Christmas has now gone but leaves us with lots of lovely memories. I remember years ago when I used to dress the Christmas tree with my two young sons. However they soon got too heavy and bent the branches so I had to use baubles instead.

New Year Resolutions have probably gone now but I keep one, to look at the Fordingbridge Camera website at www.fordingbridgecameraclub.org.uk It contains our 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. If you decide to join the Fordingbridge Camera Club after 1st February our subscriptions for this club year are halved. Some items coming soon are: “Landscape and Macro Photography” (23rd January), “Learning from our mistakes” by Members (13th February) and “Droning on” (27th February) Rob Barron. If you have a wedding in the offing two of our experienced members will be talking on a particular subject that you will feel of great interest, “Practical Wedding Photography” (27th March).

One thing I have learned the hard way is that you should never let a computer know you’re in a hurry! A computer lets you make more mistakes than any invention in human history – with the possible exceptions of handguns and whiskey.
As my old camera club friend, Ann Cole, always tells me, “The problem with troubleshooting is that trouble always shoots back.”