Rumour has it that later today the rate of VAT (value added tax for you Yanks) is set to decrease from 17.5 to 15 percent.  Hailed as one of the ways to help a stumbling economy I really can’t see much sense in it.  Sure, we all want to pay less (and I’m guessing we won’t BTW) I can’t see how 2.5% is going to radically change consumer spending.  M&S had to have a 30% sale to get punters through the door.  £2.50 per hundred quid ain’t gonna change the face of British consumerism.

Speaking of consumerism…get yourself down to your nearest car boot.  Blinkin’ eck.  We were ‘traders’ yesterday.  The garage conversion, room moves, redecoration and office move all combined meant either a painful trip to the tip or a morning’s ‘work’ at the car boot.  Its an interesting place.  When you arrive you have what I call ‘The Shawn of the Dead’.  These are the hard core booters who crowd round your car even before you’ve stopped to see what they can see through the windows.  They are asking for prices long before you’ve even opened the boot.  We sold most things, but with the wind, rain and cold we gave up after 1.5 hours.  Fair enough, the good stuff was gone, the money was made and we dreamt of a cup of warm cocoa…oh dear.  Perhaps the most amusing story came in the garden furniture department of our car boot empire.  Thanks to the window cleaner demolishing our table we had to get a new one.  So the old chairs were surplus to requirement (you can’t by a garden table these days without EVERYTHING).  So too was the parasol (umbrella).  The parasol was safely stored in a protective cover.  A chap bought the chairs but couldn’t be persuaded on the parasol.  It sat, the last ‘big’ item left, next to the car waiting to go to a loving home.  No takers.  My charm, wit and standing backflips could do nothing to rouse interest.  Then, the rain came.  Idea! Instead of getting wet, this includes our inventory of precious stock, I got out the parasol and stood under it.  8 minutes later a lovely woman bought it.  Damn you!

Evan walks up to his mummy…looks her in the eye and say “Mummy, let’s have a chat”.  Oh dear!

Same kid also commented on his mousse pudding yesterday.  “Evan…is the mousse nice?”  “Yes, its good…its not crap” Cue parents trying really hard not to laugh.

Preparing for another knee slide

The only kid who makes Cake Pie with Lego…don’t ask!

I had to do some portraits…E couldn’t resist musing for me!

Susannah and Simon — Manor Barn, Buriton — Saturday, November 22, 2008

As a rule…with the 3:30 ceremony at the end of November, you have to expect a bit of black and white

…and a few silhouettes

Hairspray…something I have, sadly, little experience with

A woman after my own heart!

What a girlie background

I love the wee glint in the bridesmaid’s eye

The wedding party wait outside whilst the B&G get interviewed together.  Here, the Best Man is either asleep or dreaming of what he’ll do with the extra 2.5%

I actually shot a few (on request) BEFORE the ceremony

Just over 30 shopping days ’til Christmas

This was cool.  This chap sang them a song.  A one off, in a foreign language.  When I asked him later what language I learned it was no language.  Nice.

Barn receptions, in the winter, mean you have to look harder for light and shadow

The mum’s share a giggle..reading her lips it was “Pah..2.5%, you must be joking”

2.5% doesn’t mean squat to this one

So wishing that was an ace there!  Yep, that’s me, lying on the floor…remarkably it was rather warm.

Julian wrote a wicked poem…here he practices under bright light…a colour which can only be described as magnesium white

3 men…no boat

Not everyone dug the magician…clearly

A tough moment…Bride and Mum remember Dad

Oh man…the mother in law jokes are endless…any takers?

MOB does a Faldo

I like the connection of the eyes

Toast!

A photo…a candle…missed but not forgotten

These two could show John Sargent a thing or two

The Best Man steals the Bride

The band’s (a la Buena Vista Social Club) lead singer…via shoe-cam

This is what you discover when you set your camera for tungsten white balance then fire a flash.  Sweet!

Blue is the colour

And now…a few from Darren

Great catch Mr W

Setting the scene

Darren has his own shoe-cam

You go…girlfriends

Its blurry…but it says something about the night.  Its a keeper.

The magician was ridiculously small…as evidenced by his standard sized deck of playing cards.

The lovely Manor Barn, Buriton

Tags:  Wedding Photography, Buriton, Manor Barn, Hampshire Wedding Photography, Stupid Tax Ideas