I had intended to go out to see it on the evening of 2nd March but ended up too busy so postponed it until the following night.

I am so glad I did! Not only did I enjoy the laser show but I was also treated to a massive fireball meteorite streaking across the sky! Sadly I didn’t get any pictures of the fireball as I was so amazed at what I was seeing I totally forgot I had a camera sat on a tripod right behind me!!!

Anyway,the main event, the Global Rainbow, was a big hit across the North East with thousands of people flocking to view it over the 5 nights. I don’t think I have ever seen the road into St.Mary’s Lighthouse so busy, even at 21:30 we had to wait to get in.

The amount of coverage this event got in the media and social networks was beyond all expectations with the event organisers constantly reporting that such and such paper was carrying the story or this many images have been uploaded or this many people have joined the social network group. It was really nice to see the public and media getting on board with it all and helping to make the show known as widely as possible.

The show moved on to Preston, 8th – 11th March, where it was also a massive hit with some stunning pictures coming from that region.

Finally the rainbow has moved to Newtownards / Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, 14th – 17th March, where it will help towards the St.Patrick’s day celebrations.

You can view their Facebook group here and some more about the artist at her website here

Work is now underway to remove the Vessel Collision Protection System (VCPS) beneath the Millennium Bridge over the River Tyne, Gateshead.

The removal of the system started in February 2012 and should be completed by the end of March 2012.

The bollards, which have been an eyesore since the bridge was built, were insisted upon by the Harbour Master to ensure large vessels were forced through the middle of the river, in the deepest water, and thus avoid colliding with the bridge on either side.

Gateshead Council protested about their inclusion when the bridge was being constructed as it was not in their original plans but the Harbour Master would not budge and so they were forced to put them in.

They cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to install and maintain. In 2009 the council did a survey and found that the Harbour Master had been talking a load of ‘bollards’ and the system was not actually (ever) needed.

Due to the cost of maintaining the VCPS the council looked into how much it would cost to remove them altogether. The cost was only marginally more than what it would be to maintain them so an application was made and granted for the removal of the complete system.

Because of the attitude of the Harbour Master and the insistence that the system HAD to be put in place the large tubes that were driven into the river bed became know as “the Harbour Master’s piles” and 10 years on we’re all so very pleased they he will be relieved of them shortly.

For the last couple of years I have threatened to go down to the Team Valley, Gateshead and get some long exposure shots of the rides and all their coloured lights on the move. This year I finally had the time and the inclination to go do it.

Although, like I have mentioned, the conditions were far from perfect I still managed to get some half decent shots.

I think later in the year, when it’s a bit warmer, I might try for some shots of the Hoppings at Newcastle. The only problem there is it normally pours with rain when they visit!

Oh and hello to Anthony Kipling and his mates who insisted on having their photo taken at the risk of getting run down by speeding cars, when I said just move back a little bit I didn’t mean stand in the middle of the road!

This was the 2nd annual meeting held in memory of a chap who owned a skateboard shop who died of a heart attack at the age of 36yrs. A nice turn out and a very nice gesture.

All the characters from N-DUBZ,  Tulisa, Dappy and Frazer, have been hand crafted out of fondant and everything is edible, including all of the bling!

The attention to detail is absolutely brilliant, considering this is a birthday cake that will be cut up and eaten. Jules, from Sweetest Sensation, prides herself on making the best cakes for her customers and always goes to great lengths to make sure all of her characters are full of detail and as perfect as they can be.

Follow the link to see more amazing cakes from Sweetest Sensation.

However being England and the good old British weather being true to form, it turned grey, wet and miserable. Not the ideal conditions to get what I wanted.

Not to be outdone by this setback I decided to hit the streets and market place to see what was about and shoot it in mono, which lends itself to this kind of weather.

Although I didn’t get what I originally set out to shoot I still enjoyed my day, it was just nice to get out and about and shooting for fun without any agenda is my favourite kind of photography outing.

DON’T LET THE BAD WEATHER HOLD YOU BACK OR KEEP YOU IN….. JUST GET OUT THERE AND SHOOT FOR FUN AND TRY IT IN MONO.

Everything is edible, there are no bits of wood or pipe to hold this together Mr Caceboss!

This festive season has been quite a difficult one for us in the Chunbull house.

With the deaths of two very close and dear members of our respective families in the final two months of the year we have found it difficult to find anything to be happy about, however we did, and we made “the season to be cheerful” as cheerful as we possibly could.

We did the swapping of gifts, we did the Christmas dinner and drinks, we did the Boxing Day shenanigans and we did the New Year’s Eve celebration. I even went out bright and early again on New Year’s Day to go and shoot the annual North Sea swim at Whitley bay.

I didn’t do much with the cameras this season but I have compiled a slide-show of some of my favourites that I did shoot….enjoy

This year the organisers didn’t want to take any chances so they scaled the event down and held it inside the Gateshead Heritage Centre at St.Mary’s Church.

The problem is they didn’t make it obvious to visitors where the event was actually being held and a lot of people, me included, were walking around the outside of the Sage, where it was held last year, looking for the stalls.

I was asked by a number of people where the event was as they couldn’t find the stalls and I asked the security person on duty and he directed us to the inside of the church.

A beautiful setting for the event and a lot warmer. However I have no doubt that numbers will have been down due to the downscaling and lack of directions for the public.

The Reindeer were a hit again this year, even though they had been cut back to just 3 animals.

The image that Gateshead council used to promote the event on their FaceBook Page did nothing to inspire people either. It looked as if they had got someone with a point and shoot compact to go out to a pen somewhere and grab a quick shot. It was dull and lifeless. Come on Gateshead Council make a bit of an effort! I even tried to supply you with an image you could have used FOC but nobody in the Communications department could do anything as the one person who deals with it was off!

Anyway, below are some shots of the event, let’s hope the Enchanted Parks at Saltwell is a little more inspiring.

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