A lot changes in 10 years.

Well, not quite.

It's 2005. I'm working for a freight company based in Hayes, Middlesex. I'm 29 years old, riding a Suzuki Bandit, driving a 1993 green Renault 19. Life is easy, working 9- 5, having fun at the weekends. There we go!

The fleet in 2005!

It all changed on January 1st 2005. A trip to Rykas for the annual Nutters New Years day meet. I think I went on a bike, it was probably the Bandit. Meeting up with old and new friends. Who knew just a chance meeting at Box Hill on New Years Day, that I would end up meeting someone who was fixing stock cars next to where I live, for someone the gang at Sainsburys were supporting at Wimbledon stock car racing about 10 years earlier! It's a small world indeed Malcolm!

As I was 30 this year, I decided I needed a new bike, and I ended up buying a 2001 Aprilia RS125. 11,000 miles on the clock, £1500 from the local Aprilia dealer. Queue the next nin months of being questioned about "how long have you had your licence?", "where are your L-plates?", and "if you've had a licence for 13 years, why are you riding a 125?" Easy, it is fun!

My last track day was completed this year, Brands Hatch on an evening session. The little 'Prila was singing, I was having fun, and the bikers I was overtaking could swear I was riding a 250! Not quite! 

Druids,, Aprilia 125, and me with hair!

Apart from adventures with the Nutters, a blown 125 engine, the Bandit put back on the road for a few months. The next plan was started on an adventure to London one night. Two idiots on their bikes, heading in to the big city, one armed with a camera, the other armed with local knowledge and wit! A new hobby was kick started in my head, photography. Something I was doing back in the days of 33mm film, with an old Olympus OM40 camera. Now, it was time to embrace the digital age.

The final picture of the Bandit still road worthy!

Over the next year, free time was spent at BSB meetings, local motorcross tracks and a few trips to Epsom Downs and London in between. My hard drive on this PC still has the pictures from those adventures buried in it. Some great times heading around the country! But, I was without a bike. I'd given up on the Bandit (shame on me). I decided it should be a project, I will sit down and start rebuilding the Bandit. I will! Then a new toy arrived......

Dusty kit after a Southern Motocross meet

But the pictures came out well!

23rd December 2006, a fecking cold day! It was raining as I sat on the train at Hayes & Harlington. I was heading to Liskeard, first stop was Reading to get on an iIntercity train to head south west! I managed to bag two seats to myself. One for me, and one for my bike gear! Back in 1993, I was just starting to get into the nasty biking scene. I done my test, I got a licence, and I was asked by my instructor, "what bike would you like to get?", a Ducati Monster....

The dawning of the Monster age!

After my doubting friends were telling me I would be coming home on a recovery vehicle, I had to make sure the 1993 Monster made it back from Cornwall to Surrey. She did, just! After annoy the night shift spanner monkey in Fleet, I headed off on the last leg for home, and the gear lever spring snapped. 200 odd miles, and a 10p spring breaks! I managed to get the bike home, and 2007 was spent in Roso Corse, East London.

This was also the arrival of the Italian Nut.....

Back to playing with the cameras

Another thing I haven't played on for a while, my collection of camera equipment. Today I decided to dust off the Lowepro bag and give the old cameras and lenses a clean down. Tonight I was going to have a relaxing session with the camera, tripod, lenses and a Maglite.

Luckily, the yard where I work has three empty units and no external lighting within the confines of the industrial estate. The bottom corner by the canal is empty, with just a builders yard on the opposite bank of the canal. With all the camera gear set up, my Canon 30D and the stock 18-55mm lens attached, I headed off to the dark corner.

After faffing around for an hour with a selection of timed exposures, from 10 seconds to 30 seconds, and running round the car with the torch, either in a Tesco carrier bag to defuse the light or just changing the light setting on the torch. I finally had a selection of pictures to sift through and edit.

It was normal service, as with my motocross days, taking loads of pictures and only finding a couple that made me think; "yes I done a good job there!"

Here are the couple of images that caught my eye this evening;

With a bit more practice, I'll get the hang of it! 

Now I've found the instruction manuals for the 350D and 30D, I'll be able to play with the bulb setting a bit more.

Time to sign off and see what adventures I can have tomorrow.