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	Read the latest announcements about Basingstoke Camera Club and our members’ achievements. In time you will also be able to search archived newsletters from here. Click here for the Newsletter Archive.

	1st April 2010 Basingstoke Camera Club trip to Slimbridge WWT Saturday 20^th March 2010 Slimbridge the birthplace of modern conservation. Slimbridge Wetland Centre is located on the banks of the Severn estuary near to the M5 between Bristol and Gloucester and is the ideal place to get close to wildlife and nature. The Wetland Centre was founded in 1946 by the naturalist and artist, the late Sir Peter Scott. Twenty members of the camera club descended on Slimbridge for a day exploring the Wetland Centre always looking for that elusive shot. The weather forecast for the Saturday was not looking promising. Travelling down the M4 in the pouring rain with visibility no more than 200 metres. We began to wonder whether this would be a wasted trip. As we approached the Severn estuary the weather started to brighten and the showers disappeared to be replaced by a very sporadic light rain. Wonderful weather for the ducks. Sandra, our club social secretary and trip organiser, was in reception to meet and greet the staggered arrivals. Group entrance fees and various goodies, like a bag of duck food and a voucher for a meal, were negotiated for club members on the trip. At the time of the visit, Slimbridge were undertaking some extensive refurbishment of the various artificial lakes on the site, but with numerous other water areas at the centre there were still plenty of species to photograph. I don’t think you can list the large variety of bird life that visit and are resident at the centre. I counted four flocks of flamingos with one flock looking such a bright orange, they must have been ‘tangoed’. A pleasant surprise was finding a group of four otters in a natural looking exhibit. Most people could not resist taking at least one shot. Members on the trip had a large variety of experience with photographing birds. They ranged from Keith (expert) to complete novice never having taking a bird photograph. I won’t mention names. Some people were there to try out new and extremely long heavy lenses. I noticed Nicky and Adrian sporting a couple. I saw Keith with his camera still in his bag on my travels around the centre. ‘I am just checking out the location’ was the reply to the obvious question. We will have to wait to see if another of the Keith bird pictures appears in competition. After one light shower too many, most people had retreated to the large restaurant for lunch. The voucher stated a ‘baked potato and filling lunch’. I think most people thought it was a filling lunch. The showers were intermittent throughout the lunch period which for many was slightly extended from normal. By mid afternoon many people were still out taking photographs and others had given up the ghost. Before travelling home, Sandra and I decided to take a short trip down the road to Purton to see the unique hulks of barges sunk in the banks of the Severn Estuary to try to prevent erosion. This site would be an ideal trip for any club members who want to record the nation’s largest collection of nautical wrecks. Rob Stephen

A duck out of water

Flamingo dance

Flamingo

Otter play

Rook

Three Trees

Duck

Goose

Otter

Crane

Pro at work

Goldfinch 1 by K Polwin

Goldfinch 2 by K Polwin

25th January 2010

The Southern Federation 2010 Exhibition has just been hung and Len and Dennis went along to collect a couple of certificates. Len collected the certificate for the club getting a Highly Commended in the Digital Panel section and Dennis received a Third Place certificate in the best Digital Image section.

Well done us, but especially well done Dennis!

22nd November 2007

Co-Op award for BCC Member

Peter Malcolm has become one of only 12 camera club members in the South to have a photograph selected for the Co-OP 2008 calendar.

The Southern Co-Op, which is based in Fareham, wanted some photographs for their 2008 members’ calendar, and decided to scan camera club websites to look for suitable photos. They selected the ones they liked and then asked if a print resolution copy could be made available.

Peter was quite happy to help out in this way, but was pleasantly surprised to be presented with not only a copy of the calendar but 4 bottles of the Co-Op’s “Fair Trade wine”.

The photo above shows Co-Op man Lee Franklin and Peter (left) with the photograph “Narrowboat” which is on the October page.

18th January 2007

SOUTHERN FEDERATION ROLL OF HONOUR FOR BCC MEMBER

In a very well kept secret presentation member GILLIAN BIRBECK was given a Roll of Honour award by Southern Federation President Ian Bigg for her many years devoted service to Basingstoke Camera Club.

This richly deserved acknowledgement came as a complete surprise to Gillian, who spent the rest of the evening with a big smile on her face!

Congratulations to Gillian, and our thanks for all the work put in for the club in the various posts you have held. Often unseen, many hours of selfless effort ensured our many dinners and social events went without a hitch, and were enjoyed by all in the carefree knowledge everything was arranged for us.

Click here to see the Southern Fed Roll of Honour web page.

You my well recognise another face on that page too ...

6th October 2005

MAJOR HONOUR FOR BCC MEMBER

The Hood Medal

The Hood Medal was instituted in 1933 'when Mr Harold Hood FRPS offered to present annually a medal for meritorious performance in some branch of photography, with particular emphasis on any exhibit which revealed the most outstanding advance in photography for public service'. Previous recipients include Jacques Cousteau, Lord Snowdon, and Richard Attenborough.

This year the recipient is Mike Birbeck FRPS. His citation reads as follows:

“Mike Birbeck has a passion for photography and a great affinity for those with a disability, as evidenced by his study of disabled school children which gained him his FRPS. Disabled from the RAF some 20 years ago, and confined to a wheelchair, Mike chaired the Disabled Photographers’ Society for 10 years, during which time the membership trebled. He is now President of that Society.

Equally important as his leadership is his technical input, using his knowledge and skills as an engineer to design adaptations which allow cameras to be used by people with a wide range of disabilities and ages.”

Among the other RPS award recipients this year were the iconic photographer David Bailey and well known film animator Nick Park. The award ceremony was held at the Royal Institute, London on 6 October 2005.

Pictured above is Mike showing off his award one club evening with (left) Gillian (long suffering wife), (centre) Mike and medal, and on the right BCC President Cath Farrow.