The TIPF Big Day Out 2017

[CanonChrissy]

Korky u r fantastic. U always make me laugh. I was all set to drag hubby to the big day out but then an opportunity came up for me to take my 84 year old mum for a long weekend away. I really had to put her 1st....Next year I'm determined!!!!

[Denis]

Going to have to rethink my lens choice for the big day out... i was with the truck today doing an art exhibition move out of The Mall in London. I thought a photo of the truck parked in the Mall would be one for my album, took two photos and dropped the 18-105 lens and stuffed it. To say I'm gutted is an understatement

[kev7d]

Sorry to hear that Denis. Not good. 

[Denis]

All my own fault Kev, I got it just a little while ago, but work load recently has prevented me from getting out with it. Today was the first time I have picked the camera up for a few weeks. Not taking it to work anymore !

[Ryewolf]

Yes, bit of bad news that. Are you covered on insurance? A few years back when I needed to renew my house & contents insurance, I went to the company I have my car insurance with has they always managed to find good deals. Anyway we did a thorough going through what I was currently insured for. He said it was surprising just how many people under estimated how much it would to replace everything in your house in the event of say a fire. I also mentioned that I was a keen photographer and quite often went out with quite a bit of kit at times. The up shot was we increased the total building and contents from £100k to £250k with a single expensive item at £50k, plus I'm insured for upto £5000 in items away from the house for Loss, theft or accidental damage. And it was no dearer than my previous insurance.

[Denis]

No insurance to cover that at the moment Geoff, but food for thought.

Now scurfing around fleabay for a replacement !

[kev7d]

I don't recall what you shoot with or how much kit you have Denis.   But if you shoot Canon and have no other lens I could pop a 17 - 85 kit lens in the post on loan to get you through next weekends meeting.  

[Denis]

Kev, that is really good of you, but unfortunately I'm from the dark side...Nikon

[FUJI]

Hi, Denis,

Have you really checked with your ..House and Contents....insurers?

I really wish that I could help you, but I'm sure you won't want to faff with vintage M42 lenses and adapters which is all I can offer.....all my SONY kit has gone for sale.

With ref to you not taking your camera to work......could I suggest that, when the dust has settled, you carry a really good ....Point and Shoot ....in a pocket .....that way you won't miss the opportunities that you love.

Only very recently, one of my vintage lenses fell out of my bag on to concrete with a sickening crunch which made folks around me gasp in horror, especially my Leica owning pal. Fortunately it took the hit on the lens hood, which is badly dented, but the lens works just fine.....built like a tank....as they say.

Just a thought here......I still have my original, PANASONIC GF1 here, I have a variety of lenses which fit my current camera......I could offer you that for the day, next Saturday, just let me know.....I can charge the battery and check it out for you. Google the camera, to see if you would like to use it, I just can't use LCD screens for shooting now.

 

FUJI

[kev7d]

7 hours ago, Denis said:

Kev, that is really good of you, but unfortunately I'm from the dark side...Nikon

It would have been no bother at all.  

 

[Denis]

Thanks all for the offers of cameras and lenses, really appreciate the goodwill.

The camera is quite happy,  the lens for some reason was not fully locked on and literally dropped off when using it. Sourcing a replacement on fleabay today.

The offending photographs:

[Clicker]

What a bummer Denis! Hope you can pic up something suitable  in time ...otherwise  your company  will suffice ...

ps love the photos !

[Clicker]

I went to Stratford this morning at  8am . Yeah really.. on a Sunday !  ...  just to check out the  Four Teas cafe and the parking .. Arrived at 9am  ..  The cafe looked fine ... met Rachel the owner  who  looked like she had stepped  right out of the forties ..   We are booked for tea /Coffee at 10 am ...and a lunch or afternoon tea  at 2 pm . She told me that  yesterday ( Saturday) was absolutely manic with coach loads of tourists  queuing up for tables ( it's always  heaving with folk  this time of year ) .She did suggest that when we go in the morning we might be able to order what we wanted for the lunchtime visit  in advance.  as it would help to ensure we all had our food  served at the same time. I  know we could take a picnic   but its more to carry and the weather could  be  unsuitable.  i thought the prices and choices  looked  pretty reasonable  so if you would care to check out the menu we could  have our order ready .... It might  be an idea to take some cash to avoid 8 different card transactions  too  lol

i was able to  park in  either:-

1) the  the Bridgeway Multi Storey Car Park sat nav postcode CV37 6YX   ( both are five minutes walk  from the  cafe )

