End of Term Meeting “Digi Knockout and Nibbles”

A photographic Club Evening is not all about visiting speakers, lectures on software and internal and inter-club competitions. It is sometimes about a fun night out in great company. A chance for members to enjoy themselves with others in the Club. At SSDCC on Tuesday we all did just that at our half way “end of term” meeting.

Over the years, the Club has evolved the successful format of combining a tea and finger buffet, including member-contributed “nibbles”, with an audience judged knock-out of digitally projected images. Assistant Competition Secretary, Larry Darby pre- assembled them ready in Lightroom for projection in pairs. A show of hands was taken for each and the winner of the pairing was held back. Some high-level mathematics ensured that, like the cream in your coffee, the best eventually surfaced to the top.

A chance for Larry, as projector man, to be running the show up front and for us to benefit from his dry off-beat humour. Often at his own expense as he tried hard to justify some outrageously improbable pairings of images from totally different genres. Audience participation became cranked up and allegations of vote-rigging surfaced as entrants rallied support for their (officially anonymous) efforts. Adjudicator Paul Tucker attempted to total a sea of waving hands amid demands for re-counts from rival quarters.

Our Hon. Treasurer Martin Sothcott’s star was still in the ascendency as a Landscape of Newtown Creek, with an old anchor as foreground interest slowly moved up through the ranks. Obviously taken on the same day, it shared mood, sky and an interesting brownish overtone with his National Competition winning image of the walkway and boathouse. It looked destined to be the winner.

Coming up fast on the inside was an excellent image, probably taken at the last Island Ploughing Match, of a Tractor and Ploughman in the foreground with the furrows drawing the eye away into a great Island landscape. Why was Martin seemingly unconcerned as voting for this and his Newtown Landscape went right to the wire? You guessed it.They were both his!

I presented him, on behalf of the Club, with a very drinkable bottle of champagne, thanked Larry Darby for presenting such an enjoyable evening and the rest of the Committee for all their hard work through this, the first half of the club year and in particular Alan Rowe for manning the tea bar. The members responded with a generous round of applause for all their efforts, Alan opened up, the tea queue lengthened as, cup in hand, they made their way to a table groaning under a heap of savoury and sweet “nibbles”. No one went home hungry after a great club evening.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

Dick Loaring LRPS Chairman