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A ride down to Weymouth to meet Fuzz, including the A350 from Shaftesbury to Blandford. From Weymouth, we headed over to Portland to visit the Broadcroft Quarry Butterfly Conservation Reserve and later, a ride up to Sturminster Newton before an afternoon visit to the Alner’s Gorse Butterfly Conservation Reserve. We “might” have seen the Brown… Continue reading 9th August

A trip with Zac up to Chatham in Kent, for his Club100 kart race at Buckmore Park. A chance to shoot a few “action shots”.

A ride to Shaftesbury to meet Fuzz, then a visit to nearby Fontmell Down to seek out Dorset’s only population of Silver Spotted Skipper. After much searching, we found a single newly emerged specimen. I captured some images.

An impromptu walk to Salisbury from home along the Wylye Valley “back roads”. It was more than 20 miles, and I was very aware of that fact for 2 or 3 days afterwards.

A ride up to Alton on the R1200GS for a service and first MOT (3 Years already!). Went up via Stockbridge, and returned via the Ashford Hangers National Nature Reserve, Petersfield and onto the A272 for a stop at Loomies Moto Café, then Winchester, Andover and a detour via Fyfield, Perham Down, Tidworth and Larkhill… Continue reading 31st July

A rainy visit to the Clay Pigeon Kart Track for Zac to race in the Club100 Kartying Series. Shot a few images of him competing.

Various “potterings” on the R1200 GS Adventure in the local area, bits and bobs of website work and insect rearing.

Our first overnighter away since lockdown, staying at Banbury. The reason was Zac racing at Shenington in Club100 Karting the following day. A chance for some photos.

A great visit on the motorcycles with Fuzzy to the West Wood and Pitt Down sections of the Farley Mount Country Park complex. Our aim was to see a Purple Emperor (ideally several), and we weren’t the only ones trying. It proved to be an excellent place to visit and we saw pretty much everything… Continue reading 10th July

An impromptu evening ride-out on the R1200GS – Warminster, Corsley, East Woodlands, Shepton Mallet, Croscombe, Wells (had a ride around the centre), Glastonbury, Street, Somerton, Castle Cary, Bruton, Zeals, Mere and back to Warminster over Mere Down.

Going out for breakfast together and then a coffee afterwards shouldn’t be news, but post lockdown, it is “news”.

A visit to Rye House (near Harlow in Essex), for Zac to have a Club100 test day/practice day. He drove well and I took of images of him in action.

A successful visit to Picket & Clanger Wood, and nearby Green Lane Wood on the motorcycles with Fuzzy. A successful day with plenty of White Admiral sightings, Silver Washed Fritillary and some Purple Hairstreaks among the highlights. We later went to Battlesbury Hill, seeing a few Dark Green Fritillary and abundant Marbled Whites.

More “mixed bags” of activity – actually writing this in Warminster’s Coffee One – the first time since lockdown. More bits of website content, zipping around locally on the R1200 GS Adventure, continuing to rear the Comma and Eyed Hawkmoth larvae, a bit of moth trapping and a trip to Picket & Clanger Wood and… Continue reading 22nd June – 4th July

A first visit to Clanger & Picket Wood, between Westbury and Trowbridge. I must have driven past it a thousand or more times.

Various activities – commuting locally on the R1200GS Adventure, ordered some more “livestock” to rear for the “semi-lockdown” phase – Comma, Eyed Hawkmoth, Privet Hawkmoth and Death’s Head Hawkmoth. A successful bit of moth trapping with two consecutive nights with a Privet Moth specimen, and the last of the previous batch of Comma was set… Continue reading 15th – 21st June

In “semi-lockdown” now. Various “bits and pieces” of moth trapping, pottering around locally on the R1200 GS Adventure, adding items of content for the website and so on.

Another motorcycle trip down the “303” to Devon, again to Honiton to collect Fuzzy. From there, a visit to Ashclyst Forest and Haldon Forest Park – a pleasant day, but none of the target species of butterfly were seen (White Admiral & Purple Hairstreak). We at least had “staked out” these areas for future visits.

