Magic Moments Blog
Mamhead Hillclimb August 08
Posted on: 05 August 2008
View photographs: 03 aug 08
Longleat Tipadel Speed Hillclimb
Posted on: 10 July 2008
Longleat Tipadel speed Hillclimb July 05/06 2008 This Year’s Hill climb event has moved from September to July so the summer weather should be good for the event!!
This was the annual weekend of speed hill climbing organised by WOOLBRIDGE MOTOR CLUB. Over the two days the events included: Porsche speed hill climb championship: Pirelli Ferrari hill climb championship: A.C.S.M.C. Sprint & hill climb championship: A.S.W.M.C. hill climb championship
Saturday we woke to a very windy morning, we got to Longleat House which was looking amazing (as the scaffolding had been removed from around the house from last year), at 7.30am just as everyone was signing on for the day’s events.
Today the Porsche club were attending the meet as part of the day’s events.
We headed for the hill and started from the middle of the hill panning the cars as they went over hope rise this was going to be a challenge in the very strong cross wind, the track was dry which is always an advantage.
The wind was causing the weather to be very changeable lots of readjusting camera settings. We worked our way up the hill up to Prospect bend on up to the hairpin and ending at Syretts leap before lunch.
After lunch we took some good photographs off the start line with Longleat House in the background. The weather stayed dry until just after 4pm most drivers had a good run in by this point.
The day went off with no incidents and accidents but with good run times the fastest time of the day was 38.54 achieved by Dave Gardener in his Pilbeam.
Sunday morning we woke to lashing rain and we know this would be a tricky run for the competitors today as the track will be slippy with not much grip especially up past the hairpin.
Today the Ferrari club were attending the meet.
We drove up to the hairpin for the first of the practise runs the rain was sheeting down so we covered the camera in waterproof equipment and ourselves and took good action shots with lots of spray from the road, the drivers were driving with more caution on the practise runs trying to find a line with any grip on the track.
We moved down to Dodds and got some good action photograph from here and then climbed back up past the hairpin.
The rain continued until just before lunch, the house then had blue skies looming from the hills behind we all had our fingers crossed.We had a walk around the paddocks and talked to some of the competitors over the lunch break..
After lunch we took photograph from just passed the start line, the rain clouds had loomed again and the weather was appalling unfortunately only 1 or 2 classes got to do a timed run then the clerk of courses deemed the track unsafe due to the amount of water sitting on the track so the event was stopped for the day.
Overall a good weekend a real challenge for drivers and we achieved some interesting action photographs.
View photographs: 05 july 2008 | 06 july 2008
Mosterton Summer Ball 08
Posted on: 11 June 2008
Haselbury Mill - Moserton Summer Ball 2008
The Moserton Summer Ball this year was held in the stunning new Tythe barn just opened this year at Haselbury mill.
The Ball is in aid of the Somerset and Dorset air ambulance raising much needed funds for their appeal.
The weather is perfect and the barn has been set up inside beautifully with 22 tables all decorated with balloons and sparkly confetti. ( See photo on link below).
A band has set up on the stage ready to play later on in the evening and also a harpist to play whist the guest ate.
An auction has been arranged with local companies donating gifts from a balloon flight to a ferrari track day also a raffle through the local school.
We arrived and set up our laptop and on site printer in the foyer of the barn ready for the arrival of the guests,
a few last minute camera settings and we positioned our selves opposite the red carpet ready.
We took photographs of each couple when they arrived looking stunning in their posh frocks
on the red carpet walking up to the barn entrance and then a group photo of everyone on their table
(well 2 or 3 photos to make sure all eyes were open and everyone was smiling!).
Once everyone had arrived and had sat down for their food we took all the photographs off the memory card and set up ready to print.
A steady flow of guests viewed and purchased photographs, our on site printer was a big hit, ( Perfect to take on home on the day).
The evening was a great success from 8.30pm until 1am we were printing photographs and slotting them into Strut mounts with very pleasing results and happy guests, the printer produced a photograph every 8 seconds dry and ready to go.
A good evening was had by all with lots of money raised which I will be photographing the cheque handing over on a later date.
Martin & Sarah
View photographs: mosterton summer ball 2008
Mamhead Hillclimb
Posted on: 01 June 2008
NEW EVENT for the motorsport hillclimb calendar, Torbay motor club hosted an event at the spectacular Mamhead House set in the beautiful devonshire countryside. A privately owned estate which has opened its doors for this event thanks to the owners the Harper family.
We headed for Mamhead early saturday morning the weather looked to be a beautiful day a little bit of fog in the valleys but it didn't take long to clear.
Mamhead was going to be a learning curve for all the drivers today, the course is short but very techinical. The start line is in front of the house leading to a sharp left taking the drivers up to Castle straight round to castle out quite a steep short climb into a tight bend then a fast staright into deers leap to the finish line and then brake hard to the top paddock.
