31/07/2010 - Day 34

A bunch of Bensons.  Is that the correct collective name for a Benson reunion?  Either way, here they all are.  Several generations of them.  Family trees were passed around, corrections made, and promises that the gathering would happen again sooner rather than later.

30/07/2010 - Day 33

I've spent another enjoyable day at Trent Bridge, helping out the media chaps.  Here is a view of the playing field from the press box.  A good days bowling from Jimmy Anderson today.  I'm due to go back again on Sunday morning, but will England have wrapped it all up by then?

29/07/2010 - Day 32

Put some colour in your cricket!  I've had another fun day helping out the media guys at Trent Bridge during day 1 of the England V Pakistan Test.  Thanks to Neil, my partner in crime for the day, for spotting this photo opportunity.  Its great how people are really getting into my 'photo of the day' blog, and are starting to point out possible photos for me!  These are the pads and gloves that Samit Patel wore for the video that Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club used to promote this seasons T20.  Samit hit 50 exploding paint balls of various colour, as you can see from his pads!

28/07/2010 - Day 31

Jack and I went shopping together.  Jack spotted this registration plate.  He's hoping to have it for his first car..........

27/07/2010 - Day 30

They say little boys never grow up.....

26/07/2010 - Day 29

Nottingham Outlaws V Sussex Sharks.  Each time I thought about the game during the day, I had a little flurry of butterflies in my tummy.  The Outlaws had won every home game I had attended.  A loss and a draw for the two games I didn't attend.  Surely then they would win if I went to the game?  I was sure the toss would decide the game.  Whoever fielded first would surely win.  Chances were Mr Duckworth and Mr Lewis would be called upon.  So the news arrived that Sussex had won the toss, and they were to field first.  But I was going to be there, so Notts couldn't lose?  Wickets went tumbling and Notts finished on 141-9.  That was a good 20 runs short of a winning total - wasn't it?  I was starting to think my lucky charm had run out.  Oh foolish me!  Of course it hadn't!  Halfway through the second innings, the home crowd realised we were in for a shout.  The atmosphere was electric.  We cheered, we waved flags, we banged Friends Provident blowup thingys* and saw the mighty Outlaws through to a win!  What a fantastic night!  Sadly I won't be at the Rose Bowl for finals day, but the diary is clear, and I'll be sat in front of Sky Sports cheering the lads on from afar, hoping that they bring the trophy back with them.

*two blow up long plastic items, that when bashed together make one heck of a racket!

25/07/2010 - Day 28

Sunday night tea.  My Nan would spin if she knew.  Sundays for her were always a roast dinner, on the table at 1pm sharp (cinzano in hand 11.30am sharp!) There would always be a pudding too (brown bread ice cream anyone?!).  Be there, or be in trouble!  She would have certainly disapproved of BBQ burgers at 5pm!  After several sherbet's at the local Proms in the park last night, and a couple of late night/early morning combo's, I'm afraid it was as much as I could do to feed the kids at all!

24/07/2010 - Day 27

Sorry Daisy!  This is Daisy recovering from her first real hangover.  Mums bacon roll and a good sleep helped the recovery!  Better start keeping a supply of bacon and resolve in!

23/07/2010 - Day 26

Mr B starts two weeks leave. He bought me these. We are going to have a good two weeks ;-)

22/07/2010 - Day 25

Well its here, six weeks and two days of school holidays. Alfie has set the tone for the weeks ahead already. He was already shouting at me on his walk back from school for being such a horrible Mum. I wouldn't let him take his DS into school. I made him take a proper game. Apparently thousands of other children in his class were allowed to take theirs in (note to school - Alfie clearly hasn't grasped Maths this year, as he thinks there are more than a thousand children in his class. I counted 30). He then continued arguing with me at length about just about everything. In fact I can hear him right now as he is supposed to be getting ready for bed, moaning that he wasn't allowed pudding at tea time and how this house isn't fair. If only there were GCSE's in arguing and Diva fits. I would no longer need to worry about his reading, or writing, or maths, or spelling, because he would come out with A*'s all the way. Roll on 7th September.........

21/07/2010 - Day 24

Today I pretended I was a real photographer! Mr B asked me over to his office to take photographs of staff, so they could be used on their refreshed website. I'm not sure who was more nervous, me or the people waiting to be snapped! I find portraiture photography quite challenging at the best of times, but these had to be photos for an Insurance website, so they couldn't be 'arty' or have exotic settings! Time will tell if they make it to Bensons.co.uk, or if Mr B decides to press the delete button!!

