Wedding of Laura and Troy

Laura and Troy got married on a perfect summer's day in Bognor Regis with the reception and location photography in and around Arundel. Here are a few of the photos.

Summer Suisse

I have just been away for a fantastic holiday in Switzerland, staying in the small town of Adelboden. We took the eco option and went by train from London via Paris to Basel, which, although taking longer than flying, was a more relaxing way to travel.

We stayed at the Cambrian Hotel which was a great boutique hotel, with all the amenities you could wish for; swimming pool, outside jacuzzi overlooking the valley, cocktail bar, pool room, restaurant and winter garden lounge. All the staff were really friendly and welcoming which made the hotel feel a lot smaller than it was. The décor is of a contemporary style with clean lines of wood and slate and garnished with quirky, interesting art.

Adelboden itself is a quaint Swiss village set away from the main tourist centres. With traditional Swiss buildings, stunning views and easy access to the surrounding mountains it's great for outdoor activities. We went hiking on the tranquil alpine paths occasionally coming across a herd of cows and their clanging bells giving that quintessential Swiss experience . For something with a little more exhilaration we had a go at Trottinett which is basically hammering down alpine routes on scooters equipped with mountain bike tyres and breaks, when you reach the bottom you throw it on the back of the gondola on your way back up to the top. 15CHF (£10 ish) for the whole day, is an absolute bargain!

It's also worth going a little further afield to visit nearby Spiez, Thun, Bern for some urban sightseeing as well as Lauterbrunnen, Wengen and Mürren in the Jungfrau region for spectacular scenery. We weren't that impressed by Interlaken as it seemed to be predominantly a tourist hub, although the paddle steamer ride to Thun was very relaxing. There are a lot of attractions in the Jungfrau Region such as the Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn / Piz Gloria but with the Jungfraujoch being in the region of £100 per adult it's worth picking tours carefully. We chose to visit Schilthorn / Piz Gloria at a fraction of the price, it has a revolving restaurant and featured in the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"; they certainly remind you of that when you're up there! That aside, there are some spectacular views from the top.

So all in all, a great place to go for some fresh-air, exercise and stunning scenery. It's all made a lot easier by the Swiss transport network which is reliable and integrated, buying an 8 day pass covered us for pretty much everything.

Highly Recommended!

Baby Photo Shoot

They say that working with children and animals is one of the hardest things about photography and filming...... they're not wrong! It's a first for me and I found that taking photos of Eddie in his natural environment rather than spending loads of time trying to get him to pose for the camera worked wonders. The use of the orange blanket as a backdrop and a few props for entertainment also worked well. Thanks to Mum and Dad for letting me share these photos.

Paris pour le weekend

A last minute trip to Paris for the weekend is an excellent way to get away from it all and not eat into you're leave from work. We departed on the Eurostar from London St Pancras early on the Saturday morning swiftly arriving at Paris Gare du Nord 2 hours 15 minutes later.

We stayed at the Hotel Elysee Union which was a very comfortable 3 star hotel and was in an ideal location for such a brief visit. We dropped the bags and went to see some sights. First stop Moulin Rouge and Montmartre and it's certainly a very bohemian district of Paris, with the Adult shop fronts of Boulevard de Clichy and the impressive creativity of the artists at Place du Tertre. We had a look around the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur and went for a coffee in one of the local cafes. Time was getting on a bit so we decided to have a look round the shops of Galeries Lafayette off of Boulevard Haussmann, situated in a lavish building with an amazing stained glass domed roof.

That evening we braved the very rainy weather to go up the Eiffel Tower which was an awesome sight especially at night with the rain giving everything a shine in the glow of the street lights. We only went to the middle floor; didn't really feel that the extra height was worth it. It was now 9 at night and we still hadn't eaten, so it was off to the latin quater for some great Savoyard cuisine which more than consumed the rest of the evening........ top tip: know what time the last metro is! Taxi's are not the cheapest.

After a late night we had a bit of a late start but after finding a reasonably priced cafe for breakfast we made our way to Pompidou, Notre Dame, Pont Neuf, the Louvre and finally the Champs-Élysées. It was a lot of walking but worth it, treating ourselves to some food before picking up our bags and making our way to Gare du Nord for the journey home.

