, Boyle. Pictures will need to be ready to hang the week beginning December 6th, so hurry!

November Meeting

Our next monthly meeting takes place on Tuesday November 9th, at 8pm in St Joseph's Resource Centre. We will be announcing the winners of the recent Lough Allen Competition, and we will be showing images from our Motivation ('Natural Frames'). We will also be welcoming picture framer Marion Finks-Thews, who will be showing us what a difference the right mount and frame can make to a printed photograph.
This will also be the opportunity for you to register your intention to participate in our forthcoming Exhibition, which takes place in Boyle from December 10th-12th. More details will be available at Tuesday's meeting. See you there!
LGC

Get Your Pictures In!

If you were at the Lough Allen Photo Shoot last weekend, then you have until Sunday, October 31st to get your photos in for the competition. Up to three entries per person, sent to
info@boylecameraclub.com with 'Lough Allen Comp' as the subject of the e-mail. Files should be named with the title of the image and your membership number, nothing else. Format the photos in the usual way, but remember to keep a copies of your originals. The results will be announced at the next club meeting, which is on Tuesday, November 9th. Don't forget that images for the Monthly Motivation, 'Natural Frames' need to be submitted by Tuesday, November 2nd.

LGC

Come rain or shine!

Join us for the competition photo-shoot on Sunday next (October 24th) - meet for car pooling at the Crescent car park in Boyle at 9.15am, or at Drumshanbo Mart at 10am. This is where there will be a briefing, when you'll receive a map and information about where to go, what to look for and where and when to send your images. More details are in the posting below or you can go http://www.loughallenbasin.com/ and follow the links there. Be sure to bring suitable clothing and footwear - wellies may be an idea, if you want to get up close and personal with the water!
Good luck! The judges for the competition are David Farrell of LoughAllenBasin.com and David Knight and colleagues of Willow Design in Cootehall.
The winners will be announced at the next club meeting, November 9th.
LGC

The Late Late Show

Boyle Camera Club Member John Reynolds sent us the following message: "If you're spending this Friday night in, be sure and watch the beginning of The Late Late Show on RTE1 at 9.30, where I'll be appearing to promote one of my non-wedding photo projects with some of my "models". We're the opening item on the show. I'd like to tell you more right now, but it's all very hush-hush. I know you'll enjoy it though!"

Your Images Can Win Prizes!

Fancy your chances as a prize-winning photographer? If so, you are invited to join us in a Photographic Competition at Lough Allen on Sunday, October 24th. Members will meet for car pooling at 9.15am in The Crescent, Boyle, and then on to Dumshanbo Mart for 10am for a briefing at the start of a project to capture the flora, fauna, landscape, buildings and people of Lough Allen on that day.
The best digital images will win prizes, including dinner with wine for six people at the Ramada Hotel, Drumshanbo; a year's subscription to Outdoor Photography Magazine; a family ticket to the Cineplex in Carrick on Shannon; or a year's free membership to Boyle Camera Club.
Club member Frances Farrell and her family are behind the competition, which arose from their passion for the wonderful natural landscape in and around the Lough Allen area. Frances and her husband David run http://www.loughallenbasin.com/, which promotes the area as a exceptional place to live and work – with a unique ecology which supports species of birds and animals that are rare not just in Ireland, but in the whole world.
Although the light and unpredictable weather conditions of late October will pose certain challenges to everyone taking part in the competition, there will still be opportunities to capture images that will highlight the natural beauty of this special place. The best photographs will then be used on the Lough Allen website, although the copyright remains with the photographer.
Photographs, WHICH MUST BE TAKEN ON THE DAY OF THE COMPETITION, should be sent to Boyle Camera Club via e-mail (info@boylecameraclub.com) by October 31st for judging. Details of how to do this will be circulated at the briefing , when non-members can join us for the day at a cost of €10. You will need your membership number in order to enter the competition!
Our thanks to the Farrell family for the time and effort they have invested in this competition – please help to make it a success by turning up on the day and by spreading the word to others who may be interested.
LGC

October Activities

At our October meeting there was news of our forthcoming Winter Exhibition in Boyle, when members can sell their images, just in time for Christmas! The show will be from December 10th to 13th (to be confirmed) and members are asked to start preparing the pictures they would like to submit. This will be a different type of exhibition to our Summer event – this will be for any ready-to-hang photographs which will be for sale at a price set by the individual photographer. More details will follow.
Our speaker for the evening was Castlebaldwin photographer John Daly who enthused us with the range of creative possibilities using commercial printing services. John showed samples of different materials and techniques he has used for best effect on some of his own images. More from John on http://www.lumicreative.com/.
Peter Boalch gave a short slide show of pictures from a recent holiday in Spain – other members who are willing to share their images in this way are invited to come forward. Peter's show, set to music, ran for just three and a half minutes, and such shows offer us the chance to discuss each other's work, techniques and equipment.
Information about our next outing was revealed, the competition to shoot at Lough Allen on October 24th for some great prizes (details here later).
Two camera courses are being run at Roscommon Learning Links in Boyle by Tony Murphy on Monday evenings, each five weeks long. One is on using digital SLR cameras and the other is for beginners using compacts. The first course starts on October 18th. More details from 071 9664510.
Members are invited to make suggestions for our Christmas meeting/party/AGM in December and to consider who they would like see on the committee next year.
The Motivation for October was 'Trees' and it was interesting to see how inventive members had been in getting an original take on the subject. Next month, the challenge is to use 'natural frames' for any subject, and Joe showed some examples taken from the internet. The deadline for entries is November 2nd.
LGC

October Meeting

The theme of our October meeting next Tuesday (12th) will be printing - and there will be a reason for this, which will be revealed during the course of the evening!

