A Festival of Marriage

Like Trevor and Simon didn't do duvets, I don't really do weddings. But then my best friends Meirion and Lucinda asked me to photograph their festival wedding at the amazing Fforest Camp in West Wales. It was impossible to turn down. 

Three days of festival fun had been planned down to the tiniest details. Guests received a lanyard of 'set times', a location map and welsh phrases. Bespoke wrist bands were issued on entry and were made impossible to remove until one came in to contact with a pair of scissors. A range of activities was on offer, something for everyone, and fancy dress and painted faces were highly encouraged. 

Photographing this event was pure joy. There was so much to capture. The venue alone inspired a memory card of images. Then to add in all the people, dogs, children and festivities, made this long weekend absolutely unforgettable. 

Congratulations Meirion and Lucinda. Thank you for hosting such a kick-ass wedding. 

A Lovely Summer Salad

No blurb, just a photo recipe by me :-) I call this "Sanctimonious Summer Salad".

South Street Diner, Boston

One of the things that I really love in the US is the concept of the American Diner - especially when they come with a mountain of pancakes, eggs over-easy, corned beef hash and a bottomless cup of coffee. On my big Amercian adventure last year I tried to visit at least one diner in each of the different states, so after a day of trawling around the Havard Campus I fell up the excellent South Street Diner in down town Boston.

It was such a great find - perfectly styled with a preserved interior of 50s fittings, neon lights, a couple of TVs showing the big game (I was in the home of the Red Sox after all!) and a menu filled with all American hearty food. Although small, it is perfectly formed and has recently established itself as a a bit of mecca for the local artists and students of Boston. Especially since it is open 24 hours. Fancy a proper burger on the way home from a boozy night? Check. Working an early shift and need a stack of pancakes at 5am? Check.

While I am a moth to a flame for the American all day breakfast, I really had to ensure that 3 months in the US didn't turn in to 3 months of endless brown food. So I gathered all of my will to order a salad with beef tips. And a pink milkshake. That was allowed.

I probably ought to say 'hi' to Jonny, who provided excellent customer service, plenty of jovial banter about me being British, and us loosing the war of independence, and even renamed me "London" for my short time there.

South Street Diner, Boston MA

I'll sit at the bar thanks

Beef tips salad - watch out for the onion

Jonny and his buddy

That time when I caught my dinner

This one time on my "gap yah" (well, couple of months in the US with my family), I went to the very beautiful state of Vermont, stayed in lovely cosy cabin, caught my dinner and pulled some veg from the garden to accompany it.

Every picture tells a story, so here's my food story.

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By The Seaside in Vetnor

Being a girl born in the midlands, ANY kind of trip to the seaside is a big deal. However, a trip when basked in lovely spring sunshine, is an even bigger deal. 

I took the pooch to Vetnor on a visit to see my dad on the Isle of Wight. As I expected he nearly lost his mind on the beach, it was his first time. 

Vetnor is a really lovely Victorian town on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The architecture there is the very recognisable Victorian townhouse, most of the town was built around the 1860s when it became a popular resort for holidays and health. It was thought that the fresh sea air would help those suffering with consumption. 

I don't have consumption, neither does the pooch, but we both felt a lot better after a stroll along the beach, and a quick visit to Vetnor Haven Fishery.

 Guess who is poking his nose in to the picture of that dead seagull? 

Garlic Galore on The Garlic Farm

Last week the pooch and I took a little trip to The Isle of Wight. Thankfully the storms had settled and we were able to get out and explore the island. It was great to get out of the city and in to the open space. The sun even came out!

First on my hit list was the garlic farm. They have been growing garlic on the Isle of Wight for over 50 years now and are the UK's largest specialist garlic grower. We didn't explore the many trails around the farm, the mud was too treacherous - which would definitely have resulted in one very muddy dog. He's like a moth to a flame. 

However the farm shop did not disappoint. It was so much more than a variety of garlic bulbs and plants. The shelves are packed with more than twenty Mayo's, Mustards, Relishes, Vampire Pickles, Butters and Pestos and the garlic is literally dripping from the rafters.

I'm a huge garlic fan, to the point where I'm not remotely bothered by the residual odour. Naturally I came away with a bag full of different garlic varieties, a garlic jam and a locally brewed garlic beer! I'm planning a feast following Nigella's recipe for chicken with 40 cloves of garlic. Good thing I like the stink eh? 

Winter Walk with the Pooch

We ventured up to Epping Forest last week. It was a beautiful clear winter's day and we were there so long that the sun had set by the time that we left. The pooch absolutely loved every minute. His enthusiasm for meeting new dogs, getting muddy and splashing about is heart warming. Even in the midst of this grey wet weather.

My feet were cold but my heart was warm :)

All photos were taken on my (cracked) iPhone 4s, and processed using Snapseed.