20/07/2010 - Day 23

I went to London. A year ago I had never been to an exhibition, but yesterday I went to three. I don't confess to understanding everything I see, but I enjoy the experience and feel I learn from them. The first place I went to was the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the Grace Kelly Exhibition. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/gracekelly/home/ This was a display of her clothing, from film, to her 'courting years' through to when she died. They really were beautiful clothes and I'm sure they were a joy to wear.

I then went to the South Bank to the National Theatre. http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/46328/exhibitions/the-press-photographers-year-2010.html Here I saw the Press Photographer's year. Forget the tabloid snappers, here I found a collection of some of the most moving photography I have seen. Some of the images were very harrowing and it was hard not to be moved. Others were light and fun, but well captured all the same. If you happen to be in the area before the exhibition finishes, I would highly recommend taking a look.

The third exhibition I saw wasn't what I had planned to see. I had planned to go to the National Portrait gallery to see the Camille Silvy works. Unfortunately, there was so much to see (or photograph) along the South Bank, that I got slightly delayed, and by the time I reached the gallery, I was too late to be allowed into the exhibition. However, I was able to go into the BP Portrait Award http://www.npg.org.uk/index.php?id=4711 This is not something I would normally go to see, as I have no real interest in art, and these paintings did little to change my mind about that. Interestingly, the paintings I liked the most, were those that looked like photographs!

So all in all, a lot of walking, three very different exhibitions, and a tired but happy visitor!

19/07/2010 - Day 22

Here is the start of the collection! Daisy, Jack and I did a trawl around the charity shops in West Bridgford to see if we could find any tea cups, saucers, plates, cake stands, tea pots or table cloths. This is what we returned with. Clearly with Afternoon Tea being fashionable again, the charity shops have wised up, and are charging a small fortune for most items. So it is a start for the Mad Hatters Tea Party which we are arranging for Daisys 18th Birthday. Ideas are pouring in thick and fast, as are offers of help, which are very gratefully received! Jack is getting a band together to perform at the occasion, fancy dress will be a must for everyone, as will plenty of tea and cakes (and of course some fizz!). Daisy has requested I have a 'photography corner' where people can come and have 'formal' photos taken. Thank goodness we have until November to sort it all out!

18/07/2010 - Day 21

Rhubarb. Rhubarb is a group of plants that belong to the genus Rheum in the family Polygonaceae. Rhubarb can be used as a strong laxative, with the roots being used as a laxative for at least 5,000 years. Rhubarb has an astringent effect on the mucous membranes of the mouth and the nasal cavity. So says Wikipedia anyway..... All I know, is this is our first (and probably only) crop of Rhubarb from our garden this year. As I type, it is cooking away under a crumble topping (thanks to Daisy)in the oven. No doubt there will be fuss in the Benson/Parker household as I always like my crumble with vanilla ice cream. Rich and the boys will want custard. Of course when I say custard, Mr B has to make it so thick, you can have it by the slice! Jack will probably insist on both, oh, and they will all want 'pretty bits'* Lets hope we don't suffer too many of the medicinal properties.... *pretty bits - normally known as hundreds and thousands. A strange eating habit coming from the Benson side of the family tree.....

17/07/2010 - Day 20

It works out well really. I love taking photographs, Alfie loves being photographed! Sometimes though, I want to take pictures of something other than Alfie, like, for instance, a snap of Trent Bridge during a game, but Alfie still manages to get in on the act! I was trying out my new camera, and for a compact, I think the results are rather good!

Another fine win for The Outlaws last night largely down to Patel and Hussey. Next stop quarter finals on 26th. I had better go, as the only two home games they have lost this season have been the only two home games I haven't attended!

16/07/2010 - Day 19

I saw this, and of course had to have it!

15/07/2010 - Day 18

The egg and spoon race. The only competitive race that Alfie ran at his sports day. I suppose they do 'sport', if you count chucking a bean bag into a hoop, or dribbling a football around some posts. Alfie came second. It was a true 'tortoise and the hare' race; Alfie being the tortoise of course! The other children dashed in front of him, and kept dropping their eggs. Alfie slowly plodded along, but didn't drop his egg, so was able to ease into second place! Quite an achievement from someone who is normally last at just about everything he does! This photo was taken with my new Nikon S4000, which I won in the Giraffe competition. Its quite a neat little camera. Whilst it doesn't have the functionalities of my DSLR, its very small, so I can keep it with me where ever I go. Result!

14/07/2010 - Day 17

Some days I find it easy to take a photo of the day. Other days, such as today, I get stuck for ideas. I didn't fancy going out to take a picture, so I looked around home to see what to photograph. I then remembered my collection of corks and bottle tops that I have been collecting with photography in mind. I decided to mess around with depth of field, and positioning for still life. This was my end result. Wine and photography......my two favorite past times!