We have a change to the planned schedule in as much as Tony Murphy is unable to join us for his talk on printing your images. This will now become a hands-on workshop at a later date, when Tony will help partipants get to grips with printing their images on their own home printers. Details of the date and venue of the workshop will be announced shortly.

Meanwhile, we are pleased to welcome to Tuesday's meeting, Castlebaldwin photographer John Daly, who has many years experience in the business and will talk to us about his work and the possibilites available using commercial printing services.

We will also have news of our exciting competition to win dinner for six at the Ramada Hotel Drumshanbo, or a year's subscription to Outdoor Photography Magazine, or tickets to Carrick Cinemaplex. Details of the competition, which takes place on Sunday, October 24th, and has been organised by the Farrell family and www.loughallenbasin.com, will be announced at Tuesday's meeting.

As always, the meeting starts at 8pm in St Joseph's Resource Centre, Boyle, and new members are welcome.

Re-scheduled Meeting

Our social evening all about the Aran Islands weekend away back in June has now been booked for Wednesday next, September 29th, as before in Daly's Bar in Boyle, starting at 8pm. Although we will be showing pictures from the trip and reminiscing about what a wonderful time we had, the meeting is open to all members, even ones who weren't there!
LGC

Meeting Postponed

In light of the sad news of the passing of Fergus Ahern last night, we have decided, as a mark of respect, to postpone our social evening planned for tomorrow (September 21st). Fergus was a very well known business person in the town, and in his role as Chairman of Boyle Arts Festival, he was very supportive of Boyle Camera Club's now annual Summer Exhibition. We offer our condolences to his friends and family - Boyle will be a different place without him.
The Camera Club Aran Islands evening will now be rearranged and members will be notified of the new date.
LGC

About the weather...

Heavy rain and high winds have put paid to our plans for a nice afternoon photographing hot air balloons tomorrow. The first official flight of the National Hot Air Balloon Championships was due to take place tomorrow (Sunday September 19th) with Boyle Camera Club members on site to record the event. But the Championship Director, Joseph Leahy, tells us that because of the weather, it is highly unlikely that any balloons will take to the air tomorrow. So sadly, our planned photo-shoot is cancelled.
The balloons will be there all next week, with 40 taking part in any of the 11 proposed flying slots - so there should be a photo opportunity for us there some time!
The Ballooning Championships take place at New Castle House, Ballymahon, Co Longford, until September 24th, with flights (weather permitting) at 7.30am and 4.45pm each day.
Hopefully, some of us will find time to head that way if the weather improves (Monday and Tuesday are forecast better!).
LGC

Up, Up and Away!

There was a good turn out for our monthly meeting last night. Hopefully, we have now found the definitive venue (St Joseph's Resource Centre) and it will become our permanent home. It certainly looks good so far. Next month we will include refreshments (tea and coffee) and we'll work at getting the screen a bit higher so the folk at the back can see better!
Members have been invited to submit photos for the Discover Boyle day on October 3rd. Local pictures for a show of work, probably in St Joseph's Hall (to be confirmed), any size or subject, but with a local theme. Images don't have to be framed, but they should be mounted. Contact Louise for more info.
Our photo-shoot/competition on September 26th has been postponed for a month. It will now be on October 24th at Lough Allen. Visit http://www.loughallenbasin.com/ for a taste of what the area's about - we'll post more details about the event nearer the date.
The Motivation for next month is 'Trees'. Try to challenge yourself to be original! Two entries per member, as always. Send them re-sized with your membership number, category and image title all together as the image name to info@boylecameraclub.com. The deadline is October 5th.
The National Hot Air Ballooning Championships take place in Ballymahon, Co Longford, next week. Its a wonderful photo opportunity (40 balloons are expected to take part) and we've talked the organisers into allowing us certain access behind the scenes. We're going to be there at the start - the first launch on Sunday afternoon (September 19th). Meet at 3pm in the car park at Boyle Crescent for a briefing and car pooling, or contact Louise for details.
If you are interested in pursuing the IPF Licentiate accreditation, let Dermot have your name. This follows on from a talk by Conor Dowling; hopefully a number of club members would like to pursue this as a project.
Our next get-together is on Tuesday next (September 21st), a social in Daly's Bar in Boyle, to show our Aran Islands pictures and talk about what a great weekend we had back in June. That will be an 8pm start - every one's welcome, even if you didn't go on the trip. If you still haven't sent in your Aran Island images, get a move on! Send them in to Joe in the usual way.
LGC

Change of venue for our next meeting

Our next monthly meeting takes place on Tuesday next, September 14th, starting at 8pm. We'll be in a new venue – The Resource Centre behind St Joseph's RC Church, Boyle. It is easy to find, there is parking right outside the door, and we will be in an airy ground floor room.
The Resource Centre is the building which is the former laundry of the Convent. Access to the site is either from Carrick Road (turn into the church car park and drive on through, past the church) or from Abbeytown Road (from Boyle, pass the Abbey and the entrance to the site is on the right just a short way on from the bridge over the River Boyle).
Keep Sunday September 26th free for an exciting outdoor photo-shoot/competition, which will be announced at the meeting!
An extra meeting takes place on Tuesday, September 21st, when all the people who went to the Aran Islands in June are invited to get together to show their images and share their stories. More details to follow.
New members are welcome. If you would like information about joining the Club, contact us at boylecameraclub@eircom.net.
LGC

Success at Boyle Summer Show

Club members took the two main prizes for photography at Boyle Summer Show on Sunday. Louise Cole won first in the Adult Section (winning photo pictured here) and Dan Lonergan won the Best Overall Image. The theme was 'Natural World'.