The first runs drivers took at a steady pace trying to find the right line to take as the course starts of dry up to castle out which then goes under trees and the track becomes very wet and not very grippy, (a little like Wiscombe Park.)
Nobody knew what times would be run today so it was more of a challenge to set the days best time which in the end was set at 25.07 seconds by Robert May.
Saturday went very smoothly until the last run when unfortuantely car number 15 a Sunny GTir driven by Den Conibear lost control near the finish line and hit a tree at wrote off his car but he walked away unharmed this stopped the racing for the day so the track could be cleaned for sunday.
The Harper family kindly then held a hog roast feast in aid of the local church on their terrace which rounded off a perfect day for everyone.
Over the course of the 2 days many photographs were taken so I have upload a selection of the best photographs if you can't see your car please contact me.
Looking forwards to the next event at Longleat, Martin.
View photographs: mamhead may june 2008
Wiscombe Park May 10/11 2008
Posted on: 12 May 2008
Another weekend of Hillclimbing at Wiscombe Park with two different events, amazing weather and a great turn out of Cars and Motorbikes.
Saturdays event was run by the 500 OWNERS ASSOCIATION which was also a tributie to HARRY FOSTER. There was a mixture of cars, bikes, sidecars and also "Curly" on his trike.
The weather started off a little bit cloudy but by midday it was perfect and not a cloud in the sky which gave drivers and riders the opportunity to push their machines a little bit harder which caused a few delays as some of them struggled at Sawbench or didn't quite make the Martini Hairpin. The worse incident of the day was when car number 18 a Proteus C Type Replica driven by Andrew Scott went round Sawbench losing control on the exit of the bend hit the bank and slide back across the road ending up in the trees with substainal damage to car but luckly Andrew was fine.
Sundays event was run by the Vintage Sports Car Club who were celebrating there 25th year at Wiscombe. Which including an erray of beatiful cars including a Frazer Nash, Lagonda Tourer, Bentley Derby, 1929 MG M Type and an Alvis.
The run times were improving from each practise run as drivers familarized themselves with the hill. As with Saturday as the day went on drivers were pushing harder and harder and Sawbench caught a few drivers out which caused a bit of a delay as Sawbench barrier was rebuilt! A few good photographes were taken at Martini as drivers hit the bank just before the finish line the most spectacular being car number 129 which had its two front tyres right up on the bank! he managed to gain control and fly over the finish line!
The crowd turn out on Sunday was in the hundreds and a good day was had by all.
I took over a 1000 photographs on each day from various places on the hill and I have selected some of the photos to put on the website. If you dont see your car or would like to see all the photos of a particular car or bike then please contact me throught the contact me page,
Looking forward to the next event next weekend.
View photographs: 500 owners association | vscc wp08
Wiscombe park hillclimb April 2008
Posted on: 27 April 2008
The season opener at Wiscombe park got off to a good start with good weather except a little dampness on sunday afternoon, a good selection of cars and drivers determined to put in a fast times made this meet a perfect season opener.
Have all the modifications and tweaking over the winter months made any improvements to the timed runs, well over the past two days the cars on the whole performed really well and sounded in tune, with the exception of one or two and this is only the first round so plenty of time to get the bugs sorted.
Looking forward to a busy season of hillclimbing events and photographing the action.
Over the weekend i took a lot of images! To many infact to upload all of them, so over the next few days i will be uploading a selection, So if you can`t see your car then drop me an e-mail as i`m sure i will have photographs and would be happy to e-mail proofs.
View photographs: wiscombe park | 27 apr 2008 | 26 april 2008
A New year - New Photographs
Posted on: 17 January 2008
Well it’s been a while since my last blog; I don’t have any excuses except to say I have been really busy, so I’ll give you a quick update.
Winner of FORDE ABBEY online photo competition.
Throughout last year we enjoyed a stroll and a cup of tea at FORDE ABBEY
A wonderful place to visit and great to see the changing seasons, and purchase some
Local produce from their shop.
I entered their online photo competition and was please when I was told that two of my photographs had made the final,
A week later I received a call to say that I had won first prize, I was very pleased and
The £100 worth of gifts from their shop went down very well.
My Biggest card order yet!
Eden Nannies a local company and their sister company Bellamay of Mayfair.
Who have offices in Mayfair, London.
Asked me to produce a Christmas card for their clients, they would need 2.000 and so after submitting a few examples they choose a “classic” robin with snow a photograph I had taken early 2006,
I then set about completing the order so they could be sent out in time for Christmas.
Ferrari owners Club Calendar.
This is a calendar put together by the Ferrari Owners Club featuring cars and drivers from their hillclimb champion 2007, and sold in aid of BBC CHILDREN IN NEED
I was asked to contribute some of the photographs I had taken at the Longleat round
Which I gladly did,
Evening Exhibitions.
