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My passion
for taking photographs of musicians
and entertainers has never ceased and of course I have
a vast collection of pictures that I have taken over
the years.CLICK HERE
TO VIEW MY SPECIAL FOLK ARCHIVE FEATURING PICS OF THE
1980s AND 1990s.
Today I am still keen to take photographs of Musicians,
Musical Events, and all Styles and Characteristics of
English Life as you will see by looking through this
website.
Right now there are
over 1000 of my photos on this website so please feel
free to download any. I would appreciate if you
are going to use them for your own purposes, commercial
or otherwise, that you give me a copyright credit...thanks.
My other passion is
Recording People and making CDs for them. I have set
up my own independent recording label "HAT RECORDS"
and have successfully made 53 CDs in the last nine years.
( See my website page on Recording CDs). But....the
world of CDs is now slowing right down and Videos /
DVDs will take their place. Hopefully there will still
be a small market for CDs but The DVD and world of video
will be my new market, especially for my website in
the coming year. Watch this space.
This year's interests mainly centre around
my main passion which is playing a lot of Duplicate
Bridge and Texas Hold'em Poker (about which I am currently
writing a book). These are amazing games and I indulge
several times a week! My dear Mother, Jessica, who died
26 years ago, was a Master bridge player and she told
me that this is an ideal game to keep the old grey cells
working overtime when you get old! I achieved Master
status last year and the old girl would have been proud.
My other new interest this
year is continuing to make and edit my own video films.
This is a challenge I have set myself to master over
the next few years. Right now I have at last uploaded
my first
which are to be found on my Local
Music Events pages on this website and can also
be viewed in a larger format on:
I am still writing and producing songs for our second
Harveys Boys CD and still doing more reading (my 2004
New Year's Resolution...Have you read "Enemy Combatant"
by MoazzamBegg?) I was inspired to read more books and
watch less television and relax away from computers
occasionally. I am really delighted to dedicate a "Good
Read" page on this website to try and enthuse anyone
in a similar situation. CLICK
HERE TO ACCESS MY GOOD READ PAGE. I do seem to be
reading a fair amount of Bridge and Poker books at present!
This last year I have gone teetotal for
the first time. I tried it for two reasons. One to see
if the old will power is still there, and it is...and
two to discover whether not drinking alcohol would in
any way ruin my social life....it doesn't....and right
now my favourite drinks are apple juice and elderflower
and ginger mixed.
My musical duo "The Hat Band"
(me + my chum and wizzo entertainer James Morris) went
to perform 'live' during The Tonder Folk Festival in
Denmark last August. We played at a wonderful venue
The Victoria Cafe for 3 days for a total of 22 hours!
What an amazing time we had! Thank you to all who came,
sat , watched, listened, sang and chatted with us...we
will see you again this year (GW) and look forward to
returning there at the end of August.
You can check out The Hat Band on www.myspace.com/hatbanduk
and you can check me out on www.myspace.com/timofhatmusic
and www.myspace.com/217009133
My New Year's resolution two years ago
was to get really fit and to start walking as a regular
activity. I am still walking 15 to 30 miles a week regularly
and have managed to shed half a stone since this time
last year. I use a pedometer which I can recommend to
anyone who wants to do the same. This year will continue
in the same vein as good health becomes more important
in one's middle life!
Last year's resolution was to start re-learning the
classical guitar, something I started years ago and
had let drop.I am afraid that has taken a back seat
for the present. Talking of guitars I took delivery
a year ago a wonderful and unique "Stimme"
guitar made by my friend and luthier Barry Murphy of
Windmill Hill, here in Sussex. (Stimme is a name I chose
for this guitar. It is a German word that means "Voice").
This guitar which is a hybrid took Barry three months
to craft. It is made from wonderful Black African hardwood
with a spruce top and Snakewood headstock ( all supplied
by Dave Dyke of Horham, Sussex)) and Barry used his
craftsman's art in creating a beautiful and sonic small
guitar to my specification. I am absolutely thrilled
to pieces with it. CLICK
HERE TO VIEW MY NEW STIMME GUITAR AND ALL THE STAGES
IN IT'S CONSTRUCTION.
I am still absolutely hooked on Sudoku
too! The harder the better. So far I find the Sunday
Times Review Section Sudoku one of the most challenging...have
a go at it and let me know what you think. If you haven't
yet got the Sudoku bug watch out...it IS infectious.
Now two years into Sudokus I am mesmerised by "Killer"
Sudokus and will spend this year trying to master them
too.
I
suppose you can call me a typical "Jack of all Trades" because I have
a vast interest in all aspects of life! My philosophy is always to promote good
and positive vibrations in this world of ours and if I can "move it on in
that way a few more inches" before I go then I will have done my job!
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