The other day It was a real pleasure to be asked by Foto Focus for an interview. Foto Focus is the perfect blog if you want to learn about what's going on in the world of photography or about the art itself! High Speed Photography, Viggo Mortensen and Brian Adams as photographers and memory cards are just a few of the latest tackled subjects!

Hope you find the Foto Focus blog useful and that you enjoy the interview!

Ioan

As some of you know, I coach and sponsor a baseball team in Northwich and we just came back from France for a tournament! Really good fun! Here's the article we put forward to the league to resume our fantastic experience!

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May 2009 was a very special month for the Rudheath Majestics. Not only was it the month of their debut as an official BBF Bronco Baseball team, it was also the first time they went to France to play in the La Guerche-de-Bretagne’s Hawks baseball tournament.

Getting there was fairly straightforward. Taking the ferry from Porthsmouth to the beautiful seaside town of St-Malo, it took under 2 hours to find the hosting venue. On site, we were greeted in true Breton style, with warmth and courtesy and in the most impressive amateur baseball field I have seen in years! All the teams, from Bronco to Pony camped together by the fields which contributed for a really fun atmosphere.

Both the Senior and Junior fields were permanently fenced, thanks to the efforts of the players and their parents who also took the time to build a batting cage and dugouts for all age groups. To add to our comfort was a brand new changing rooms for the home and visitor teams, with 6 showers in each and a separate area for umpires.

Included in our €35 Euro fee were 3 meals a day, including a fabulous hog on a spit roast on Saturday night. To insure nobody had to queue for too long, teams were invited to the marquee at different times, which also made the job easier for the volunteers who worked really hard to ensure everyone had all they needed and wanted. Wether it was water, juices, wine, cider or food refills, the hosts were definitely keen to make sure that no one was hungry or thirsty.

Between meals, you could buy snacks and drinks from the mini “snack bar” under the scoring tower. Yes, you read right, they had a scoring tower. This makeshift structure was the logistical heart of the tournament, offering live commentary on the Pony team games, inviting teams to get ready to for their games, and making various announcements such as : “If anyone finds a banking card, can you please bring it back to our English friends...”

One thing which I definitely took back from that trip in terms of the facilities is the sheer amount of quality facilities which can be done by volunteers and how they can be enhanced by simply asking in the local community or companies. Even the floodlights were donated! And then, with quality facilities, it’s much easier to find sponsors or to host tournaments which are an important source of revenue for the club.

As far as the games went, the French teams were very impressive and cohesive and I’m sure could make for very good opponents for our boys. But as far as baseball is concerned, as Crash Davis’s Manager once said: You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball.

For the Majestics, this was much more than a simple baseball tournament, it was an opportunity for our young people to go out there, have fun, meet different people and see that despite various differences, they could all understand each other through the language of baseball. I definitely recommend that all teams should give this tournament a go. It’s low-cost, quality facilities and quality of the opponents make it a great value baseball holiday! And since trips like these don’t happen by magic, the Rudheath Majestics would like to thank The Harry Fairclough Group, Celynnen Photography , Mitchell Skoda, Riverside Organic, Xuthus, Marcia Gold Photography, and of course, Majestic Athletic, for supporting our young players. Thank you!

Bed and Breakfasts are wonderful places to stay at. Don't get me wrong, hotels are fine too! The chains offer something familiar and each have their own market and purpose. But what really sets B&B's aside, I think, is the personal touches and atmosphere! And Coole Hall Farm is full of them! From the picturesque drive as you approach the farm to the welcome given by the host family, everything here is set for your to relax and wind down!

Part of the Cheshire Farm Stay Network, Coole Hall Farm offers you the chance to see a real dairy farm at work as well as wonderful and comfortable accommodations! Like a lot of Farm Stay B&B's in Cheshire, the hosts make a big difference! And Carolyn Goodwin, your hostess at Coole Hall Farm, will offer you a true Cheshire welcome and offers cooked breakfasts over her Aga and will make you feel right at home! A working farm, comfortable rooms, lovely farm animals and picturesque views, Coole Hall Farm, near Nantwich has it all for you to enjoy!