A few small-scale meanderings on the R1200 GS Adventure. At home, some butterfly releasing and moth trapping.

A trip on the bike to Honiton (to collect Fuzzy). From there, we both rode to the southern flank of Dartmoor, to the High Brown Fritillary hotspot of Aish Tor. Great sightings of this species (perhaps 30 or 40 specimens) and a chance to see them up close. A “bucket list” species for me and… Continue reading 31st May

A tangle of more bits & pieces; reading, website content, moth trapping and releasing the caged reared Small Tortoiseshells. The Peacocks and Commas are not far behind. Also, a bit of “pottering about” on the bike, mostly into the business, but sometimes with convoluted routes home in the local area including a few “memory lane”… Continue reading 26th – 30th May

More “mixed bags” of lockdown activities. A “survey walks” at Battlesbury Hill and also Middle Hill resulting in more submission of data to Butterfly Conservation. Carried on rearing Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma and began releasing the Small Tortoiseshells as they hatched. More work on image sorting and website content. Also, a bit of riding… Continue reading 17th – 25th May

A mixed bag of “lockdown” activities. Some “survey walks” at Battlesbury Hill and also Middle Hill, where I discovered an (unknown to me) colony of Marsh Fritillary, the results of which I submitted to Butterfly Conservation. Still in terms of “walks”, I’ve continued to discover new areas to visit in the immediate vicinity of home.… Continue reading 1st – 17th May

A quick “survey walk” at Battlesbury Hill, a few Duke of Burgundy on the wing, plus Marsh Fritillary. I then submitted sightings to Butterfly Conservation.

Ordered 10 Comma larvae from Worldwide Butterflies, to rear until adults alongside the Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks. The aim is to release them to compliment local populations.

Peacock larvae arrived from Worldwide Butterflies, now settled on potted nettle.

Working on and completing the Cuba feature for Scuba Diver Magazine.

The “lockdown” continues, but finding things to do. Started assisting Butterfly Conservation with some recording/surveying on Battlesbury Hill – especially the Duke of Burgundy Fritillaries which first emerged around the 20th April – been shooting images of them also. The Marsh Fritillary have also emerged very early. Small Tortoiseshell “livestock” arrived from Worldwide Butterflies, so… Continue reading 17th – 26th April

More “lockdown”. Continued work sorting the terrible mess of the “image pc” – getting there slowly, and also progress on website content including a couple of new ideas. Plenty of walking around the local environs, especially to Battlesbury Hill where I was able to photograph freshly emerged Green Hairstreak and Grizzled Skipper. Hopefully Butterfly Conservation… Continue reading 13h – 17th April

Working speculatively on a Cuba “Gardens of the Queens” feature for Scuba Diver magazine.

A bit of note writing in the “motorcycling” section, catching up on some thoughts really.

Lockdown continues, but we’re lucky to have the “outdoorsy” space around us for regular walks. A couple of “exploratory walks” locally on some footpaths that are new to us such as Southleigh and Eastleigh Woods. Having that extra time in the local area has been interesting; watching the spring come to life in much more… Continue reading 6h – 13th April

A walk up Battlesbury Hill; early butterflies are on the wing (Peacock, Brimstone, Small White and Small Tortoiseshell), and heard the first Cuckoo of the year. A few images taken of a Peacock butterfly and our “mini re-wilding” project.

An early morning walk onto the edge of Salisbury Plain, birding highlights included Yellowhammer, Corn Bunting, Stonechat, Skylark and Lapwing.

Various “catch up work” such as sorting the “image pc” (a terrible mess!), website content and other things that never seem to happen in normal circumstances. Also, purchased a moth trap, some insect breeding cages and some “livestock” (Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell larvae) from Worldwide Butterflies, to rear and supplement the local populations. The livestock… Continue reading 24th March – 3rd April

Following a statement from the UK Prime Minister, the UK (along with many other countries) entered a “lockdown” due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus. It would change the dynamic of many things going forward. Basically, everything is cancelled until further notice. We’d have to find other things to do.

