Le Mans 2013

After many years away.  2013 saw my return to the Sarthe race track to enjoy the day and night delight of the Sportscar championship.  Audi dominant once again.

Most Patriot Village

Our home village of Albury became the toast of the national press as it warmly embraced the celebration of the Queens Diamond Jubilee with over there miles of bunting and host of decorated houses.

Night at the Courts

The Royal Courts of Justice made for dramatic backcloth, if a contrived pun, to the launch of the ATP Tennis Championships at O2. Murray, Federer and Tsonga amongst others made an appearance to support the gala evening in aide of Great Ormond St Hospital, although the £7.5k for a photo with the stars was a suprise.

Newark Priory at Dawn

Newark Priory at Dawn
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Newark Priory at Dawn

Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish sat on the shoulder of the leading pack, near Shere, prior to his victorious return to the Mall.

Albury Pigeon House

The Pigeon House in Albury is the village's oldest building, with the strange purpose of harvesting pigeon droppings for inclusion in the manufacture of gunpowder, a short distance down the road in Chilworth.

Old School House

The Old School, Albury

The steps of the old school in Albury, now the village hall, from which our house takes its name.

Roaring Railings

Roaring Railings
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

A finely cast lion, found on a railing panel in a French Alpine hill village.

Pushkin in a Box

Pushkin
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Cats are well known for finding creative and sometimes curious places to take a rest from a hard day being adored. When the box with new window and door fittings arrived, its seems Pushkin decided this was one such place.

Jet Reflection

Jet Reflection
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Duxford is the IWMs air museum at airfield base of the Spitfires in WWII. It presents a broad history of flight and airborne munitions. This exhibit is one of the many jet turbines. Delicacy and power.

Bon Feu

Th Bonfire Lit
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

The fallen branches from back field soaked generously with a cannister of petrol and ignited from a distance. Whoosh!

Electric Orchids

Electric Orchids
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

The 2009 Hampton Court Flower Show had many colourful suprises. This display of multi-coloured orchids, thoughtfully placed against a black background for artistic contrast, was a a highlight for me.

The Tunnel at Albury Park

The Tunnel, Albury Park, Surrey
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Albury Park mansion has a tunnel at the back of a water feature, cut through sandstone, which emerges near the village of Shere. Usually locked and gated, on this day you could tred its sandy path in the pitch dark, in this case, guided only by the stobing flash of my camera's autofocus.

The Chapel, Maritime Museum, Greenwich

The Chapel, Maritime Museum, Greenwich
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Bald Eagle in Flight

Bald Eagle in Flight
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Bald Eagle in Flight at Abinger Common Fete. A powerful and impressive bird of prey indeed. The species was on the brink of extirpation in the continental United States (while flourishing in much of Alaska and Canada) late in the 20th century, but now has a stable population and has been officially removed from the U.S. federal government's list of endangered species.

Short Knights

Knights
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Abinger Common is a small village in the Surrey Hills. Each year they hold a village fete as a medieval re-enactment with the whole community dressed for effect. A small piece of enchanting English tradition.

Duckling

Duckling
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

W have ducklings in the garden! There is a family of ducks living in our garden, a mother mallard and 11 ducklings. There is one of the bravest duckling, I call him Custard, who wanders off quite a bit . Posted by Georgia Keech aged 9

Leila Cat

Leila Cat
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Lelia is one of of two black cats in the family. One boy and one girl. Brother and sister, owned respectively by twin girls, Georgia and Ellie. This cat, Leila, is the bright one of the two. Its funny you can see it in here eyes but can't define what it is.

You Lookin' at Me

Cat
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

This fearsome fur ball was sat on the edge of a high chalet balcony at an equestrian center in Morzine. Despite its precarious position it seemed quite content to catch some rays watch the world going by.

Lloyds of London

Lloyds of London
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Finance is the art of passing currency from hand to hand until it finally disappears - Robert W. Sarnoff

City Stairs in Silhouette

City in Silhouette
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

History is only the pattern of silken slippers descending the stairs to the thunder of hobnailed boots climbing upward from below - Voltaire

Painted Head, Portmeirion

Painted Head, Portmeirion
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Portmerion is the setting for the sometimes incomprehensible TV series "The Prisoner". Portmeirion was built by Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis from 1925 to 1973 to demonstrate that development of a naturally beautiful site need not result in its defilement. He wanted to practice what he preached as a conservationist and capmaigner for the protection of the environment.

Blood Brothers

Blood Brothers
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

The final emotive scene from the local 'Am Dram' society's medley from Blood Brothers. Dom Bridgewater playing dead.

Calm a Llama Down

Calm a Llama Down
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

"It's one of the few ways to calm a lama down…"
Calm a llama down
Calm a llama deep down in the ocean blue
Like a barnacle
Sitting in the tight place
Laughing like a monkey arm
Pulling like a china boy
Caraway, caraway, caraway noise
Boing, chika masala
Boing, chika masala
Ooooooo tooth tooth

Mighty Boosh

Fire Burning Bright

Fire Burning Bright
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

These beautiful dancing flames of many colours were the result of a number of pyrotechnic coated pine cones which burn with every elemental colour possible. Better than most of the television at Christmas

Christmas Cookie Treats

Christmas Cookie Treats
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

These festive treats were enthusiastically made by my two girls for their classmates. Chocolate cookies with festive icing decorations. Not all of them got eaten in the process of making them this time.

Albury Park Gardens

Alnbury Park Gardens
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

Although only open to the public on two days a year as part of the open gardens scheme, the gardens of Albury Park House are quite lovely. Here is a path collonaded by trees.

Hawk at Escot

Hawk at Escot
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

A real hawk eye. If you look closely you can see the silhouettes of four people reflected in the eye of this beautiful bird of prey.

Formation Flying

Formation Flying
Originally uploaded by Victor Keech.

A fortieth birthday treat provided the opportunity to fly wing to wing in a pair of aerobatic bi-planes. With loop the loops, barrel rolls and a dog fight often at no more than 6ft from wing tips, this really is something to behold. All Ably captained by ex-pilots from the 'Red Arrows', there's even a Piper Pacer that flies alongside and in formation for the wife and kids to see the action first hand and of course provide a fabulous photography platform. (I left Lisa in charge of the SLR for this one)