It was a long way to go, four hours from home to Helensburgh, but I’m glad I made the trip.
As a communications trainer I do have to travel quite a bit to schools across the North of England, and occasionally to the West Midlands, but going as far as Scotland is a rarity. I was due to have two workshops but one was cancelled at the last minute so I was left with Rosneath Primary School, across Gare Loch from my Airbnb in Helensburgh. I booked two nights because of all the driving but was aware this gave me some free time to go exploring with my camera.
I arrived early evening and once I’d checked in with my delightful hosts, Paul and Karen, I set off in the direction of the seafront. I was fortunate with the weather – it was sunny and warm, plus with it being a Bank Holiday Monday, the place was packed.
I headed to the pier which is not particularly attractive – more function than pleasure but there was some life going on which drew me in. I noticed a group of raucous teenagers, both boys and girls, but was spotted taking a candid shot. One of the boys approached me:
Did you just take a photograph?
Yes.
Were the girls in it?
Ummm… yes.
Show me.
No problem.
Delete it now.
Sure
Having got over that initial hurdle I asked if I could take photographs of the boys jumping off the pier into the water below. No problem, as long as I didn’t include the girls, so I didn’t.
One of their friends was on the other side of the pier. He’d got into the building site of what I believe is going to be a new swimming pool and seemed to be having a great time with some planks of wood he’d discovered. He did stop for a moment or two however and seemed to be taking in the view.
This was taken with my 25mm so I’ve had to crop it but the detail holds up reasonably well.
The two men here are looking through windows to the building site beyond.
Back on the seafront a little girl was enjoying her ice cream but causing her attendant grandmother a bit of grief. I intervened and asked if I could take her photo – she was happy I did and got the little girl to sit down.
Focus is a little off (as usual I probably rushed it more than I needed to have done) but when the grandmother asked what I was going to use the photo for I gave her one of my cards and said it would be Instagram. She said the little girl’s mother was on it and would look. I was delighted to get the thumbs up from the mum the next day.
My final offering is of an elderly man with binoculars happily looking at the seabirds on the shoreline – or was he?