An excellent return to Cuba. We originally travelled there back in 1994, not long after the country began to open up for visitors – on that occasion, we stayed at Varadero and took day trips to Havana, Pinar Del Rio and the Vinales Valley, Trinidad, the Bay of Pigs and Santiago De Cuba. It was… Continue reading 5th – 20th March

“Winter work” at Globe Cottage in Weymouth is completed including a new bath, shower and tiling, ready for the new season.

An interesting gig at the Trinity centre in Bristol, A Winged Victory For The Sullen.

Building our new Compost Box and scattering a few wildflower seed mixes for our small re-wilding project. The aim is to photographically document it (if time).

From Buckmore Park to Coventry – overnight near the Ricoh Arena and then a presentation by Jeremy at the “Go Diving” dive show covering Niihau, Montserrat and Ustica.

A visit to Chatham, for Zac’s first Club100 kart meeting of the year. I’d re-set the camera for back button focus which was good.

A first ride on the R1200 GS, to Bristol and back.

Completing my “Go Diving” presentation.

An overnighter in London, this time to see Garland Locke and Simcock at Pizza Express Jazz in Soho.

A visit to the Bristol Underwater Photography Group in Bristol.

A few things; tidying up a few trips and plans, plus website items and purchasing some seed mixes for our new “set aside/back to nature” areas of the garden.

Organising the “back to nature” re-wilding sections of our garden.

An overnight stay for a conference at The Grove on the outskirts of Watford, with an evening visit to the Warner Brothers studios close by.

An excellent gig at Bristol’s Trinity Centre by the composer Anna Meredith. Grave Lightman was a good support.

A London visit to catch Aubrey Logan at Ronnie Scott’s.

An evening visit to Bristol to see the excellent and original Anna Meredith, supported by the very good Grace Lightman.

A London visit to catch Aubrey Logan at Ronnie Scott’s.

A second visit to Globe Cottage in Weymouth. Some more time at the RSPB Radipole Lake reserve. This time the weather was dull and windy. Despite that, a single Bearded Tit was visible close to the visitor centre. I chatted with an interesting Bristol based photographer and learned some useful tips from him for bird… Continue reading 24th – 26th January

A weekend at Globe Cottage in Weymouth. The visit included some time at the RSPB Radipole Lake reserve. Good views of the Bearded Tits in bright sunshine, and a bit of use of the camera. Chatted with some fellow wildlife enthusiasts.

An overnighter in London to see the excellent Elephant9 at Ronnie Scotts.

Enjoying the tail end of our Christmas and new Year visit to Bandos in the Maldives.

A Christmas visit to our beloved Bandos in the Maldives. It’ll probably be our last “big trip” with Zac who is heading towards 17, so the possible/probable end of an era where many good things have happened. It’s our sixth visit and a chance to see some familiar faces again and dive some of the… Continue reading 21st December – 4th January 2020

A night out in nearby Frome, to see the Happy Mondays perform at the Cheese & Grain.

A night in Bristol, to see the Mark Lanegan Band.

Indulging in some trip planning for 2020.

A London visit, this time staying Camden, to see the Ezra Collective perform at the Roundhouse.

A weekend visit to Globe Cottage in Weymouth.

Another London visit, this time to see Iggy Pop at the Barbican Centre. Great gig

A trip to London with Amanda to see Bjork at the O2.

A London visit to see Kurt Rosenwinkel (with Ozmosys) at the Southbank Centre, the Bridget Riley Exhibition (also at the Southbank Centre), and John Scofield at Pizza Express Jazz.

Sending out calendars to friends and contacts.

Calendar press releases done for another year.

A visit to the BUPG (Bristol Underwater Photographers Group) at Patchway.

Working on website content, mostly in the Links and Latest News sections.

 A visit to Kent, with Zac racing in the Club 100 Karting series, this time at the well known Buckmore Park circuit, owned by the Surtees family. A chance for a bit of photography, though I find it difficult to concentrate on it, as I prefer to watch Zac racing.

