JohnP

Hello Pete and welcome to TIPF. I too love nature in all it's forms. John.

Thanks Phil.

If we are to get a meet up organised we need a means of collecting names of interested members and some sort of calender on which to tick dates when we are available. There is this thing called Doodle: http://www.doodle.com/ but I can't for the life of me work out how to use it. A while ago I went on a meet up of members of another forum and one of the guys set up a calender using Doodle on which people could add their name and tick boxes of dates available, he then organised a meet up on the date with the most ticks. Has anyone on here ever come across or used Doodle who could try and set up such a calender? Here's the calender he set up: http://www.doodle.com/uhfx4skpkdagd8nb

only kidding annie.

I thought only a dumb blonde would do that... not a dumb 'wotsit'....

If it's mainly a lunch and chat meet up the venue won't be as important as we won't need to worry about subject matter for photographs.

Maybe if the weather is nice we could have a leisurely stroll after without serious photography, just take a few snaps for the record.

It's OK by me... see what the rest say.

I agree with you Phil... I would be happy to get to know each other over lunch.. nothing like a good natter. I'm not too bothered about photography on our first meet up, I would probably just bring my compact for a few shots to go home with. As I said earlier in the thread we could have a photography day at a later date and perhaps have a competition... post our shots on the forum and each vote for the best shot of the day.

It would be easy for me to say lets go to Stratford upon Avon as it's only just over 50 miles from me, if Robin (BP) wants to come it's about 220 to Stratford from Sunderland. It would be a long day for him.

Now I know where you hang out FUJI... I just checked their website, good range of food... made my mouth start to water. I think as this will be our first meet up the emphasis should be on getting to know each other and having a good chat over a meal, by all means bring a camera (maybe a compact or camera phone) but lets not get too serious on the photography side on this occasion. We can all take photos at any time but it's not often we can meet socially, if the day is a success we can then arrange a day of photography and maybe have some sort of competition. Any thoughts on this anyone.

As much as Stratford appeals to me I feel it's getting a bit far south for Phil & Robin, somewhere near Coventry or even FUJI's back yard would be better for the northerners. I'm happy not to rush this and give folk a chance to put their ideas forword.

What are the chances of one of you techie folks (Phil) setting up some sort of calender that we could all tick dates when we are free.... the date with most ticks wins. There is this thingy called Doodle, but don't ask me to set it up because I wouldn't have clue. http://www.doodle.com/

No holidays planned this year for me.

As you said BP meeting other members could take precedence over actual photography, a visit to somewhere such as a castle would be good just to get a few shots to go home with and take cover if the weather was bad on the day. It's a pub lunch and a chance to have a good chat that appeals to me most to be honest.

I was wondering if anyone fancies a forum meet up sometime this summer. So that no one has to travel too far it would need to be fairly central, looking at a map of the country it looks like just east of FUJI's patch would be about right. I live too far SW to do anything in my area. Let's start by collecting names of anyone interested and ideas for subjects, venues etc. It would also be nice to have a pub lunch with time for a good natter. I suppose we also need to have a backup plan in case of bad weather on the day. I've started the ball rolling... over to you lot now then.. get your thinking caps on.

Great...

My local birding club has organised an outing to what is reputed to be the largest ground satellite station in the world, I'm really looking for to it... hope the weather is better by then. The site is huge and I'm sure it will be a very interesting visit. There are sixty five dishes, with three main dishes having a diameter of 32 metres (approx 100 feet) and weighs 290 tonnes. Madley 1, the first of the dishes, tracks satellites about 25,000 miles (40,000 km) away, positioned over the Equator. Cut and pasted from the HOC website. Join us for a guided 'Early Bird' walk around the MESC Nature Reserve and full English breakfast with optional tour of the BT Satellite Station. John Pullen and Geoff Davis from Herefordshire Ornithological Club will lead the Bird Walk, helping with identification from bird sightings and calls. Breakfast will be served from 8am in the BT canteen, followed by a tour of the BT Madley Satellite Station by ex BT engineer and MESC Reserve Officer Steve Anstey. If you don't fancy the early start, maybe just join us for breakfast and the BT Satellite Station tour as seen on BBC2’s The Genius of Invention. See below for the options: 7am: Bird Walk & Breakfast - £8 (concessions £6) From 8am: Breakfast & Satellite Tour - £8 (concessions £6) Bird Walk, Breakfast & Satellite tour - £12 (concessions £10) Please phone Louise on 01981 512561 or email contact@mesc.org.uk to book your place.

I'm gradually becoming more of a country bumpkin than ever these days (always been one to a certain extent), I don't bother much with street stuff. I did do Hereford a few weeks ago, took some shots and then there was Gloucester docks but these trips are only for the odd occasion, I prefer to be in the country with the birds and the bees...

I've tried that and already having two straps (camera & binoculars) around my neck I just can't tolerate a third as I feel I'm being throttled. It's bad enough having two when climbing over stiles and gates etc. If I didn't spend most of my time on country pursuits I might think differently. A rucksack just stays put and causes me no problems.

I just can't get on with any type of bag with a shoulder strap, I use a rucksack. I like my hands free for using camera and binoculars and I don't have to continually keep hitching up a strap onto my shoulder.

Very wise Lee! You never know what someone might find there...

Thank you all for the nice feedback, it's much appreciated.

It's strange how things work out sometimes, I thought the Bittern shot I posted on Feb 28th was one of my best bird shots I've ever taken when I consider just how much effort I put into taking it. Having said that shots of swans are not as easy to get right as one would imagine, as I've found out on many occasions over the years.

Blimey Heather this was quite a shock to my system when saw it had been chosen as POTW... firstly because I had reservations about posting it as I wasn't sure it was up to the mark and secondly the fact that I had decided to clone out the strange mark on the wing. I've only ever had POTW twice before so I'm chuffed to say the least. Thank you.