13/07/2010 - Day 16

Look who I saw today! Neither of us could remember exactly when we last saw each other, but we think it was probably close on 20 years. So much has happened in both of our lives since then, but it felt like we picked up right where we left off, and enjoyed a good old chin wag! I worked out that we have known each other for 31 years, since I walked into Mr Melrose class at St Ivo school in May 1979. It was one of the most terrifying days of my life! Penny and I went through school, and college, and Tescos checkouts together, and all the ups and downs that bought with it. Hair dye, clothes, makeup, drinking, boys, music, rec discos, etc. One of my best memories of Penny was my 17th Birthday. We made it into college that day, but not quite into our lessons! We spent the day in Huntingdon (yes, boys were involved!) and then Penny, Terry and Kim all came over to mine. My Nan fussed and made us all food, and whilst the girls all got ready to go out I went on my first driving lesson. Before we went out we were given the standard lecture from my Grandad. "No drinking any of those alcoholic beverages now girls", and then he gave me a wink, and stuffed a load of notes into my hand! I do hope it isn't another 20 years until we see each other again!

12/07/2010 - Day 15

It rained today. I got soaked. So did my poor rose.

11/07/2010 - Day 14

A riddle for you........

What happens when you store your chewing gum behind your ear when you go to bed at night?

Answer.......

I gets matted in your hair, and sticks your ear to your head, which really hurts when you try to separate said ear from head!!!

Please don't ask me why Alfie thought that it would be a good idea to keep his chewing gum behind his ear, but that is exactly what happened! Its a good job he is long overdue a hair cut, so the big lump I had to cut out (the bit sticking out on the photo) hasn't really shown. I some how suspect he has learnt a lesson today, and will stick it to his bedpost like all sensible people, from now on!

10/07/2010 - Day 13

I've been messing around with Photoshop, trying out different things and playing around with the effects. I'm not sure when or why I would use a lot of them, but it was interesting to see how my simple photo of a rose in my garden could be changed. The 'stained glass' effect has been used here.

09/07/2010 - Day 12

When Alfies school does something well, they do it really well, and today was one of those days. The whole school put on a 'Carnival of Colours', in which the children had to dress in the colours appropriate to the country they had been learning about (in Alfies case, he learnt about China, so his class wore red). They then did a couple of laps parading around the school, whilst shaking or banging the instruments they made at school (made from recycled pots and such like - you wouldn't expect anything less from Lady Bay would you?!). They all gathered back in the playground, and put on a show for the parents. It was a wonderful afternoon of colour, music and children's performances. Something the children all seemed to enjoy, and the parents too! I'm not sure Alfie looked very Chinese..........more like he might mug you for some sweeties!

08/07/2010 - Day 11

What a fantastic day I had at Trent Bridge. England v's Bangladesh ODI and I was lucky enough to be a volunteer in the Media Centre. Nottingham County Cricket Club is always a warm and welcoming place, that generates a fantastic atmosphere. That is why I originally volunteered to help at the ICC World T20 last summer, and why I love going there to watch games as an ordinary punter, and jumped at the chance when I was asked if I would like to help out again. My magical moment of the day, was being in the press box, along with Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain, and David 'Bumble' Lloyd, whilst watching both live and 3D cricket! Money couldn't buy that ticket! Watching cricket in 3D (Sky's new baby) was a strange experience. It left me feeling a little sea sick, but I can see the future for sport eventually will be in 3D format. I had camera envy looking at the photography equipment of the snappers there! What a brilliant way to make your living. Pictured here is Mark Chapman doing his MC bit during the interval.

07/07/2010 - Day 10

Let me introduce you to my babies. These are part of a collection of greetings cards I've had printed. I ordered 25 different designs, all using my own photo images, to see if the quality would be good enough for me to sell and which of my images works well as a card. Well I'm thrilled with how they have turned out, along with some postcards, 'mini' cards*, a mini card holder, and a mini card photo frame. Could this be the start of a mini business??!! Well now I know the quality is up to my standards (those of you who know me even a tiny amount will know they will have to be exceptional to pass my quality control!), I can start doing some marketing research. Will anyone want to buy my greetings cards? How much will they be willing to pay for them? What images will be the most popular? I'm sure the list will go on. I don't expect Hallmark to be quaking in their boots just yet, but hopefully I can provide some good value cards that are a little different to those in the shops. So watch out if your birthday is coming up, you might just be receiving one of the first cards from kbphotography!!!

*mini cards are even smaller than a business card, but twice as funky!

