I asked my wife what I was getting for my birthday and she replied, “fat and bald”. Fordingbridge Camera Club is in a much better state. It is looking to the future and will be celebrating its 60th birthday with an exhibition at the Town Hall on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th of May 2018 -put these dates in your diary. We are now well into autumn and the clocks fall back one hour in the early hours of Sunday 29 October. (I also set my weighing scales back by 10 lbs on this day).

Always looking ahead is the Fordingbridge Camera Club and its website – www.fordingbridgecameraclub.org.uk . This contains our new programme of talks by visiting top photographers coupled with opportunities to show your work on top quality equipment and have it commented on by experienced photographic judges. In addition to our regular meetings, we devote many evenings to those who want, as a group, to set themselves new challenges and then to review the results collectively. These additional sessions have proven to be very popular and have added strength to our work. Visitors are always welcome to all our meetings for a small charge.

The meeting on 29th November is an evening for new members and beginners and introduces the experienced members who act as mentors – helping members who need help or guidance. Other organisations who are forward looking are Garden Centres. In late September they displayed acres of Christmas decorations. This was even before our usual Halloween visitors have arrived and are now departing: Ann Angrimob (serving wench from behind the bar of the new local hostelry, ‘The Cross and Garlic - a Big Stake Inn’) and her friend, Ivanna Bytiznek, the Romanian Princess and presenter of TV’s ‘Fangs for the Memory’. Even our friendly Welsh Vampire Hunter, Dai Monsterdai, affectionately nicknamed ‘Taffy, the Vampire Slayer’ has gone.