In the weeks before Christmas we attended two events held in local schools, this was to sell / showcase my photography and make some money for the schools,
I took along a selection of photographs Framed, Stretched Canvas, Photo Books and Greeting Cards,
The feedback I received was very positive; I look forward to exhibiting more of my work
Throughout 2008.
A New Year – New Photographs
Once again we have had our fair share of rain, Certainly not the same as parts of Wales and Glouster are experiencing at the moment, but enough to flood roads, fields and makes for some great photographs of why we should not build on flood plains!
And so I’m looking forward to another year of photographing some special occasions
(Weddings) as well as following my passion for all things petrol powered and the wonderful landscape of the UK.
Martin the photographer
View photographs: wild weather 2008 | forde abbey comp2007
Longleat Championship Speed Hillclimbs
Posted on: 24 September 2007
My second photography event of the year at longleat only this time horse power of a very different kind!
This was the annual weekend of speed hillclimbing organised by WOOLBRIDGE MOTOR CLUB. Over the two days the events included : Porsche speed hillclimb championship : Pirelli Ferrari hillclimb championship : A.C.S.M.C. Sprint & hillclimb championship : A.S.W.M.C. hillclimb championship.
The course set in the beautiful longleat estate on part of the estates roads given over to the competitors and spectators for this two day event. The course.(a little over a mile) from a steep start and onto hope rise very open at this point a few curves and then into the tight left turn of prospect bend (this one caught a few people out) onto the steep club straight heading for dodd`s hairpin under the trees and with little run off and then the final stretch of syrett`s leap and over the finish. Matt oliver was the fastest covering the course in 31.52seconds driving car no 960 a Gould GR37.
Early saturday morning and the mist hung heavy in the valley obscuring a view of longleat house, as the sun rose the mist quickly burnt off only to be follewed by clouds, but thankfully the rain stayed away. from mid afternoon there was wall to wall sun shine and some good time were set.
The weather was not kind on sunday and rain set in towards the end of the second practice runs in the morning and got progressively worse putting paid to any hope of improving times until it was deemed unsafe to race.
There was a good mix of cars over the weekend and with the event taking place in july next year I hope to see and photograph the cars in summer sun shine !!
For full results of cars and drivers check out the Woolbridge Web site.
View photographs: sat 22nd sept 07 | sun 23rd sept 07
Wiscombe Park Hill climb July 2007
Posted on: 21 August 2007
Wiscombe Park july 28th and 29th was the venue for the summer nationals of the M S A British Hill Climb. Organised by The WOOLBRIDGE MOTOR CLUB.
There were many competitors who competed in classes from pre-war Austin Seven`s, production based cars also gems from Lotus, Westfield and Porsche as well as the thoroughbred racing cars from Oms, Pilbeam and Gould. one of the cars a Puma Gould Xtrac was a real wolf in sheeps clothing!
The hill a tight and twisty 915 metres of tarmac with an open section for the first part which includes Wis straight and bunny`s leap (a favorite of mine) then through The Gate turn and onto a tree lined and shaded section, through the turns called the Esses and onto the hairpin bend Sawbench (a great spot for action and photography) up Castle straight and onto the final bend Martini hairpin and the finish line. all this in 35.52 seconds !
The weather was not to disruptive and the sun did shine at times, The final top 12 run off was the climax to a excellent weekends racing and saw Martin Groves (01) and Trevor Willis (11) post the same time, this is only the second time it has happened here!
Over the 2 days i achieved some cracking full frame photographs with my 100 - 400 is L as cars left the start line and crested bunny`s leap, I also used my 24 - 105 is L for the action at the hairpin bends, having used a high iso (1000 / 1600) to get the shutter speed because of the poor light i am impressed with the quality of the photographs.
looking forward to the next event at Longleat in September.
View photographs: july 07 | wiscombe park hillclimb
Longleat International Horse Trials
Posted on: 19 June 2007
This 3 day event in June is held in the grounds of Longleat House.
With riders from all over the world competing in Dressage, Cross- Country and Show Jumping, testing every riders horsemanship.
I walked much of the cross-country course photographing riders and their horses tacking on the various style of jump one of which invovled jumping over the trunk of a large tree into a pond, the pond was only a few feet deep but saw many a rider unseated, fall or just refuse. A heavy show of rain early saturday afternoon did its best to dampen spirits but on the whole the weather was ok.
The show jumping arena was surrounded by stalls selling everything for you and your horse or pet, with straw bales next to the arena to sit and watch the action as well as places to get food and drink .
The dressage was held on land in front of the house, a nice back drop a shame about the scaffolding.
It was a great event in a beautiful setting, i`m looking forward to next years event already.
View photographs: longleat horse trials
