Find Us On Facebook
Follow Us On Twitter
popular tags
Monthly Archives: August 2010
Commonwealth Baton Passes Through Bolgatty, Cochin
Is this the fastest post ever? Just half an hour ago the Commonwealth Baton passed through Bolgatty Island in full ceremony. One moment I was an observer, the next I’m in amongst the local press snapping away at a famous Indian ex-athlete I’ve never seen before!
Pirate Alley: Relax, It’s The Canadians!
With just one more day to go before our arrival in Salalah we’re under the impression that it is almost all over. The group relaxes in the dead calm seas, but there’s nothing like the sight of a warship on the horizon to excite these intrepid sailors. It’s time we pulled together to show these naval chaps exactly how coordinated we really can be!
Frui Awards FTB Portrait Competition
Those who have been to Turkey may well know this lady… Frui, the creative learning holiday specialist, has awarded followtheboat winner of the August Photography competition. It is held monthly and the theme changes each time. This month’s theme was Portrait and my winning shot features a picture I took in Kekova Roads, Turkey, of an old lady. When I tried to take this shot the lady indicated that she was too old for the camera, saying her face was ‘broken’. I beg to differ; it’s one of the most interesting close-up portraits I’ve taken. Check the link for a peek…
Pirate Alley: Pirate Skiffs & NATO Warships
We only spent two nights in Mukala but it was enough to relax, refuel and flirt with the local fishermen… and that was just Millie. We depart and start off with a positive attitude. It is soon erroded as we catch again and again communication between Nato warships and commercial vessels who have spotted suspicious fishing skiffs in the vicinity.
Dreamy Goan Bus Stop Pic Shortlisted For Telegraph
We’ve yet to publish our blog on our trip to Goa. We spent a few weeks there and Jamie took a lot of pictures which he is still editing. On one trip we stopped off at a tiny village near Shri Mangesh and took a picture of the busy bus-stop. The Telegraph’s Big Picture editor clearly liked it enough to shortlist it for this week’s competition. It’s a wonderful, dreamy HDR (high dynamic range) photograph that captures the late afternoon ambiance of that part of the world.
Winning And Shortlisted Photographs
In the summer of 2010 I had some time to enter some of my images into various competitions. Here are the winning and shortlisted shots. This is a set that I hope to add to over time!
The Times Shortlists FTB AGAIN!
I wonder if the picture editor of The Times is as bored as we are of seeing Jamie’s photos? Apparently not, as he was runner-up again this week with one of his recent images from Fort Cochin. Just kidding, Jamie, keep ‘em coming, I’m so proud of you.
Pirate Alley: Told Off In Mukala
Pirate Alley: In last week’s podcast there was drama after drama, with boats being towed, colliding vessels, more fishing nets and some even taking on water. The next day, feeling that we deserved a rest from this stress, a number of boats, Esper included, decided to break rank, make the most of the favourable winds, turn the engine off and go for a well-deserved sail. Unbeknown to us we had chosen THE most dangerous stretch of water in which to have our fun. Only a week previously there had been a pirate attack in the exact spot we hoisted sail. Only one person was aware of this, though, and boy did he have something to say about it when we dragged ourselves into Mukala.
A Virgin Flight From India
Now that I’ve secured a cat-sitter for Millie, I can start thinking about my return home. I have to renew my visa, you see, so today begins my search for a flight. At the same time Liz has clocked up a bank of air miles with her old business airline, Virgin, so if push comes to shove I could always use these to get back from Mumbai to the UK.
If, however, my experience will be anything like the famous Virgin Customer Complaints letter I think I’ll be looking for alternatives. Some of you may remember this one doing the rounds last year; it is now heralded as the greatest customer complaints letter ever written. It’s quite apt that it’s Virgin and that the flight concerned was from Mumbai to Heathrow, exactly the same flight I’ll be looking for. For those who missed it or have forgotten just how amusing the letter was we reproduce it here in all its glory, complete with photographic evidence:
Dear Mr Branson
REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008
I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.
Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at the hands of your corporation.
Look at this Richard. Just look at it…
The Times Shortlists Another Followtheboat Photograph
I’m almost embarrassed to announce that Jamie has been mentioned again in the Times weekly photo competition. He didn’t win this time, but was runner-up with a shot he took recently in Fort Cochin, of a sweet maker. Here’s a grab of the Times on-line…
Pirate Alley: Rhumb Do, Rhumb Don’t
This week’s podcast is our 40th episode! It finds us caught up in fishing nets again, slap bang in the centre of pirate alley. In last week’s episode Lo Brust, the rally leader aboard his boat Mistral, had successfully thrown a line to Jean-Claud and Marlene aboard Anthea. Anthea is now being towed by Mistral. It didn’t take long for another two boats to run into trouble… as well as each other. Patience is a commodity that can run out. Hope you enjoy this week’s drama, and don’t forget we provide a direct download link if you don’t use iTunes.
Followtheboat Shortlisted For Scott Dunn Photography
Jamie’s photography is starting to receive the recognition it deserves. Encouraged by his appearances in The Times and Telegraph I suggested he enter one of my favourite shots into the Scott Dunn Photography Competition for a “Face” or “Place”. Jamie’s image of rough-and-tumble boys in the Dharavi Slums is a great shot.