The hospice

The hospice is a squat tower like building that sits on top of Hampsfell above Grange-over-Sands. It was built by the Vicar of Cartmel in 1846 as a sanctuary, a place for people to rest out of the elements and admire the views to the Lake District, west to the Bay or east to Arnside. We hardly notice it with the naked eye from this side of the Kent, but it always shows up well in a telephoto shot of a sunset. These photos often contain surprises, in one blip it was descending parachutes that I hadn't noticed as I took the shot; today it was the flock of gulls on their evening movement down the Kent estuary into Morecambe Bay.

I can thank my colleague Alison for this blip. She emailed me from the office to say there was a golden sunset, I cannot see the western sky from my work room at home. So I bundled Gus into the car and we went down to the prom just in time to see the last glimpse of the sun sinking behind the fell.

Last night was the first meeting of the Arnside Camera Group. There were about 12 people of a wide range of ability and experience, from someone who has a camera she has not used yet to an 85 year old man with 65 years of practice. The idea of the group is to provide help and support to each other. I'm happy with that.

Someone last night asked the question of why we take photographs. It's useful to reflect on this occasionally, because it can help to refresh our thinking about what we are doing and aspiring towards. I don't really want to be competitive. I don't want to emulate those photographers who take technically flawless shots of wildlife - there are far too many people doing that and with better equipment than I will ever be able to afford. But I do want to take photographs that capture a moment, a fleeting emotion, a passing mood, a funny experience. And if other people enjoy them for whatever reason, that is even better.

This is my 800th blip, and that is why I keep going with this. Here are the memories of the mundane and the special, reminders of how I was feeling and what I was thinking at these moments in time.