Brighton's Poppy Field

One of these photos is the dead giveaway of where this spectacular annual event sprouts forth on the outskirts of Brighton. The location may be Falmer but the slopes belong to Bevendean Down, my local patch of the South Downs.

Poppy field at Falmer looking towards Bevendean Down

Brighton poppies looking towards Bevendean Dow

Poppy flowers mown down

The Amex Stadium, Brighton - across the poppy field

The final photo is not a toy camera effect, I zoomed the lens while taking the shot, trying to keep the Amex Stadium as sharp as possible, the blur progressively increasing towards the edges.

I should mention more often on this blog that prints of these images can be purchased by following the links - all Brighton poppy field images here in my South Downs gallery oe in my Brighton and Hove Selection.

Take Pride - London and Brighton

I recently stumbled across my photos from Pride 2010 which have been sitting on my computer without getting exposure on my site. I have sorted that out now at my new Gay Pride- London gallery. This sits besides my Brighton Pride gallery in a new Gay Pride collection.

Although I use the words Gay Pride, that is only because that is what many people tend to search for. Make no mistake that these are parades of much more than gay pride, they are annual events that celebrate lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender people through a carnival procession which is  colourful noisy and sometimes outrageous.

Pride Parade - London 2010

Pride Parade - Brighton 2012

The London Pride parade takes place on Saturday 29th June 2013 from 1pm in Central London. The Brighton Pride parade is on Saturday 3 August. Sadly I do not think I can be at either this year, but these images will remind me of what I am missing.

London to Brighton Charity Bike Ride 2013

After last week's naked bike rides in London and Brighton, today I went down to the end of the road to get photos of the annual London to Brighton charity ride aimed at raising money for British Heart Foundation.

So here are a few slightly more conventional cycling images:

 

I did not spend more than 10 minutes getting images unfortunately, but these are added to my existing collection of London to Brighton Bike Ride photos at my site.

Demo clash - Hairy Armpits v. Naked Cyclists

Recently I loaded photos from the start of the London World Naked Bike Ride to my photo site, a start that took place from Marble Arch in London. As participants were limbering up in preparation for the ride I spotted what looked like another demonstration competing for space on the Marble Arch traffic island....

Women raising awareness of Armpits 4 August in London

Women jealous of the guys getting hairy for Movember now have their own outlet for follicular liberalism. Armpits 4 August is a month long charity event for women who will grow underarm hair for one month and get friends and family to sponsor them to raise money for Verity, the charity for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) sufferers.

It turned out that this group did not get much bigger so they were not a threat to the naked bikers dominance of Marble Arch that day. They were last seen heading off to walk down Oxford Street.

More detail at the Armpits 4 August website.

World Naked Bike Ride - London

Photos as the first group of riders in the London World Naked Bike Ride approach Buckingham Palace along London's Mall. More  at http://lighttouch.photoshelter.com/gallery/WNBR-London-2013/G0000n_tdSORRhVI/C0000KLp2NTj2x4c

World Naked Bike Ride _ London 2013

 Today it's Brighton and I will be closer to the action! :)

Bristol Fashion

On the weekend I went to Bristol, although primarily a family social trip, I took a some photos around the Old City which included these two gems from outside All Bar One.....

Stags on the loose in Bristol

Cheeky boy

Castle Hill National Nature Reserve

Yesterday I took a local walk around an area of the South Downs National Park on the outskirts of Brighton, just East of Woodingdean. The 9km walk included a stroll through the valley of Castle Hill National Nature Reserve...

Castle Hill National Nature Reserve

.... and then up onto the Downs proper taking in fields of rape.....

South Downs landscape of rape

..... before returning on the path of the South Downs Way. Breezy and cool, but a real feeling thta this sun is at last here to stay!