Roger Bennion's photos

Lots to photograph at Hughenden's 1940s Weekend :-) Velvet is a very talented singer.

Looking through some old shots.................as you do :-) And, I thought this is a fair effort :-) Taken by the river in Oxford.

Helena, Sara & Penny are 'The Spitfires'. I am not at all sure if this is Helena or Sara or Penny but I hope, at some point, to suss this out :-) Anyway, The Spitfires are superb entertainment and were one of many attractions at Hughenden's 1940s Weekend :-) ***Update*** I think I have worked out that this is Helena...................do hope I have this correct :-))

It is of no particular relevance but I did upload this shot to that other site! From www.speedhunters.com/2013/01/napier-railton-car-feature/ by Jonathan Moore - “There are some cars which have the power to completely captivate all of those around them just by their mere presence. No sound. No fanfare. Car people just know when there’s something special around. Heads turn, a crowd gathers. Jaws hang open. I know of few cars that have this power more than the astonishing Napier-Railton, a car which is 80 years old. I think this is one of the most beautiful, imposing cars ever made. And then you hear the 24-litre aero engine running: grown men weep, children gasp, angels sing. The aero engine at the heart of the Napier-Railton is the sound of a thousand storms. It’s the sound of… victory.” Normally, everyone stays behind the barriers but not so when the Napier-Railton appeared in the Start area!!! Shortly after taking this shot she burst into life some 6 feet from where I was standing...........................“the sound of a thousand storms” and then some :-))) Watch/Listen here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NJWsLtXrZw

Added to Soundtrack Weekend www.ipernity.com/group/362993 To me the most obvious choice of a song here would have been “These Boots are Made for Walking” by Nancy Sinatra. But, the YouTube clips I found were, quite honestly, out of bounds ‘cos of some of the most distasteful comments I have seen in a mighty long time!!! So, next on the list is “Boots of Spanish Leather“. I don’t know if the young ladies boots were from Spain but they will have to be for the purposes of Soundtrack Weekend :-))) “Boots of Spanish Leather” written by Bob Dylan is performed here by Nanci Griffith. Here I go again :-)) but, Nanci is one of my fave singers :-)) From Wikipedia - “Nanci Caroline Griffith (born July 6, 1953) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Born in Seguin, Texas, Nanci’s career has spanned a variety of musical genres, predominantly country, folk, and what she terms "folkabilly." Nanci won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1994 for her recording, Other Voices, Other Rooms. This album features Nanci covering the songs of artists who are her major influences. One of her better-known songs is "From a Distance," which was written and composed by Julie Gold, although Bette Midler's version achieved greater commercial success. Similarly, other artists have occasionally achieved greater success with Nanci’s songs than Nanci herself. For example, Kathy Mattea had a country music top five hit with a 1986 cover of Nanci’s "Love at the Five and Dime" and Suzy Bogguss had one of her largest hits with Griffith's and Tom Russell's "Outbound Plane". In 1994, Nanci teamed up with Jimmy Webb to contribute the song "If These Old Walls Could Speak" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization. Nanci is a survivor of breast cancer which was diagnosed in 1996, and thyroid cancer in 1998.” Watch/Listen here- www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXMW2otJXMQ

Looking towards Moulin Huet Bay..........kind of :-)) Re-visiting a shot taken on New Year’s Day back in 2010. Even though this was a while back I very clearly remember standing here for ages and ages waiting for the sun to set! And, getting colder and colder desperately trying to hold the camera steady :-)) I was mighty glad to get back to the Hotel for a ‘hot toddy’ :-))

Re-visiting an old shot of Pitstone Windmill :-) From Wikipedia - “Pitstone Windmill is thought to have been first built circa 1627 as this date is carved on part of the framework. This is the earliest date to be found on any windmill in the British Isles. It should be remembered that such a structure would have had to have frequent repairs made to it, so it is quite possible the mill predates 1627. For many hundreds of years grain grown in the two adjoining villages was ground at the mill into flour. In 1874 the mill was bought by Adelbert Wellington Brownlow Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow who owned the nearby Ashridge Estate. He subsequently let it to a local farmer, who ran a successful milling business from the mill. In 1902 the mill was seriously damaged during an enormous gale, damaging it beyond the price of economic repair. Around 1922 the derelict ruined mill was bought from the Ashridge Estate by a farmer whose land was close to the mill. In 1937 he donated it to the National Trust. However, it was not until 1963 that a band of volunteers began to carry out renovations at their own expense. The mill appeared in an episode of The Champions titled The Invisible Man which was filmed in 1967. In 1970, after an interlude of 68 years, the mill once again ground corn.”

