Club Meeting, 'Spectrum' with Howard Wilson - Tuesday 24th January 2023.

          

On Tuesday 24th January Morpeth Camera Club welcomed guest speaker Howard Wilson CPAGB/AV APAGB with his presentation
entitled ‘Spectrum’. A well respected photographer, Howard has been a member of Tynemouth Photographic Society since the late
60’s, and is currently the Syllabus Secretary and the External Competitions Secretary.

He opened the evening with an introduction to his work with images of statuary, anchors, stained glass, ropes and lamps before
showing an Audio Visual (Av) presentation entitled Bikes. Set in Amsterdam and Haarlem we saw a myriad of cyclists, on phones, carrying passengers, with sidecars, carrying children, all in bright colours.

An Av of Clevedon Pier came next with detail of signage, brass memorial plaques, the Pagoda, lamps, ironwork and silhouettes
at sunset over the Bristol Channel. This was followed by Liverpool Cathedrals; the Metropolitan Cathedral with its glass spires,
vibrant stained glass windows, and the more traditional cathedral with statuary, towering pillars and stonework. Glimpses of St Petersburg was shown next, of the waterfront cranes, bustling city life, shops selling babushkas, traditionally dressed dolls and
glittering decorated eggs, and ending with a sequence of dancing at the ballet.

Short Av's of cruising holidays came next as we visited Warnemunde in Germany showing its busy street life and on the coast
the very unusual beach chair huts under ominous storm clouds and in sunshine, followed by a trip on the Stockholm archipelago
with river views and homesteads, islands, buoys and navigation lights together with candid shots of passengers onboard. Next
was German Bells, an Av which illustrated sweeping farmland at harvest, church spires, onion shaped domes, church interiors
and fallen, broken bells at Lubeck, which had been retained as a memory of wartime.

A self narrated Av entitled Post Boxes followed. With an array of different shapes; the Penfold, the Ludlow wall fitted variety,
Victorian, Edwardian, gold for Olympians, double apertured, blue post boxes for airmail and the very rare Edward VIII variety;
all made this an interesting pocket history of a normally unnoticed feature on our streets.

A fast paced Gateshead Games Av came next with cameramen, starters, runners, spectators, medals and action shots of relay,
hurdles, high jump, javelin and shot put, all of which must have brought back memories for the audience. Set to lilting music
Stone and Sand and Sea and Sky, Howards next Av followed, with images of rock pools, seaweed, dog walkers, sea coal and
sand patterns on the shoreline leading to a glowing sunset.

Next was a sequence on Cullercoats which included old sepia toned images of the bay long ago; of fishermen mending nets
and fisherwomen waiting on the shoreline, which continued with contrasting images of today’s colourful scenes of strollers
and sunbathers. Let em In followed, a pacey Av of door bells and door knockers of every description on colourfully painted
doors; of bears, dolphins, birds, hands, anchors, galleons, in shiny brass or painted matt black.

On a more serious note, Howards Av of the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire brought the audience down to
earth with images of memorials to war and conflict. Statuary, plaques, walls and installations dedicated to the military,
emergency services, civilians and charities in honour of the fallen, served as a poignant reminder. This successful Av had
gained Howard his CPAGB/AV award.

To conclude his set Howard showed an old Av which has become a firm favourite, entitled Big River it showed archive images
of the Tyne riverside. In an atmosphere of smoke and smog were rows of massive cranes, dank belching chimneys, blackened warehouses, of ships, shipbuilding and dock workers all reminding us of times past.

Co-Chair Roseanne Robinson thanked Howard for his enjoyable, eclectic mix of audio visual presentations which
were set to well chosen music, after which refreshments were served.

Steph.