personal

It was a busy weekend - we visited Alnwick. I took my pro camera and didn't take any photos of the beautiful town! It was raining though and we were supporting a photographer friend of mine who was opening a new studio. We also visited the fabulous temporary exhibition of Jim Kay illustrations for new Harry Potter editions at the Bailiffgate Museum.

It was half term last week and we took the opportunity to spend a few days with my brother-in-law and his family in London. On one of the days we drove across to Margate. We went to the Turner Contemporary Gallery, had great fish and chips (on National fish and chips day!) and spent some time on the beach.

A day late for the 52 Weekends project photo but we have had a bank holiday! It was past time to tackle the weeds in the patio this weekend so out came the gloves and the trowel. I didn't get as much weeding done as I would've liked as I had a portrait session later on.

Luckily the next day was dry and cool so I managed to get all of the dandelions out of our block paving at the front.

My son ran the North East Children's Cancer Run for the first time this year. He was determined to do the five mile course, but as it was his first event, we talked him into starting with the three mile course. He ran (and walked) it in just over half an hour. He agreed with us afterwards that three miles was enough! Maybe with some more training he can tackle the five mile one next year!

Here is his well deserved medal.

We were child-free this weekend so had a fairly lazy time, but we did get out for a bike ride on Sunday morning. It was only my second ride of this year - the weather has been quite bad and we've had other commitments. It was great to get out in the sunshine and fresh air! Here's to many more to come this year.

I finally got some time to spend in the garden this weekend. I love this time of year when the apple tree is laden with blossom. A promise of all of the lovely apples to come this year.

Jobs this week included the dreaded weeding, but I felt so much better when (most of) it had been done. The garden certainly looks better. I even got some time to sit and enjoy the garden after working in it. That's always a bonus isn't it?

I was away on a residential business training course over the weekend so I had to do my 52 weekends project on my phone camera.

35 of us were staying at the Novotel in Kingston Park for two nights. A bit of an irony for me as I live less than a mile away! I also hold my wedding consultation meetings at this hotel.

Last weekend was quite hectic and chilled at the same time. How can that be? Well it was the final two performances for my son in the Newcastle Gang Show on Saturday and also the end of the Easter holidays. I had only realised I hadn't done a 52 weekends shot when my celebratory pizza arrived yesterday. Hence the phone photo! I had also been tracking my brother's progress doing the London marathon so nothing much got done on Sunday.

This Easter weekend we spent time with family and visited Kirkley Hall Zoo. It was windy and a little chilly so the reptile house was a welcome sight. We met this Bearded Dragon in there and he was being extremely good, posing for me right at the front of the tank.

I realise that I'm saying "he" when I have no clue whether it's a male or a female!

I was working at the weekend, doing a family photo shoot at Rothbury riverside. I managed to get a quick shot of the sun sparkling on the water for my 52 weekends project.

In this picture I have enhanced the blue tones and cropped the forground out to concentrate on the water and landscape behind. I applied a softening effect which makes the colours even stronger. It also gives a dreamlike quality to the picture.