It has 650spaces , up to 9 hours is £6.00, Maximum height at barrier ( for vehicle  ) is 5'10 " / 1.8 mtrs... in case  you're coming in the Scania Denis ...

https://www.stratford.gov.uk/transport/bridgefoot.cfm

OR

2)  the Recreation Ground carpark on Swans Nest Lane, postcode CV37 6BB  . It has 378 spaces,.same prices and has no height restriction for vehicles.

https://www.stratford.gov.uk/transport/recreation-ground.cfm

They are very close to each other ...  The Machines  for payment of parking tickets are a bit iffy with notes ( no change given ) and only on takes the new £ 1.00 coins   so it might be prtinent to have £6.00 in old coins  handy for departure time .

There is a hop on hop off bus that does a tour to various points of interest if anyone wants to go for £14.00 or £12.00 for OAPs. with a bus every 20 minutes   or a 45 minute river cruise or canal trip  for £5.00 ( or £6.00 if you 're not a pensioner yet ..) Or we can just decide to do nothing but  chat,  chill and generally look as if Matron has let us all out for a day without supervison ... I  will pm you all with my mobile number  so we can  at least know if there any problems on the day .. OoOer  should be fun ... !

 

 

[FUJI]

As a virtual local

I suggest that,after the 10 am coffees , if fine we do the riverside and canal first there is always something going on.....if a bit wet, then the Stratford Theatre foyer is open to the public, with shop, and the best free loos in town. Then it will be time to meet the photographer Market Manager Geoff who will have primed the stall holders that a group of camera carrying TIPFIES are coming their way.....the customers at the market are always a colourful lot.....then head for Shakespeare's Birthplace in Hemley Street just around the corner, as we head for lunch.....after lunch we can take pot luck to just go.....STREET.

NO! I won't volunteer to carry the red umberella as many Chinese tour guides do ......but I will be on hand to point us in the right direction........If it is absolutely peeing down, then there is the Butterfly Farm.... the ...Mad Museum.  The ...Shakespeare Experience and and two Antiques Centre's ....the last two are free the others will cost sadly.

If wet, we could bite the bullet and get us all on the river cruise, which takes around half an hour, or we could bribe the skipper to stay out longer.....again, the Theatre Foyer, leads to a walkway which encircles the theatre with odds and sids of interest.

I hope it's fine.....Stratford buskers and Street entertainers can be interesting subjects too.

Or!     we just split, with me pointing groups in general directions then meet up at 2 for lunch.....up for discussion over coffee.

FUJI

[Black Pearl]

As some of you may have spotted I'm back working in a camera shop. I won't go into the nitty gritty but its a needs-must situation as my previous job no longer exists so I had to find something very quickly to continue paying the bills.

Unfortunately it means I no longer get weekends off and as money is extremely tight I can't make Stratford. I have delayed making this public as long as possible in the hope I could rearrange things but its not to be.

I apologise in advance for not being there but look forward to seeing all of your photographs. Last year in York was amazing so everyone who can attend will I know have a superb day.

Robin

[Clicker]

Aw .. i understand but will be sorry not to meet ya BEEPY ... I   owe you a fine bottle of red for all you help recently ...  so next time i'm in  the  Northeast,...I'll deliver it ...

Thanks Fuji we  appreciate all your input and suggestions ..There were hundreds of Japanese tourists on the riverside even at 8 .35 am  so just wanted to be sure we had a table  big enough for 8 of us  on the day so we could rest our aged bones !ol

[Denis]

Details noted and stored Polly & Cyril.

Sorry to hear about your recent employment 'restructuring' Robin

Just got a new 18-140 lens from Cameraworld, If I had known I would have got it through you if it would have helped your commision Robin !

[Phil]

Well, I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to make the meet, without going into too much detail work commitments have got in the way. You can hurl all the abuse at me you want but nothing can compare to the guilt I feel after 5 minutes with 'matron'!

I'll be at work on Saturday but the laptop will be in front of me, I expect to see regular live updates on the Facebook Page 

[FUJI]

Oh!

That is so sad, I was really looking forward to meeting, at last, with our two Stalwarts, but, having had to earn a living once, I fully understand your change of plans...

who now is on the definite list please?

Denis is due to pick me up at around 08;00, to meet up with Polly and Korky in the Fourteas at 10:am, then there again for lunch at circa 2pm.....yes? With lots of photography and banter in between.

FUJI

[Denis]

Fuji, clicker, Ryewolf, korky, myself  and possibly David it seems....