We hope to welcome some new members following their interest in our stand at the Summer Show, where our Arts Festival Exhibition images were shown on screen.

In October, members have the opportunity to display their images of Boyle during a 'Discover Boyle' event organised in conjunction with Irish Waterways. More details will follow shortly.

The start of our Autumn season gets under way with a meeting on September 14th, starting at 8pm, followed by an evening of Aran Islands pictures and stories on September 21st. We should also have a Club Photo-shoot later this month - watch this space!

LGC

Cheque Presentation to Croí

From the left, Dermot Devine (Secretary), Louise Cole (Chairperson), Barry McCann (Croí) and Kit O'Connor (Treasurer) pictured in Boyle today.

We are very proud to be able to pass on €800 to Croí, the West of Ireland Cardiac Foundation, following our successful Summer Exhibition. The charity was chosen because of links with some of our members and its focus on our region.

Photographs purchased at the Exhibition are now available to collect from The Greenway Emporium in Market Yard, Bridge Street, Boyle.

Our next Club outing will be a presence at Boyle Summer Show on Sunday next (August 29th). If you are in the town that day, call in and say hello - there should also be a chance to see our slideshow from the Exhibition, just in case you missed it first time around!

The Club's next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 14th, at 8pm.

LGC

News Update

Croi
We are delighted to report that our Summer Exhibition raised €800 for Croi, the West of Ireland Heart Foundation, and we will be making a cheque presentation to the charity shortly. Pictures and prints purchased at the Exhibition will be available for collection from The Greenway Emporium in Boyle (071 9664090) after August 21st.
Summer Show
Members are invited to join us in promoting the Club at the annual Boyle Summer Show on Sunday, August 29th. We will have a table in the Sports Complex from 2.30pm until 4.30pm, with the slide show running from our recent exhibition. We could do with a few people to take turns in sitting there, just to talk to interested members of the public and maybe hand out membership application forms! Ring Louise if you can help.
Also, Boyle Summer Show has a photography section again this year. Last year, two of our members, Debbie Little and Louise Cole, won rosettes – it would be nice if the Club was again represented. Entry forms are in the Show schedule, which is available from Una Bhan Tourism in the grounds of King House, Boyle. The deadline is August 24th. The theme for the photography competition is 'Natural World' and there are categories for adults, secondary and primary schoolchildren, with small cash prizes and rosettes for the winners.
Calendar Opportunity
Siobhan Clancy, an artist working with the Family Life Centre in Boyle is looking for digital images that reflect the themes of love, faith, trust, hope, time and many others for inclusion in a calendar. Day by Day in the Life is the title of the project. All images submitted will feature in a digital presentation on September 23rd when the final selection for the calendar will be announced and they will also get an airing at a culture night displaying the art@work projects in Roscommon the following evening. Deadline for submissions is September 6th. This is another opportunity for Boyle Camera Club members to get involved in the community. More information is available on http://flcartboyle.wordpress.com/.
LGC

No August Meeting

We will be taking a break during August, meaning no monthly meeting this time. Meetings will resume in September (as before, on the second Tuesday of the month).

Our Summer Exhibition in Boyle Library proved to be the best yet, with exceptional numbers of sales, increased numbers of visitors, and some very satisfying feedback from everyone involved.

Paraic Brennan's picture of donkeys in the snow (shown here) proved to be the most popular picture at the show!

People who purchased prints and framed pictures can collect them from The Greenway Emporium in Market Yard, Bridge Street, Boyle, after August 21st. Exhibitors can collect their mounted prints at the September meeting.

LGC

Visit our Summer Exhibition!

If you haven't already visited our wonderful Summer Exhibition in Boyle Library, then there is still time to do so.
We opened to a great crowd last Thursday evening and have already sold a number of pictures, with some very flattering remarks appearing in our Visitor's Book. Proceeds will benefit Croí, the West of Ireland Heart Foundation charity.
The exhibition, 'Your Best Shot', continues on Thursday, from 1pm until 8pm, and on Friday, from 10am until 1pm, and from 2pm until 5pm, with access through the Library (which is in the basement of King House).
We finish on Saturday (July 31st), with opening hours from 10am until 6pm, when access is only through King House (the Library itself is closed this day because it is a Bank Holiday weekend).
Please come along and see for yourself what a talented bunch of photographers we have in our midst!

See photos from the Opening Night HERE.

LGC

Join Us For The Offical Launch

Our Summer Exhibition will be launched at 7pm in Boyle Library on Thursday next, July 22nd. All of the images will be for sale, as framed prints for €60 each, or as A4 sized single prints for €20 each. Proceeds will go to the West of Ireland Heart Charity, Croí.

Opening hours will be during Library opening hours (1pm until 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday, 10am to 1pm and 2pm until 5pm, Wednesday and Friday), plus 12 noon until 6pm on Sunday, and 10am until 5pm on Monday (when the Library is closed) with access on these two days through King House.

Join us for the launch - everyone is welcome!

Not Quite a Lark in the Park!

