Sandburn Hall Wedding | Jo & Tom

Bride & Groom's Preparations: The Royal York Hotel, York
Ceremony & Reception: Sandburn Hall, Flaxton, York 

The glorious weather continued for a third consecutive weekend- unbelievable for April! It was really hot when I arrived in York and, with it being Easter Sunday, the city was buzzing with tourists.

Jo & Tom were getting ready at the impressively grand Royal York Hotel, adjacent to York Railway Station.

After a quick visit to Jo's room to say 'Hello', I left Gav with the enviable task of shooting the girls getting ready while I nipped next door-but-one to do the same with a considerably more nervous Tom.

Needless to say, it wasn't long before the lads were down in the bar, attempting to keep Tom occupied. Unfortunately the following conversation didn't help calm his nerves.

TOM: "I don't know why I feel so nevous!"

FRIEND: "That's because everyone you know will be there and absolutely anything could go wrong!"

A beautifully restored classic 1950s coach arrived to take the guests to Sandburn Hall for the ceremony & reception (always great for the photos!) and everyone piled on. I don't think Tom's nerves were helped by the traffic being at a virtual stand-still on the A64 but we still arrived in plenty of time and the bus returned to collect Jo and the girls.

Jo looked amazing in her 1960's retro-styled dress, with matching beehive and false eyelashes and she made her entrance to The Beatles' "Something".

The first dance was unusual. The couple danced to a karaoke version of "I Got You Babe", sung (and I use the term loosely) by a large group of friends and relatives. This was closely followed by a bizarre rendition of the Kate Bush classic, "Wuthering Heights", which sounded more like the commentary to a horserace than a song.

So, in summary: Glorious weather, stunning bride, funny and entertaining speeches, nice venue and some nutty karaoke performances - I'd say that all adds up to a pretty good day!

Congratulations to Jo & Tom and thanks for a great day's "work"!

Carr Hall Castle Wedding: Lyndsey & Andy's Pre-Wedding Shoot

Lyndsey & Andy travelled down from Newcastle to make all the final arrangements for their wedding, which included a final run-down of what we will be doing on the day and a leisurely wander around the venue, the incredible Carr Hall Castle, for a few informal shots to help them get used to being photographed.
We didn't have a great deal of time, as Lyndsey & Andy had a lot of organising to pack in while they were down here so we just had a quick stroll round the Castle and fired off a few shots as we went.
A big thank you to Nicola and the staff at Carr Hall Castle for allowing us to wander around unhindered (and thanks for the chocolates as well, although perhaps they were meant for Lyndsey & Andy!)
I can't wait to come back for the actual wedding!

CLICK HERE to see Lyndsey & Andy's wedding photographs



Clayton Cricket Club: New Clubhouse Building Work - 16th April 2011

Only 2 weeks to go now until the first match and the final push to get the changing rooms, showers & toilets finished on time is well under way. The main bar area was being plastered and everyone was fascinated by the skill of the two guys on stilts who were doing the ceiling.

Magazine Cover: April Issue Of Lux

I'm dead chuffed that one of my photos, taken for lighting manufacturer Gamma Illumination in Dewsbury, has been chosen for the cover of this month's Lux magazine, which is the official magazine of the Lighting Industry Federation. I know it sounds like one of those guest publications from Have I Got News For You (like Caravanning Weekly, The Campanologist or The Slug Farming Chronicle) but it actually contains some belting photography by the likes of David Thrower. My next target is to get one of my architectural shots on the cover!



Clayton Cricket Club: New Clubhouse Building Work - 9th April 2011

Meanwhile, back at the cricket ground, work has moved on unbelievably quickly. The roof's on, the scaffolding's down and, most importantly, the bar's being built. With only 3 weeks to go to the start of the season, the race is on to get the main areas finished. Watch this space!
CLICK HERE to go to the club's website and see the full set of images.



Hazlewood Castle Wedding | Lucy & Ben

Ceremony: Hazlewood Castle, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
Blessing: St Leonard's Chapel, Hazlewood Castle
Reception: Hazlewood Castle

Second-shooting with Gav Harrison

I always look forward to weddings at Hazlewood Castle. There are plenty of beautiful backdrops for photographs and it's always interesting to see how different the place looks at different times of the year and it's fun to incorporate references to the time of year into the photos. OK, I admit it, the real reason is because the food there is fantastic!
Lucy & Ben were a very easy couple to photograph and they both have a great sense of humour, although it was tricky to get them to do some of the 'mean & moody' stuff because they kept smiling all the time. They were up for anything and even made some excellent suggestions themselves for creative shots. The weather was quite warm for the time of year so we were able to make the most of the gardens for some nice intimate shots of the couple.
Congratulations to Ben & Lucy and thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable day's "work".