Diaries of a photographer (and a van)...Part 10

28/03/07

14:44 - Sitting in a lovely services on the M5, near Taunton, on route to Cornwall to right the wrongs of my out of focus fiasco there last time.
Drove to Cardiff yesterday and shot the Millenium Stadium. I think the stadium may turn out to be the weak link (landmark) in my chain (project on landmarks). First, they refused me access to shoot inside it, some crap about being busy and getting lots of requests. Then the outside is nowt to write hgome about - bet all the Welsh asked in the sruvey about landmarks nominated it out of national pride!
Went back there first thing today - but still not inspired. What can you do with a stadium? Still tried to make the best of it and capture the architecture in noivel ways, we shall see. Should pop my optomist hat on again, its a snug fit after all.
Stayed in a campsite in the city centre. Arrived late again so had to park up anyway and had no toilet access as I didn't have the code!
This morning the warden came to see me and looked bemused and confused but was friendly enough. Get this - he charged me £5 and put it in the charity box, which says it all about caravaners attitude to me and the Guf! We got glorified tent rates as were obviously not worthy of being classed as a motorhome.
I'm not a racists (that means I am), but here is some stuff regarding the Welsh:

• They are not really tourist friendly! They signpost nothing so finding things is impossible. Plus it took an hour to find a postcard...IN A CITY CENTRE! Badly set up for outsiders is Wales.
• They have more short skirts on innapropriate women per capita than any other country.
• They cahrged me £10.20 to go over the bridge into Wales! Whilst I am not a motorhome apparantly, they class me as a light goods vehicle for the toll!
• They have more street drinkers than Brighton.

Hadn't been back since Dave and co graduated and it was off to see places I used to go when visiting.

So, the safety of Cornwall awaits! Should be a nicer experience I wager. thats if I get there - diesel is running low and the cash machine refused me £ and I have no clue why! Lets hope its a temporary error, or I am going to be stuck somewhere!

29/03/07

12:13 - I think I am an Eden Project jinx or something. So far I have done one film and again the light has gone too crap to make any photos. Its pelting with hail and grey as Skeletor! So I have to sit it out and hope it brightens up enough.

A duck just waddled past me though which does make things somewhat better.

After some searching, found a nice stop yesterday. It was a large car park (not so nice), but in a really lovely, classic Cornish fishing village. Went to the local pub and had a pint of ale accompanied by lasagne and chips. Classic.

The tavern was proper local - the smell of cheap cologne, fish and ale festering in the air. There were fisherman and everything (identifiable by their special boots that onlt they are allowed to wear). I even overheard conversations debating the merits of different kinds of duck! Lovely stuff. Was nice to sit amongst others, I even watched England v Andora with them and joined in the comminal grunting. As predicted, Cornish are much more hospitable than the Welsh! Even had a nice chat with the bearded car park warden this morning - who actively encouraged my van dwelling!

Not sure what to do now, its too dark and grey and no ease up on the horizon. I guess I just sit and wait it out. Perhaps a cream tea?

30/03/07:

11:34 - Just seen one of the most dapper old ladies I have seen in a long time! Pin stripe suit, fem brogues, gloves and greenish patterned silk scalf - she had it going on!

Just at Exeter services to re-fuel myself and the guf, with coffee and Diesel respectively. On the long journey back home after what was possible my most challenging shoot so far (I always say that though!).

I hope Eden went OK in the end, I was there for 5 or 6 hours, which must bring my total shooting time for there alone to nearly 15 hours - so to say I was running out of ideas and was getting bored is an understatement. Still, it was proper busy this time so I hope the shots inside will proove to be fruity as muma's best pie.

Had a bit of a mission to find a good park up yesterday evening. As it was my last night on the road, I fancied a spot with a good sea view. As I had eaten lasagne and apple crumble at Eden I didn't need a big evenng meal so was free to stay away from civilisation.

I ended up hooning it to Widemouth Bay on the North Coast. The info I had from the wild camping website was wrong but persistance paid off and I found a layby on a really quiet road atop the cliff over looking the bay. It was stunning and a good night was had, complete with a cliff top spliff as the sun went down. Campsites are handy and all* but staying somewhere like that is what having a self contained sleeping vehicle is all about!

When I was getting my meal at Eden, a middle aged woman came up and asked if she could get fresh tea - for free - as her hubby (good rhyming) had put salt in it by accident! A) what a tit! B) What a wimp for getting his wife to sort it. More evidence of how lame that age man is. Reminds me of Goz making tea after homelands - should have been the greatest thing ever but he put salt in it and ruined my life.

I hate services. Everyone flocking to Burger King like its the first meal they have had in years. Idiots. Then they eat in there, I always come back to the car as its less offensive. Services just remind me of Peter Kay!

I like coffee.

15:33 - Shit on me I am tired of driving now. Made it to Southampton so doing OK, but done 730 odd miles so far this trup and looking forward to spending time in a house.

So I did my first outdoor shit yesterday! Lovely stuff, reminded me of being a kid! Of course blokes usually get to stand when doing their business outside, so squatting was a novely - now I know what its like for the ladies...hard on the thighs thats what. I bet skiers are good at it! Incidentally, why, considering we call it 'dog mess' do we not go to have a mess? It would be much funnier "excuse me a minute, for I have to go and mess'.

Saw some raodkill in action earlier. First 'live' incident I have seen in years. Pheasant it was, battered it was. How come roadkill always has the strenght to make it to the curb after being hit?

The tape converted for my MP3 player is going wrong - so mostly stuck with the radio. Its enfuriating. Kind of addicvive too though and I have worked out their plan! Tkae Radio 1 for example, some 40sih songs on the playlist and say around 5 are good. You listen, eagerly waiting for a good tune and as your getting bored you realise you can't switch station, or your investment of waiting for a good tune is wasted. Eventually you are rewarded and then figure they are bound to play one of the other 4 good songs soon, so you listen on and get trapped in the cycle again. Its their master plan. Bit like watching Big Brother for that 1 good bit!

Forgot to mention some Cornish rude boys hung out at my spot for hours last night. Like dog walkers, they always find the best spots! I just hid in the Guf till they went ;)

* Whenever I write 'and all' I think I am being Holden Cauldfield and it angers me!