The prospect of heavy rain and poor light led us away from Lough Key Forest Park last night for our monthly meeting. Instead, we took off to Ardcarne Parish Church for the challenge of shooting beautiful stained glass windows and the like in low-light conditions. Thanks to David and Dorothy Gillespie who made us welcome at the church. Thanks also to our Tulsk/Strokestown ladies who supplied the wine and nibbles after the shoot!
Next on the agenda is our Exhibition in the Library. If you are involved, please try to come to the Library on Tuesday evening between 6.30pm and 8pm to sign your print.
Members and friends are cordially invited to the opening of the Summer Exhibition at 7pm on Thursday, July 22nd, in Boyle Library. See you there!

LGC

July Meeting

Our monthly meeting takes place tomorrow evening, July 13th, at 7.30pm. Meet outside the Visitor Centre, Lough Key Forest Park, for a briefing. Use the proper car park and free exit tokens will be available to paid-up members.
We hope to have the posters and flyers advertising the forthcoming Summer Exhibition available for you to take away to help promote it. We'll also have the sitting rota for the Exhibition for you to complete, if you haven't already (any members can join us for this, even if you haven't got a picture in the show).

If it is raining (which there's a fair chance it will be!) we have a contingency plan. Bring your camera and tripod and be prepared for some low light indoor photography...

LGC

News Update...

Next Meeting
Our July monthly meeting (as ever, 2nd Tuesday - ie, July 13th) will be at an earlier time (7.30pm) and at a different venue (Lough Key Forest Park). We have planned to have an informal outdoor event this time, so bring your camera and a picnic and we'll see what happens! No slideshows this month – we'll save them for a later date.
Best Shot
An exhibition of images by members of our Club takes place in Boyle Library at the end of July during Boyle Arts Festival. Thirty two members are taking part: all exhibitors are asked to check their e-mails for details of the entrance fee and sitting commitments. This year, proceeds from the sale of pictures will go to the West of Ireland Heart Foundation, Croί. (www.croi.ie)
Moment in Time
If you took a picture at 4pm on June 12th for our challenge, please send it in, in the usual way – make sure you identify it as different from the Motivations and other photo-shoots! There's still time to send in your Aran Islands pictures, too. We will have a social evening in September to show the results of our lovely weekend away. More details nearer the time…
Motivation
The deadline for camera phone pictures is Tuesday next, July 6th. Send them in to info@boylecameraclub.com in the usual way – properly re-sized and labelled with your membership number, your category and a title for the image.
PhotoIreland
Of interest to photographers everywhere is the PhotoIreland Festival 2010 which takes place in Dublin from July 1st until 11th. Part of the festival is 'The Birth of Motion and Colour Photography', an exhibition of rare original photos by Eadweard Muybridge and the Lumiere Brothers from 1887 and 1907-11. The display is in Mondrian's Room, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. More info on www.photoireland.org.

LGC

Photo Ireland Festival 2010

Photography has played an important role in Irish Culture ever since Francis Beatty opened Ireland’s first daguerreotype portrait studio on the roof of the Rotunda, Dublin, in October 1841. While Ireland has a strong Photographic tradition and enjoys international recognition thanks to its past and contemporary practitioners, there is to date no major event in Ireland that recognises the importance that Photography has in our culture, or even promotes it as an independent artistic practice.

Things are about to change Right NOW!

Photo courtesy of FotoIreland 2010.

TM

Latest News...

Weekend Away:

Our trip to the Aran Islands proved to be great success - 23 of us headed out to Inis Oirr, the smallest island, last Friday. There was good weather, good company, lots of Guinness and, of course, lots of photo opportunities.

Follow our antics on Flickr!

While we were there, the Saturday 4pm 'Moment in Time' challenge took place. Wherever you were at that time, members were urged to join in by taking a photo - send images in to Joe in the usual way (info@boylecameraclub.com) and we'll see what the result is!

Competition:

TOP (the fuel company – formerly TOP Oil) is running a photography competition which is open to any amateur photographer, of any subject, taken anywhere in Ireland. The winning photos will be compiled to make the TOP Calendar for 2011 – distributed to 50,000 homes. More information can be found HERE. Entries can be sent to photo@top.ie with the why, when and where the photo was taken. The closing date is 30th June.

Exhibition 2010:

Don't forget, the deadline for entries to our Summer Exhibition is Friday next, June 18th. Send your best two pictures in via e-mail, but also send high resolution images for printing to: Boyle Camera Club, c/o The Greenway Emporium, Market Yard, Boyle, Co Roscommon, either on a CD, or on a USB drive.

LGC

What will YOU be up to on Saturday at 4pm??

• A moment in time – even if you can't be with us in the Aran Islands, you can join us in our just-for-fun photo exercise on Saturday afternoon. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, take a photo at exactly 4pm on Saturday, June 12th, and send it in to Joe at info@boylecameraclub.com in the usual way. The subject can be anything you like, but it MUST be taken at exactly 4pm. Its just for fun – and we'll show the images at one of our upcoming meetings (don't forget, we have ways of checking that you haven't cheated with the time keeping!!).
• We're off on our weekend away tomorrow, Friday. Photos will, of course, be posted on Flickr and we will probably meet for a whole evening to show Aran Island images, separate from our monthly meeting – watch this space!
• If you've ever used your camera for making phone calls, then you'll have found Tony Murphy's talk about Camera Phones inspiring. An un-edited image from a phone (composition is paramount here) is our next Motivation.
  Portrait Photography was the June Motivation, with last month's speaker, Tony Geoghegan choosing the top three images from each category. Read more about our June meeting here.
• The deadline for entries into the Summer Exhibition in the Libary during Boyle Arts Festival is next week. Send your best two shots (suitable for printing to A4 size only) in to us in the usual way by Friday, June 18th (late entries won't be accapted). You also need to send your images in their original format (for printing) on a CD or USB drive to: Boyle Camera Club, c/o The Greenway Emporium, Market Yard, Boyle, Co Roscommon. Entrants will be required to pay €12 each (towards costs) and will have to agree to do some sitting time on the rota. A mounted print of their exhibition picture will be available for each entrant at the end of the Show. Throughout the Exhibition (which runs from July 21st to 31st) pictures will be for sale, with proceeds going to charity. For more information contact Louise on 086 0814683.