06/07/2010 - Day 9

Mostly, I think I am the sort of person that looks forward. But occasionally things happen that make me look back. Today my gorgeous little niece is 4. Bo is the daughter of my baby Sister. My baby Sister is 35. I'm 8 years older than her - you do the maths! Seven of my friends have turned 40 this year (were there a lot of power cuts in 1969?!). And today I heard that a friend from school is celebrating her 25th Wedding Anniversary. When did I become old enough to have a school friend that has been married that long? What was I doing 25 years ago? Well I was 18 - the same age my daughter will turn in a few months time! I had my first full time job, was dating the man that I later married (and then divorced), and who was to become the father of my eldest two children. I was finding my way in an adult world. So much has happened in that time. I've lived in many different houses, have married twice, had three children (and gained a step child), had countless other jobs. I've met some wonderful people. Some I am still in touch with and have become good friends, others came into my life briefly, but not all are forgotten. Do I feel different? Well yes. I loved being 18, but not as much as being 43. Sure, I was younger, slimmer, had less responsibilities, could stay up all night and not take three days to recover, could holiday whenever or wherever I wanted. Would I swap my life now for my life then? Not a chance! I'm happy with who I am, the home in which I have created, the people I surround myself with, the life I lead. Life just gets better and better. In another 25 years time, I hope to hear that Mandy and Brian are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. And no doubt I will look back and wonder where those 25 years have gone. I will wonder what I was doing when I was 43 and remember that I was younger and slimmer! But if life improves the way it has the last 25 years, then I can't wait to be 68!!!

05/07/2010 - Day 8

Poorly boy :( I thought Alfie was trying it on this morning, looking for a day off school. I was annoyed at him for being so slow getting ready, and for not deciding what he wanted for breakfast. I was proved wrong though when poor Alfie rushed to the bathroom, wasn't able to gain access (Daisy was in the shower!), leaving Alfie nowhere else to be sick other than all over the landing. He has slept and been sick on and off all day. I hope he is feeling more like his normal self tomorrow. In the meantime, I have a date with a carpet cleaning machine!

04/07/2010 - Day 7

The morning after the night before! If I was a cruel and wicked woman, it wouldn't be a photo of the detritus left on the table from last night, but a picture of Mr B looking very pale and worse for wear! Or should I have photographed the 10 empty wine bottles now waiting to be recycled? We had a lovely evening with Guy and Anita; maybe Rich enjoyed it a little too much! I'm sure before the end of the day, once he has regained his energy enough to actually talk, I shall hear those words muttered "never again"!! Maybe I should take that photo of the bottles, and of him looking so ill, to reminded him the next time he thinks of having another "never again" moment! In the meantime, boys, leave Daddy alone. He's feeling a 'little under the weather'!!!

03/07/2010 - Day 6

Who could resist smiling at the bright yellow face of a sunflower? I certainly couldn't resist buying it when I saw it sat outside a grotty little newsagents this morning. In fact, I went mad. I bought two! One now has pride of place on my kitchen windowsill, and the other is outside cheering up the garden. And all is well with the world......

02/07/2010 - Day 5

This image says so much to me. It says Daisy has packed far too much stuff (whatever she says about needing it all!!), it says Daisy is off for her Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award assessment, it says that just like Jack, she is all grown up, it says that it should not be possible for such a tiny slip of a girl to be able to carry all of that for 10 miles a day for 3 days, which in turn says that looks can be misleading. Daisy may look small and vulnerable at times, but underneath everything there is a tough and strong woman fighting her way out. Daisy may not always know what she wants, but when she does, she will work hard to achieve it. She will be so out of her comfort zone this weekend. No comfy bed to sleep in, none of her Mums home cooked meals (well, actually, thats not strictly true as I did pack her off with a chilli for her dinner tonight!), no laptop, bus into town, hair straighteners/curlers, etc, but she will work as a team with her fellow DofE students, and they will swap a timetable for a map, a bed for a mat, home cooked food for noodles and pasta cooked in a pot over a fire, straighteners for a tourch, and a laptop for giggles with her mates, and they will get through to Sunday with a great sense of achievement. Just how proud can a Mum get?

01/07/2010 - Day 4

When did my baby boy get all grown up? Doesn't he scrub up well?! Prom somehow seems like a passage into adulthood, but I know tomorrow Jack will sling on his torn jeans and a top he has picked up from the floor of his room, that is once he has found his way out of bed! It doesn't seem like a blink ago that I took my little man to school for his first day. Confident and full of excitement. Eager to follow in his sisters footsteps. Me, just about holding it together, until I bumped into another Mum who's little lad had also started school, and we both burst into tears together! What an exciting age to be. A blank canvas in front of him, to do with as he will. What ever he fills that canvas with though, and how ever tall, or old, or grey he becomes, he'll always be my baby boy!