Hallowe’en, 31st October, is almost with us. The Celts believed that evil spirits came with the long hours of winter darkness. They believed that on that night the barriers between our world and the spirit world were at their weakest and spirits were likely to be seen on earth. The Celts built bonfires to frighten away the spirits and danced and feasted around the fires. However the Fordingbridge Camera Club, which is much more staid, does not go in for such wild excesses. We will be meeting, as usual, at the newly refurbished Avonway Community Centre at 7.30pm. Our website, www.fordingbridgecameraclub.org.uk has our programme for the new season. It is a mixture of talks by visiting top photographers, coupled with opportunities to show your work and have it commented on by experienced photographic judges. In addition to our regular meetings, we are devoting many evenings to Practical Photography, a group to help members who are new-comers to photography. These sessions have proven to be very popular but are only open to club members. Visitors are welcome to all other events.

General Wildlife –No, not the Celtic variety- is the subject for our 17th October meeting with Tracey Rich. Photographing wild flora and fauna doesn’t just take skill but an exemplary keen and sensitive eye and Tracey has this.

On 14th November, Roy Fisher will be showing his work, entitled ‘The World from a Bike Saddle’. His digital images range widely from landscape to creative work that is most impressive. Why not join us and learn from one or both of these master photographers?

One Halloween superstition is that if you take a candle and look into a mirror whilst combing your hair your future wife or husband will appear peeking over your shoulder. I am not certain if polishing my balding head will produce the same result.