LGC

Lots of dates for your diary!

The deadline for the monthly Motivation is almost upon us - Tuesday, June 1st, is the day to get your Portrait pictures in. As always, send them (correctly sized and formatted) to info@boylecameraclub.com.

Tuesday is also the day for a get together of the people going on the annual outing. If you want to hear all the info about where we're going, who's included, what we're going to do when we get there, car pooling to get to the airport/ferry port etc., then come along for an informal briefing at Dalys in Bridge Street, Boyle, at 8pm on June 1st. This won't be a lengthy meeting (we hope!), but will give us a chance to talk about what we can expect from the weekend away. Peter should have the packs of information available to hand out, so if you are involved, please try to be there.

The deadline for entries into the summer exhibition is June 18th. 'Give it your best shot!' is the title of the exhibition, which takes place in Boyle Library during Arts Festival week. Send your two best shots (any subject, the choice is yours!) in to the usual address, re-sized and formatted for e-mail - but we also need you to send them to us on CD or on a USB pen drive, in their original state for printing. This is just an advance warning - you'll get more details at the monthly meeting on June 8th! We'll have an interesting evening for you, as always, starting at 8pm in the Royal Hotel, Boyle.

Meanwhile, members may be interested in a weekend away, the week following our annual trip. Professional photo journalist Peter Wilcock (who gave an interesting talk about press photography to us a while back) has teamed up with Sligo Park Hotel (www.sligopark.com) to bring 'Snap into Summer' a course in photography on June 18th - 20th. Call 071 9190400 for details.

LGC

Moments in Time - Powerscourt Gallery, Dublin

The Powerscourt Gallery would like to invite club members to the opening night of Moments in Time, a new exhibition of original photographic views of the old and new world.

On the opening night there will also be an exposition and discussion of time-travel devices from a past age presented by Seth and Star Hooker.
The launch takes place in Powerscourt Gallery on Thursday the 3rd June, at 5pm.

Refreshments will be offered and admission is free.

MAP to Gallery is HERE.

TM.

Perfect Portraits...

Portrait photography was the subject of our May meeting, with professional photographer Tony Geoghegan sharing some of his tips for getting the best shots. Tony, who has a studio in Knockvicar, regaled members with anecdotes about how he managed to achieve the pictures he showed us, and he gave some valuable advice about lighting techniques and equipment. Camera Club members are now tasked with taking their own portrait pictures, of themselves, their pets or their friends and relatives, as the motivation for the next month. Tony will be the judge, the deadline is Tuesday, June 1st.

The 'Nightscapes' motivation pictures were shown and Tony Murphy read out the comments of the judge; Fine Art Photographer and NCAD Lecturer, Fiona King.

Winners as follows;

Beginners: First, 'Walk on Water' by Benny Sheerin, with Maeve Cormican in second place and May Costello third.
Intermediate: 'Night Reflections' by Mary Lane in first place (above), with Andy Rimmer second, and Rob Wheeldon third.

Advanced: Conor Dowling's ' Night Dust' in first place, with Joe Kennedy second and Paraic Brennan third.

A more detailed report of the judges comments can be viewed HERE.

The annual exhibition in the Library is our next big focus and a working party is being set up to get this organised - volunteers are still needed! The exhibition will take place during Boyle Arts Festival and as in previous years, photographs will be for sale, with the proceeds going to charity.

A trip to the Derreen (bluebell) Wood, Knockvicar is planned, which should happen some time during the next few weeks. Members will be notified by text, so keep your phone switched on!

LGC

New time for the gee gees...

Our photo outing on Sunday next (May 9th), will now start a little earlier than we'd first expected. The trip is to the Sligo Race Course where there will be a Point to Point meeting taking place, starting at 1pm.
So, we will now meet in the Crescent, Boyle, for car pooling and a briefing at 12 noon.
Please note, that because of insurance restrictions, this will be a members-only event, although the Point to Point is, of course, open to the public.

Busy, busy, busy!