Edited June 7, 2017 by Denis

[Korky]

The Old Study

Western  Wing

Korkington Manor

 

My Dear Friends

Well, it's that time of year once again. The Big Day Out now looms large and I trust all that are going will be treated to a day of fine photography and friendship.

We'll be staying with Sir Bradley Sheffield and his delightful wife, Sylvia, who always make us warmly welcome even though they only have a modest property (eight bedrooms, four bathrooms) and a staff of six. Their food and drink is back to being of an acceptable standard now that they've put their elderly cook, Mrs Kippax, out to pasture. Mrs Kippax was just a little too fond of the booze bottle if you ask me and, now she's retired, it would seem she spends her days swigging cheap sherry from a teapot and playing online bingo.

I've left strict instructions with all my staff that sexual shenanigans will not be tolerated in my absence. Last year, whilst I was away at the York meet, one of my scullery maids, Chenile Bradshaw, took it upon herself to attend St Wilfred's Church 'do' and brought back a young man famed locally for his white disco trousers, his stiffly-starched underwear and his ability to impregnate with the skill and accuracy of a Herdwick ram. The careless Miss Bradshaw is now on Maternity Leave at my expense and the scullery is the worse for it I can tell you.

We've brought forward our weekly staff meeting by a couple of days and this afternoon I will be chairing our little get-together in the Bronze Gazebo where I'll be giving my entire staff details of how I wish them to vote tomorrow. I can't discuss too much here or Sir Phillip will have my guts for tennis rackets, but suffice to say that once my team arrive at the polling station (I've commandeered use of the Head Gardener's push-bike for old Mrs Clagg to get herself there and back) there'll be thirty-six votes that'll be my way or no way.

I'm going to close now, I do hope you've enjoyed my little update and I look forward to meeting you at the tearooms on Saturday. Please don't feel you have to bow or curtsy when Lady Korkington and myself make our entrance. Let's just have a fun day and pretend that we are just as common as the rest of you.

Pip-pip!

Korkington

 

 

 

[David995031]

7 hours ago, Denis said:

Fuji, clicker, Ryewolf, korky, myself  and possibly David it seems....

Not possibly, Denis - I am in. Looking forward to meeting you all but sorry some of our big hitters can't make it.

[Clicker]

 I know we are disappointed  that two of our stalwarts will be missing ... But we hope we can do it again later in the year at a suitable venue .  It looks like  there will be seven of us including  Mrs Korky ... ( so nice to have an ally... Or I could be the one pouring the tea  all day  ! )    Weather forecast looks like it's unsettled  so we may be shower dodging  some of the time  but ..we'll make the most of it ... Drive safely everyone... See you all at 10 am Saturday at the FourTeas , 24 Sheep  Street CV37 6EF. It would be helpful  the owner, Rachael, said if we could give her our lunch time order  before we left after our morning tea/coffee. The menus are all online if you want to check them out . They do all day breakfasts I believe too.  Don't quite know how we will recognise Lord K without the ermine.... But he may be wearing a flat cap so that he won't be recognised slumming it with the proletariat ! Those paparazzi ... They get everywhere  yer  know .. 

[Denis]

Good to see you are participating David,

Polly, the foojmeister and I may well be there before anyone else I would have thought JH from Lichfield would have made it, being right on his doorstep..who else is missing from the west midlands apart form Tina who we know has declined ?

Edited June 7, 2017 by Denis

[FUJI]

Lord and Lady Korkscrew , I think will have been in Stratford overnight in B&B .........don't believe all that stuff about him being a guest in a Stately Home, he loves to make an impression......

I really look forward to seeing him again, and it will be a very real pleasure to put faces to names...

Soooo....Charge yer batteries, check SD Cards.....polish lenses.....DONT FORGET TO BRING ALL YOUR GEAR.....might be a bit damp .....I'm prepared by investing in a Fly Fishing jacket, with that many pockets I keep on forgetting which ones my stuff is in....my confusion at the bus-stop attempting to rediscover my bus-pass must be very amusing to onlookers. 

I tried jacket out during the storms of yesterday for the first time' it makes an excellent photographer's jacket which saves lugging extra rain gear about, or wearing some over my usual sports jacket, I just weight up the forecast then choose the right weight of sweater to wear underneath it. Should the temperature rise, the sleeves unzip to turn it into a waitscoat....the sleeves store inside a large packet at the back......

Just watch for the old duffer who can't remember which pockets his wallet or phone are in.

See you all then.

 

FUJI