A Happy Christmas to all readers of this column. You may be reading this before, or after, Christmas Day but, if you followed my wife’s motto, Veni, Vidi, Visa (I came, I saw, I used a credit card) you will not be looking forward to the bills. One thing you can look forward to, however, is news that Fordingbridge Camera Club is alive and well. We meet at Avonway Community Centre on alternate Wednesdays; www.fordingbridgecameraclub.org.uk has our programme for the 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.

‘Black and White photography in the Digital Age’ is the intriguing title of Tony Worobiec’s presentation on Wednesday 6th March. Photography as Fine Art is his theme. Visit his website, www.tonyworobiec.com to get a feel for his work. Visitors (£3) are always welcome to these presentations.

What is the secret of a good Christmas cracker joke? They are not meant to be funny; their aim is to make you groan. Here are a couple of old groaners I found this year. ‘What fur do you get from a tiger? As fur as possible.’ ‘What do you get if you cross a bell with a skunk? ’Jingle Smells.’ And finally a thought to consider, if a pig loses its voice is it disgruntled? Happy New Year to one and all!