Activities continue apace as we gear up for a series of outings and meetings, plus our annual exhibition in the Library during Boyle Arts Festival at the end of July. A working party is currently being set up to organise this year's exhibition (if you'd like to get involved, please make yourself known to the chairperson, Louise Cole at the Greenway Emporium, Boyle, on 071 9664090 or 086 0814683). We will be inviting members to submit two of their best shots – find out more at the next meeting!
Meanwhile, the deadline for the monthly motivation looms: Tuesday, May 4th, a week ahead of the meeting in the Royal Hotel on May 11th. The motivation, set to inspire members to take more pictures, is 'Nightscapes'.
The *speaker for the May meeting will be Tony Geoghegan, who makes a welcome return to the club to talk about taking portrait photographs. There will also be slideshows of the two most recent photo-shoots, one to Cavan County Museum and another to the Marble Arch Caves.
An outing is planned to a Point to Point meeting at Sligo Racecourse on Sunday, May 9th. This will be an afternoon trip, meeting at 1.30pm in the Crescent, Boyle, for car pooling and briefing. (Please note: This is a different type of horse racing to the Sligo Races event advertised for May 2nd). We also plan a visit to the bluebell woods near Knockvicar - we'll let you know at a later date when that will be.
Our annual weekend away is getting closer – 27 members will head for the Aran Islands on June 11th - 13th.
Boyle Camera Club continues to prosper, with almost 50 paid up members, regular outings, and meetings in the Royal Hotel, Boyle, on the second Tuesday of the month, starting at 8pm. As ever, new members are always welcome. We cater for beginners, improvers and experts and have an eclectic mix of ages and professions of both sexes. You can see some of the images created by members on our Flickr site.

* The talk about picture framing due to take place at the April meeting will now be re-scheduled for later in the year, after the speaker, Michael Ewing, was unable to attend at the last minute due to a bereavement.

LGC

Club Meeting - Tuesday 13th April

Joe Kennedy - The Winner

This was a busy a varied meeting, despite the absence of our guest speaker Michael Ewing, who was unable to attend. Peter Boalch hosted the event which began with the presentation of this months Black & White Motivation, judged by local photographer and club member, John Reynolds.

John gave an excellent critique of a selection from this month's members images and subsequently demonstrated a variety of digital darkroom techniques on the most effective way to convert digital colour files to Black & White.

Later in the meeting, Tony Murphy gave a presentation on the subject of Autofocus - What it is, How it works and unravelling the multitude of camera settings in order to get the most out of this often misunderstood and under-utilised function of the digital SLR camera.

Members are asked to note the following dates for their calendars;

Sunday 18th April - Photo Shoot to Marble Arch Caves - Co. Fermanagh

Sunday 18th April - Photo Fest Ireland 2010 - Dublin Airport

Wednesday 24th & 25th April - IPF National Club Finals - Athlone

Wednesday 28th April - Committee Meeting

Tuesday 4th May - 'Nightscapes' Motivation Submission

Tuesday 11th May - Next Club Meeting, 8pm Royal Hotel, Boyle

Full Minutes from this month's meeting HERE.

TM

Photo-shoot on Sunday next 19th April to Marble Arch Caves

The Porridge Pot - Marble Arch Caves, Co. Fermanagh

Our next Photoshoot will be on Sunday 18th April.

We are going underground at The Marble Arch Caves near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, for a photoshoot on Sunday next. The trip will include a boat trip underground through the caves and members should wear comfortable walking shoes and a sweater or fleece. Should make for a great day out. The cost of admission will be £7 STG.

As usual we will meet in the car park at the Crescent, Boyle at 9 am.

For insurance reasons, photo-shoots are only available to paid-up members of the club.

PB

photo courtesy Marble Arch Website

More competitions...

If you are interested in competitive photography, then there are a few competitions around at the moment, including one from Irish Forestry. Together with the Institute of Photography, Irish Forestry is running a competition with the theme of ... forestry. All entries will be displayed on the IPF website, with the winner being announced in early July. Prizes and entry details are on http://www.ifsam.ie/. Age Action, a charity which promotes positive ageing and better policies and services for older people has an annual photo competition. Visit http://www.ageaction.ie/ for details.

The deadline for our monthly Motivation - this month, its black and white images - is up today, as always, a week ahead of our next monthly meeting.

Picture framer Michael Ewing will be at our meeting on April 13th to talk us through the endless possibilities of frames and mounts for changing the finish on our printed photographs. There will be slide shows of our trip to County Cavan Museum and the results of the Motivation, plus a short talk on auto focus by Tony Murphy. The meeting starts at 8pm (sharp!) in the Royal Hotel, Bridge Street, Boyle, and new members are always welcome.

You can view images from club members here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boylecameraclub/sets/

LGC

Photo-shoot on Sunday next

The County Museum of Cavan in Ballyjamesduff is our destination for a photo-shoot on Sunday next (March 28th). This will be another learning opportunity for members to swap information and techniques out in the field. The museum has a wealth of historical artifacts and interesting displays - plenty of scope for creative photography indoors and out.
As usual, we will meet at the Crescent Car Park in Boyle for car pooling and a briefing. Meet at 9am prompt (and don't forget, the clocks will have changed!).
The cost is €5 each, which includes admission to the museum and tea and scones on arrival.
For insurance reasons, photo-shoots are only available to paid-up members of the club.
LGC

Club Meeting - Tuesday March 9th

Sean Kennedy of Dublin Camera Club was the guest speaker at our March meeting. Sean has been a keen photographer for many years and showed us some inspiring prints of his award-winning, black and white photography. In the early days, he only used film and did all his own processing, but he has had to move with the times and now takes digital images. He explained that all cameras will take a colour image and convert it to black and white, which poses certain challenges. Following on from his talk, our next motivation will be 'Black and White' – any subject, but it must be monochrome!

Photographs on Texture and Pattern, which was last month's motivation, were shown, followed by images from the photo-shoot to Lough Arrow.

The committee recently reviewed the categories for submissions, and so a number of members have been 'promoted' to a higher level (no-one got demoted!).

Members' photographs can be viewed HERE.

We have a Flickr Workshop booked for Saturday, March 20th. Paraic Brennan and Tony Murphy will help beginners set up their own on-line Flickr account. There are limited places, so book now if you are interested! More details HERE.

