Friday 26th February, 2010.

1) We don't have many photos of Joey Dunlop. This is partly because we've never ventured over to the Isle of Man TT races (heretics) but mainly 'cos 'Yer Maun' wasn't one for the mainland's short circuits. And when he did make an appearance he was an elusive bloke who had an avid dislike of the spotlight. So Vicky did well to get this shot of him strolling unassumingly through the Donington Paddock on the way to the Honda Pit during the 1988 WSB meeting. He looks more like a fan than a rider, doesn't he?


2) History tends to emphasise his 'pure roads' achievements but he could always give the top riders a run for their money on the short circuits, when he put his mind to it, as this shot of him leaving the front row on the Factory Honda RC30 proves.

(Now play the 'name all the other riders' game. Go on, you know you want to).

3) And here is Joey on the podium after finishing in third place at the end of the First Leg. Not bad for a 'pure roads' rider, eh?

All this, and he starred in the greatest motorcycle video of all time ('V-Four Victory', in case you were wondering).

Evesham Cats Protection, Sunday 21st February, 2010..

1) These two are inseparable and have been here for two months at least. Unusual, to say the least, given that the turnover of cats is pretty swift. They always look friendly and are very interested in what we are doing. But once we step inside they are not so friendly. This doesn't bother me much. I just make sure it's Vicky who cleans them out. I'm good like that.


2) This cat was purring. No, really, it was. Truly.

3) Ah, the mutual benefits of a session of thorough head-rubbing with 'Ian' (so-called 'cos he's 'Beefy' - geddit?).

4) The Prisoner of Cell Block 5 has made his escape and is enjoying a spot of warden-baiting. 'You'll never get me down alive, copper'.

Friday 12th February, 2010 (Pt 2).

These photos were taken at the very first WSB round which was held at Donington Park in April 1988. By now I was working for the ACU and so got passes for the Paddock/Pits. It was just like going back to the glorious '70's when fans were still allowed access to the Paddocks and, at lunchtime, the Pit Lane. Back then, I didn't have a camera. Now I'd got a second hand manual-everything Chinon SLR camera with a standard 50mm lens and a second hand 75-300mm Sigma zoom lens, and Vicky had got her faithful Olympus Trip. So we were all set.

1) This is Kenny Irons. A favourite rider 'cos he was from Luton. He was riding a Honda RC30.


2) Davide Tardozzi won the first leg on a 750 Bimota but crashed in the second leg.











3) Marco Luchinelli fagging-it down Pit Lane with the spoils of his second leg victory on an 851 Ducati. History tends to write off Marco's career once he left the GP's but, as we recall, he was still pretty good at this time.











4) Phil 'Mez' Mellor. We must cherish such images.

5) Three top British riders. Name all three. You might struggle with the one in the middle.

Roger Burnett (left), Ron Haslam (right), and Leon Haslam (centre). Obvious now, isn't it?

Friday 19th February, 2010.

So, who's this young man with the late eighties haircut, proud smile, and retro black leathers? That's right, it's Jamie (the time when he'll wish to be known as 'James' is still years off) Whitham. This was taken at Darley Moor circuit in October 1987 and young Jamie has just won the Stars at Darley end of season national trophy. He won both legs on his 750 Superstock Suzuki and beat a varied grid of riders on TTF1, Superstocks, and ex-500cc GP 'bikes (there were no Superbikes in those days). As we were walking around the paddock at the end of the day, Vicky spotted him standing at the rear of his Transit posing for fans and, passing the Olympus Trip to me, she said: 'He'll be good one day. Why don't you take his photo?' So I did.

Chinese New Year, Birmingham, Sunday 14th February 2010.

1) May the Year of the Tiger bring you Good Health, Happiness and Prosperity (especially if you are one of Birmingham's balloon sellers).

2) Oh no. Now Vicky's gonna drone on and on about how wonderful the Villa are. A real community club with a stand at the Chinese New Year and always getting involved with things going on in the City. And you can get a proper panini in the ground. And chips. You can't get that at the Wolves can you? No you can't.

3) The Year of the Monkey, The Pig, and The Rabbit wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year.

4) Vegetarians look away now, please. All we will say, at this point, is cultural differences and all that and live and let live. Oh yes, and it was absolutely rammed inside (we didn't go in).

5) Noodles. £2.50 a carton. Well, you've got to haven't you? And we've got a chinese meal when we get home. £3.00 meal-for-two-in-a-box special offer from Morrisons. It seems that Droitwich supermarkets can celebrate the Chinese New Year as well, so who are we to argue? Yummee.

Birmingham Nature Centre, Saturday 13th February, 2010.

1) Oi you! Get down off our garden shed! This is one moggy we're pleased to say we don't have to clean out at the Cat's Protection. It's a lynx, by the way (but you knew that).



2) So, who's observing who here?

3) Ai-yeeee! Run for yer lives. It's the very rare three-bodied-two-headed ring tailed lemur.

4) You gotta love 'em. Meerkats bask in the warmth of a sunlamp. And who can blame them? It was a typical February day. Cold and murky-dismal. And then it started drizzling. No wonder all the otters and beavers were hibernating. Got more sense.

Friday 12th February, 2010.

That pesky female Kestrel is playing hard to get so we haven't taken any photos for days. So, suffering from withdrawal symptoms, I was looking through our old motorcycle sport scrapbooks the other day and came across this photo. Blimey, I thought, don't they look young. So I decided to scan it. 200 photos later I had put them all on a disc. It occurred to me that some people might be quite interested in them so I am going to put a few on this blog every now and again. This one is of Steve Hislop and Carl Fogarty (both went on to be quite good) chatting outside the pits at Silverstone during the British Champs meeting on 19th Sept 1987.

Earlier that summer at Cadwell Park, Roger Hurst and Phil Mellor discuss their prospects at the British Champs meeting on June 28th 1987.

Wednesday 3rd January, 2010.

This is the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Selly Oak, Birmingham, which is due to open in June.

We first saw it about twenty months ago and it looked really impressive on a warm day in bright late-spring sunshine. Not sure it looks as good on a miserable damp February lunchtime.

Undoubtedly it will be state-of-the-art with all mod cons for patients and staff alike. Bet they still won't be able to see people on time. Kept us waiting a mere hour-and-a-half today.

Mustn't grumble tho', eh?