I went to a photo shoot in London for Prima magazine on Wednesday, they want a picture of me for my article due to be published in their April edition. I expected that they might want me to send in a head shot but this is what I got! Everyone there was so welcoming and attentive, a delicious lunch was provided, copious cups of tea, all expenses paid. I had a makeover and my hair done and then had loads of photos taken. I can honestly say that when I decided to jump right in and start a new writing career (hopefully!) I never expected this! It was a fantastic experience.
On the train down to London I saw a fox. I have travelled by train so many times over the years and have never seen a fox in an open field like this one. It was one of those delightful English January mornings when the light is soft and muted from the winter sun as it bathes the hard frost on the ground in that warm, amber glow. The fox stopped in his tracks as the train hurtled past at the bottom of the field and yes, he did turn around and look over his cheeky shoulder. I know that foxes are much more brazen these days and are seen much more frequently than when I was growing up, but the significance of seeing a fox on the very day of my photo shoot is not lost on me and those who know the fascination they have always held for me will also understand!
I took my camera to London but when I asked my mum (she came with me!) to take a photo with it I discovered that my battery was completely flat. (Thanks, oh lovely daughter of mine for using my camera and failing to tell me that the battery needed charging).
‘It’s okay,’ Mum said confidently, ‘We can use my camera!’ Great! I thought. Except that she then discovered that she had forgotten to put her memory stick in. ‘How about we use my memory stick?’ I suggested, removing mine from my camera and putting it in hers. Wrong size, it got stuck. Had to ask a very nice young man to help us remove it, which he duly did so with a paper clip and in so doing damaged Mum’s camera. I STILL don’t have a smart phone, my mum’s phone has a camera but she doesn’t know how to upload photos from it.
So, number of photos taken at the photo shoot? One hundred, at least. I liked maybe two of them (don’t like photos of myself, that’s the truth). Number of foxes seen from the train? One. Number of photos taken by my mum and I of London? Zilch.
Still, it was a truly wonderful day. Thank you Prima!
A View From My Summerhouse 