Our next photo-shoot will be to Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan on Sunday, March 28th. Meet at 9am in the Crescent Car Park, Boyle, for car-pooling and briefing.

Members are encouraged to attend the St Patrick's Day Parade in Boyle, which starts at 3.30pm on Wednesday, March 17th.

You can read Dermot Devine's account of the March meeting HERE.

LGC

International Photography Competition - Italy

The Association "Orizzonte Cultura" in partnership with the Council of Quarrata and the Province of Pistoia (Tuscany - Italy) organises the 4th edition of "Immagini" photography competition. The special prizes "Tiziano Terzani" and "O.C. International" will be awarded respectively to the photograph which best expresses the concept of love for nature and to the foreign best photographer. Deadline: 20th March 2010.

Please see previously exhibited images,videos of prize-giving receptions, winning photographs, competition rules and request form on: www.orizzontecultura.org.

LGC

Chilled Out Photo-Shoot!

A group of intrepid members got together on Sunday last for a photo-shoot around Lough Arrow. We were down on numbers (it seemed we'd chosen a day when lots of people had other commitments), but we were not short of enthusiasm as we faced the elements. Not for the first time recently, we faced the photographic challenges of colourless skies and damp, miserable surroundings - with snowfalls visible in the distance and sticky mud underfoot. We took in some nice views of Lough Arrow, had a good look around Ballinafad Castle, and then went on to Ballindoon Priory. At that point, we could see the visibility in the Bricklieves was poor, so we decided against heading out for the Carrowkeel Tombs. We'll save that trip for another day - hopefully when the weather improves. You can view some of the day's photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boylecameraclub/sets/

Next on the club agenda is the deadline for the texture and pattern motivation - March 2nd. Our monthly meeting follows, on March 9th, when the theme will be black and white photography.

LGC

Photo-Shoot Sunday February 21st

A Photo-shoot has been arranged for this coming Sunday, February 21st.
We'll meet at 9am in the Crescent Car Park, Boyle, for car pooling and a briefing. We plan to take in Lough Arrow (not Lough Allen as was previously mentioned!), stopping off for a look at the Castle in Ballinafad and then onto the Carrowkeel Tombs, via a different route to our last trip there. Be prepared for all weathers and bring your own refreshments, just in case we don't find anywhere open for coffee so early on a Sunday morning...
As always, for insurance reasons, this is a members-only event.
Former members are invited to re-join the club; we've plenty going on for folk of all abilities, from juniors to pensioners, and of either gender. All you need is an enthusiasm for digital photography, access to the Internet for information and a mobile phone, which is our favoured means of communication. Oh, and you'll also need €50 to join from January to December (or €30 for juniors and the unwaged).
LGC

53rd World Press Photo Winners for 2009

The 53rd Annual World Press Photo of the Year has been awarded to Italian photographer Pietro Masturzo, for his image of women shouting from a Tehran rooftop on June 24, 2009, in protest of the contested Iranian presidential elections.

World Press Photo's 2009 winners were announced on February 12th in Amsterdam.

World Press Photo is one of the most widely followed photojournalism competitions. It is unique in selecting one photograph as the year's top work of photojournalism. It also recognizes dozens of other images in twenty other categories.

See all the winning photos HERE.

TM

What About The Weather??

There was a far from frosty reception at our February meeting as we viewed chilly images entered in the 'Wintertime' competition and then motivation entries on the subject of 'The Weather'.

Clearly lots of members have been out and about in the recent icy conditions with their cameras. Congratulations to the winners:

Advanced: 1. Tony Murphy - “December Dawn" 2. Peter Boalch - "Cold Feet" 3. Joe Kennedy - "Evening Light"

Intermediate: 1.Peter Kelly - "untitled" 2.Margaret Dolan - "Morning Glory" - 3. Martina Morris - "untitled"

Beginners: 1.Mary Lane - "Winter Time" 2.Mary Lane - "My Dog" 3.Maeve Cormican - "Roosky"

We were treated to some interesting surreal and abstract shots from Joe Kennedy's recent trip to Paris, and Paraic Brennan talked us through setting up a Flickr account.

We have decided to scrap the quarterly competitions and stick to the monthly motivation - and we will revert to our original system of points and a league table.

The next motivation will be 'Texture and Patterns' This month, you can go up close and personal with macros for some weird and wonderful shots of nature - but try thinking outside the box. Look at the patterns and texture in architecture, clothing and landscapes. The deadline is; Tuesday, March 2nd.

From now on, include your membership number (not your name!), your category and your image title in the name of your file - up to two entries to: info@boylecameraclub.com. (For example, the name of the file should be like this: 8-Intermediate-Morning Glory.jpg. And don't forget to re-size the image for sending via e-mail!).

Participants in the IPF workshops at Athlone IT will be meeting at 9.30am for a 10am start on Saturday next (February 13th). Follow the IPF link for Google maps on how to get there.

Everyone going to the Aran Islands (June 11th-13th) is invited to a brief get together on Wednesday next (February 17th)to discuss the arrangements. Meet in Dalys's Bar, Bridge Street at 8pm. Don't worry if you can't make it - we'll keep you posted!

Details to follow of our next Photo-shoot to Lough Allen on Sunday, February 21st.

Minutes of February's meeting HERE.

Next Club Meeting; Tuesday 9th March 8pm, Royal Hotel, Boyle.