Diving in Scapa Flow

One of my favourite hobbies, other than photography, is SCUBA diving. I have recently been on a diving expedition to Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. This is the second time I have been to the area and it certainly didn't disappoint.

We were there to dive some of the vessels from the the scuttled German Fleet from World War 1, some large destroyers at a depth of 35-40m. Some excellent adventurous diving with plenty to see.

Our home for the week was the small town of Stromness and we were very well looked after at the the Diving Cellar, who not only chartered us their vessel, "John L", but also put us up in their B&B. They provided an excellent service which I can highly recommend.

Good Old English Pint

It's been a while since my last post; when you have so much on, the time just flies by. It has been filled with some fun things, like taking a trip to Hook Norton Brewery and doing the brewery tour!

I couldn't think of a better way to spend a crisp winters day, enjoying a pint sat by the fire with some good friends. The tour itself was really interesting, finding out about how your favourite drink is made, learning about mash tuns, liqueur, hops and the brewing process. This was all nicely topped off with a "tasting" session and a Hook Norton Brewery glass as a memento, all for £10! Bargain, and you get to purchase a load of bottles far cheaper than in the supermarket. This was all topped off with a good pub meal in the local.

Marrakech

I have just come back from spending a few days in Marrakech, Morocco. This trip was a little different from where I have been in the past and was a real cultural change. We stayed in a ryad style hotel (Talaa 12) which is a traditional Moroccan house with a courtyard in the middle. As soon as you arrive in the car-free centre of Marrakech, you're thrown into the hustle and bustle of the narrow cobbled streets, lined with market shops (souks) and fighting through the mopeds, donkeys and people in 35 degree heat. It was a great thrown into the culture within hours of landing.

The entrance to Talaa 12 is just a door in a very large wall with nothing other than a small sign identifying it. Once trough the door, you leave the hectic noise behind you and your in a world of tranquillity. The small courtyard with a water fountain in the middle and palm trees reaching up to the second floor of the ryad, it was hard to believe that there was such a bustling of people outside.

We tried a few restaurants during our stay:

Le Foundouk, which was not far from the hotel, served Moroccan as well as international cuisine served on the roof terrace. Prices worked out at €35 per person for 2 courses with wine. Good food pleasant setting, huge portions.

Le Marrakchi, a Moroccan restaurant right on the main square (Jemaa El Fna). I think this restaurant in slightly more authentic with belly dancing as entertainment made for a less formal fun evening out.

Talaa 12, a very personal evening meal, only open to guests of the hotel and must be booked in advance. This was by far the most romantic meal of the trip, eating proper home cooked Moroccan food in the peace and tranquillity of the ryad. €40 per person for 3 course meal and wine.

Most of the restaurants are catered for tourists, if you really want to go into the heart of it all the Jemaa El Fna is the place. Loads of market stalls selling food, snake charmers, monkeys, story tellers, you couldn't ask for more.

There are plenty of things to see and do around Marrakech but it's not of the faint hearted. As a tourist, you stand out and are easy pickings for those who want to earn your money. The first day was for orientation, there is no shortage of people willing to show you the way..... at a price! There is no such thing as a free lunch here, so have your wits about you. Know where you're going and don't be detoured even if they say that "there is a mosque down there, that was is closed", it's not, it's just a reason for you to be show the longer way round at a price. It goes without saying that you will always be enticed into shops to buy their wares. Top tip..... agree your price before committing to anything! Day 2: Having spent all of day 1 falling for every trick in the book you become more aware and feel more comfortable saying "no", leaving you with more time to explore the amazing palaces, Sardinian tombs and the smelly leather tanneries. A trip to the Atlas Mountains is also worthwhile to see a bit of greenery, fresher air and the Berber villages.

So all in all, I would highly recommend Marrakech for a great cultural experience and it's perfect for 3-4 day break. We went during Ramadan (low season) so everywhere was a little quieter than usual; it would be interesting to see how busy it gets during the high season!