'Haurel & Lardy' tackling the 'Hill'..............."Another Fine Sweep"...........on one occasion they didn't quite make it to the top and had to go back to the Start :-)) I would have liked this to have been just that little bit sharper. But, I could say I was trying out icm I guess :-))

Kop Hill Climb 2013

Time for another candid :-) This is Sam Bayly from Bucks TV. Watch an outtake from Bucks TV's coverage of the Kop Hill Climb back in 2010 :-)) www.buckstv.co.uk/buckstv/outtakes-latest-btv4ca5c7aa9b7b6.html

Added to Soundtrack Weekend www.ipernity.com/group/362993 Here comes another vague link for ‘Soundtrack Weekend’. Taken at the Kop Hill Climb the car in this shot is a 1930 ‘Morgan Jap 3-Wheeler Aero’. ‘Morgan’ is also the surname of one of my fave country singers. So, that is the link :-))) With a pedigree dating from 1909 Morgan three-wheelers were, from the outset, highly competitive machines. Announced in 1928 the Aero Super Sports was top-of-the-range and certainly the fastest model with an 80mph top speed. The JAP engine was the choice of the connoisseur. From Wikipedia - “Loretta Lynn "Lorrie" Morgan (born June 27, 1959, in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American country music singer. She is the daughter of George Morgan, a country music singer who charted several hit singles between 1949 and his death in 1975. Lorrie Morgan charted her first single in 1978, although she did not break into the top of the U.S. country charts until her 1989 single, "Trainwreck of Emotion." Since then, she has charted more than 25 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, with three number one hits: "Five Minutes," "What Part of No" and "I Didn't Know My Own Strength." She has also recorded more than 15 studio albums. At various points in her life, Morgan has been married to three different country singers: Keith Whitley, Jon Randall and Sammy Kershaw. She has sold over 6 million records worldwide.” "Stuck on You" was written by Lionel Ritchie. Listen/Watch here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y_Jh-54VM0

The following is courtesy of Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldonian_Theatre "The Sheldonian Theatre was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, Chancellor of the University at the time and the project's main financial backer. It is used for music concerts, lectures and university ceremonies, but not for drama. The building has a prominent eight-sided cupola in the centre of the roof". You can visit inside the Cupola and take photos of Oxford views through the glass. I have been inside once and, as far as I know, they don't normally open the windows for us photographers :-( But, on this day one of the windows was open and I could see a camera poking through :-)) With hindsight I think I really should have gone inside on the 5 September!!

Rolls Royce Silver Ghost

Without marshals there wouldn't be motor sport and the Kop Hill Climb would not have taken place. I thought it was a good opportunity to try some candid shots :-) I would also say that, in my opinion, lady marshals are more photogenic than their male counterparts :-)

I really don't have much of a clue as to the make of this car! But, looking at photos taken by other photographers at the event I am wondering if it could possibly be a 3-litre 'Fronty-Ford Indianapolis' from 1924 :-)

Added to Soundtrack Weekend www.ipernity.com/group/362993 On 9 July 2012 the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay came through Aylesbury. The SAMSUNG Bus was part of the convoy and the lady at the front of the bus is Beau. Beau’s mother saw my shot posted on that other site and contacted me saying “This is going to be one of the most memorable and favourite pictures of my daughter that I have seen whilst she is on the Relay convoy, thought she had gone Maori on everyone :) Lol. I am making a scrapbook for Beau whilst she is away on the convoy” I sent Beau’s mother a copy of this shot and some others taken on this memorable day :-)) “On A Bus To St Cloud” written by Gretchen Peters featured on Trisha Yearwood’s “Thinkin’ About You” album from 1995. It may sound like every song is my fave :-)) But, the first time I heard Trisha do this I was blown away and even more so when we saw Trisha ‘Live in Concert’ in Cambridge (UK). “On a bus to St. Cloud, Minnesota I thought I saw you there With the snow falling down around you Like a silent prayer” Watch/Listen here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=prJyb7W605c

More 'proper' icm attempted :-) Excess water from the lake flows down the Cascade into a stream.

I honestly didn't see the camera when I took this candid! With hindsight, it could have been an opportunity to discuss the benefits of owning a Nikon :-))