LGC

Picturing New York: Photographs from The Museum of Modern Art

Picturing New York: Photographs from The Museum of Modern Art

25 November 2009 - 14 February 2010

Unititled Film Still #14, 1978 Cindy Sherman

If you are visiting Dublin in the next week or so, or have a desire to treat yourself to a day out, then make every effort to see this historical event! Picturing New York comprises 145 masterworks from the photographic collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, covering the period from the 1880s to the present day. It celebrates the tradition of photographing New York, a tradition that frames and influences the perception of this vibrant urban centre. Including photographs by such influential photographers as Berenice Abbot, Diane Arbus, Garry Winogrand, Lisette Model, Alfred Stieglitz and Cindy Sherman, it explores both New York and its inhabitants, highlighting associations – from the vast, overwhelming architecture and bright lights, to the diversity of people that lie at the soul of the city.

... more

TM

Mill Cove Gallery is celebrating its 10th Anniversary

The Mill Cove Awards are for outstanding works in painting, print or photography. First prize €1,000 and entry open to everyone.

The Awards Exhibition opens at Mill Cove Gallery, Castletownbere on 4th April 2010.

Entries close on the 5th March.

There will be a collection of the work from city centre locations in Dublin and Cork if there are sufficient submissions . Watch web page for details.
This will incur an additional carriage and return charge of €8.

Full details HERE.

TM

Photography Weekend Workshop in Galway with Joe Geoghan

Local Galway photographer, Joe Geoghegan and Glenlo Abbey Hotel in Galway have teamed up to provide a series of Midweek and Weekend Photography Breaks for Spring 2010.

Joe has sent on details in a document viewable HERE.

TM

Meeting 19th January 2010

This first meeting of a new year for Boyle Camera Club was well attended. Chairperson, Louise Cole welcomed the gathering and presented a calendar of events for the coming months, which includes dates of meetings, photo shoots, Motivation & Competition themes and presentations.

Download the Club Calendar HERE.

Peter Boalch repeated his slideshow and talk about the proposed trip to the Aran Islands on June 11th to 13th. Deposits will be accepted at the February meeting. So far 24 members are signed up for what promises to be an excellent adventure!

Conor Dowling will be attending the IPF Photoshop and HDR workshops in Athlone on the weekend of February 13th & 14th. A group of club members will car-pool for the event. Anyone interested should contact Conor through the club secretary via info@boylecameraclub.com.

Joe Kennedy presented this month's Motivation submissions on the theme 'Christmas'. A very fine collection of images, with appropriate 'musical accompaniment' was a feast for the eyes and ears.

Spencer Platt - "Affluent Lebanese drive down the street to look at a destroyed neighbourhood 15 August 2006 in southern Beirut, Lebanon."

The meeting closed with a presentation by Tony Murphy on the World Press Photo of the Year Awards with an emphasis on the work of Spencer Platt, who won the award in 2006 with a photo of Lebanese youths returning to their homes after the Israeli bombing of a South Beirut suburb. Platt's photo is considered one of the most influential images of the last decade and a discussion on the making of a number of iconic images from 2006 by top photo-journalists concluded the meeting.

Full Minutes from the meeting HERE.

Members are reminded that submissions for the WINTER COMPETITION should be sent to info@boylecameraclub.com before Sunday 31st January.

Next club meeting will take place on Tuesday 9th February at 8pm in the Royal Hotel, Boyle.

TM

We're on for Tuesday next!

Well, the thaw is here at last (hopefully) and so we're all set for our meeting on Tuesday next (19th), postponed from our usual second-Tuesday in the month. Since many of our members travel some distance to get to our meetings, it made sense to postpone our get-together because of the appalling driving conditions last week.

Our January meeting will include
* news of our programme of meetings, photo-shoots and motivations for the first half of the year;
* another chance to see the slideshow on the Aran Islands, which is our destination for a weekend away in June;
* a slideshow on the Christmas motivation (the deadline for our quarterly competition, Wintertime, is on January 31st);
* membership renewal – forms will be available on the night; we have not changed our subscription – it is €50 a year for full membership or €30 for juniors, students and the unwaged;
* Tony Murphy will give one of his short presentations on photographic appreciation, this time featuring one of the iconic photographs of the last decade.

As always, the meeting starts at 8pm in the Lough Key Room of the Royal Hotel, Bridge Street, Boyle. New members are welcome – all you need is a keen interest in digital photography, access to the internet and a mobile phone to receive text messages.

Beginners may like to know that there are still a few places left on the Digital Photography evening course at the HEC in Boyle (tutored by Tony Murphy). Thursday evenings, starting on January 21st. Information will be available on Tuesday evening, or if you want to get ahead of the possé, contact Siobhan Gallagher on 071 9664510.
LGC

Monthly meeting postponed due to the weather!

Our monthly meeting was due to take place next Tuesday evening (January 12th), but in view of the recent extreme weather conditions and the forecast for more to come next week, we have decided to postpone the meeting.

So now, we will meet (weather permitting), at 8pm on Tuesday, January 19th, as always in the Lough Key Room of the Royal Hotel, Bridge Street, Boyle.

Bring your cheque book, as this will be your opportunity to pay your subscription for the coming year!

Something new to look forward to will be laminated membership cards and a schedule of forthcoming trips, meetings and motivations. There will, of course, be a slide show from our recent competition, 'Wintertime', and a repeat of the information about our weekend away to the Aran Islands in June.

If the weather is still wreaking havoc on us this time next week, we may have to reconsider the 19th, but members will be kept informed by text.

Happy New Year, everyone!

LGC