Mersea Week - Mostly Smacks

Visited West Mersea, ostensibly to get some photos of Crusader and Italia, two America's Cup yachts from the late 1980s, which are there this week and match racing.  However, they were not out this morning so I made do with some Oyster smacks which are some of my favourites. Although racing today, some of these fine old boats can still be found dredging for oysters under sail.  The oldest boat out today (Boadicea) had her keel laid down couple of years before the Battle of Trafalgar and was extensively restored twice (1938 and 1978ish) by a colleague of my father and I was privileged to sail on her when I was a child.

Foxton cricket

During the CCC "Know Your Camera" day I helped some aspiring sports photographers and meanwhile took a few shots of my own. Cei Sanderson was batting and is the subject of most of the shots.

20-20 Hindsight

A garden vist in Old Alresford

Whilst staying with my brother in Winchester, we visited Hill House in Old Alresford where the gardens are opened for the NGS 2 or 3 times a year; their pride and joy is a beautiful Herbaceous Border. I had decided before we left home to try macro photography, so I only took a 105 macro lens, so overall views of the border were limited, but there were masses of bees and a few butterflies to shoot at. Most of the butterflies that I saw were cabbage-whites, but the obliging butterfly below whom I can't identify seemed happy to share his/her flower head with the bees.  Identification would be appreciated.