An overnighter in London, to catch Simon Philip’s Protocol at Ronnie Scott’s. A good chance also to catch up with an old mate (Steve Larder) for the evening. The ride down was through some torrential rain between Wylye and Basingstoke.

Our new calendars arrive – this time it’s two – our 2020 Diving Dreams Calendar and our Diving Dreams Infinity Calendar.

A visit to the Langford Lakes reserve (run by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust) and some work on website content.

Ongoing work on website content.

The new Diving Dreams Calendars (2020 and “Infinity”) are approved and sent to print.

A visit to Bury St. Edmunds, for Zac’s third Club 100 meeting.

Scuba Diver Magazine publishes Jeremy’s feature on visiting and diving Montserrat in the Caribbean.

In London again, to see legendary electric bass player Stanley Clarke play at Ronnie Scott’s (making the most of the membership). In the afternoon, a chance to work on website content.

Playing at an improvisation evening hosted by Al Summers in Warminster.

Agreeing in principal our March 2020 trip to Cuba with Dive Worldwide – we’ll stay in Havana, then join the Avalon III liveaboard to dive the Gardens of The Queens marine reserve and afterwards visit the Zapata National Park area on a quest to see the Bee Hummingbird, the world’s smallest bird.

Scuba Diver Magazine publish Jeremy’s feature about our 2017 trip to Montserrat. Glad to see this one come out.

Making final tweaks and suggestions to our 2020 Diving Dreams Calendar and our new Diving Dreams Infinity Calendar.

A visit to London with friend Simon Farr to see Oz Noy at Ronnie Scott’s. Turned into a late one!

An evening visit to Bristol to see Quercus perform, featuring the incredible June Tabor on vocals.

A ride up through Wales, Shropshire and the Wirral to Liverpool, to meet Amanda, Zac and his girlfriend Hannah. After Liverpool, I set off for an motorcycle exploration of the North West and the Pennines, taking in Southport, Preston, Lytham & Blackpool, Lancaster, Morecambe, Carnforth, Arnside, Silverdale, Grange Over Sands, Ulverston, Barrow, Seascale, St, Bees,… Continue reading 20th – 29th September

Was supposed to be in Boscombe (Bournemouth), to dive the pier, but aborted due to weather.

A visit to the Whilton Mill Circuit for Zac’s second Club 100 meeting.

A trip to Penzance, that was originally supposed to be a Charles Hood Blue Shark trip, but the weather meant it was cancelled. I still went down and stayed at the Artist’s Residence. Got on top of a few projects.

A Bank Holiday visit to The Mumbles in South Wales with Amanda. I had hoped to dive the pier, but the conditions made that an impossibility. Instead, we headed into the Gower and had a pleasant day at Oxwich Bay.

Scuba Diver Magazine publishes Jeremy’s Red Sea Overview feature.

Another European motorcycling foray, this time confined to France – to ride the entire “English Channel Coast” but on the French side. Starting at Calais, the first night was at Le Touquet, then a long ride to Deauville. Next was St. Vaast La Hougue, then a stay in the walled town of St. Malo. From… Continue reading 9th – 20th August

An excellent gig at Ronnie Scott’s with Amanda, this time Goldie

Zac’s first foray into a kart racing series – Club 100 at Rye House. We stayed overnight in Harlow.

An overnight in Bristol with Amanda, to see the iconic ska band, the Specials at Bristol Harbourside.

An overnight in London with Amanda, to see Macy Gray at Ronnie Scott’s.

Scuba Diver Magazine publishes Jeremy’s Caribbean Overview feature.

Our annual pilgrimage to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, staying in the campsite at Whittlebury.

An overnight in London with Amanda, and a first visit to the Barbican in London (a revelation, not sure how we’d somehow missed it before). Our purpose was to see the Kronos Quartet play against a visual backdrop created by an AI device interpreting and projecting onto a screen behind them. Very interesting.