Snow, Snow thick,thick thick snow

Went to a Catenian function with two of my fellows, at the Royal British Legion Hall in High Wycombe last night and started off from here in rain, but by the time we arrived at RBL it was snowing, and continued until we left at 10.15pm. It was snowing quite hard, and to avoid the queue at Handy Cross we went along the A40 through quite heavy snow in Stokenchurch, until by the time we passed the Thame turn (j8) it had stopped and we were back to rain. Mum was unaware of this and by the time we arrive back at K/S she was asleep in bed. I had planned to attend Moyra Whelehan's funeral in Thame but Mum was not keen as she had tummy troubles,so we stayed in.End of story. Nice to read your blog, Pete. How long is Godspell on for??Lve to all Dad

The October boys

Yeah, happy birthday Nic, and to you for a couple of weeks ago too Steve. Glad we could meet up for that pub lunch. Sorry there's nothing like that planned for you, Nic but hopefully we'll be seeing you all next year.

While I'm on the brotherly love thing, I love your recent pics Julian. I swear you are getting better and better at this painting lark. And hi there Cath. Hope all is well and sorry we missed you when you were over the other weekend but we were all tied up with Stan's 90th celebrations. Love to the families all.

Back at Forty Green we have got ourselves a couple of cats now and are enjoying their company over a well earned rest at half term. Between times we are zipping about here and there trying to locate a car to buy as we are borrowing a friend's at the minute. Amy liked the car we looked at today but she doesn't have the staying power...she wants to buy everything we see!

Jan and the older girls are doing a production of Godspell this week in Thame's St Mary's, and in the day/night time those same older girls are sleeping rough in a make shift shack for a charity aid project called Slum Survivor. There are twenty four kids sleeping on Chinnor's 'White's Field' playground next to the windmill and Mill Lane School. They constructed a slum made out of wooden doors, cardboard, pallets, carpet offcuts and the like and are on a diet of rice and lentil dahl for the next five days. The weather is looking a little chilly for the time of year so we are hoping nobody gets pneumonia. They are only allowed to use the clothes they arrive in and may take a sleeping bag too...but it is not much protection against what the North wind seems to have in store.

eeeyyuusssshh! (shivers into hole in the ground)

Happy Birthday Nic

Jeff Beck and Eric at Ronnies

Happy Birthday Nic.. birthday treat for ya!
Cover the kid's ears before when Clapton comes on as he say's he may as well **** off home!
God I wished I been there..

also on the iplayer

also on tour in Japan next year
http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/beck_jeff/tour_dates.jhtml

the young lady on bass is Tal Wilkenfeld

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR NIC 27th October

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NICHOLAS,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
TO OUR DEAR NIC WITH MUCH LOVE FROM MUM AND DAD

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Ruth Warren!

Boxed Sets available

Boxed Set
Originally uploaded by hewsappy

do you mean these dear?

THANK YOU JULIAN

We have received two packets, containing Still Life from Provence and Flowers from Provence. Thank you so much, they are beautiful. love from Mum and Dad

Happy Birthday Steve from me and my mates

10 quid you can't remeber the names of these guys, and for a bonus prize (without googling), who was the creator?

Lots of Love,

Nic, Jen, Claire and Daniel (Sector 9)

THE 1000th postcard from provence could be yours

12 paintings on page 3 of G2 in today's Guardian. I will buy another and put it in the post for you. Well done - a good report
We love the apple and cheese in todays p/p Love, Mum and Dad

Guardian

The guardian piece is out today: GUARDIAN

don't know what pictures are in the paper edition?

And a happy birthday to my big bruvver.

Home again, safe and sound.

Thankyou all for a lovely weekend.

Happy birthday Steve, Lots of love Cathy

I'd love to see that photo..

of Robert Fincher in a wheelbarrow.. in the meantime here's another blast from the Smithies past.. who's that?

Terry Fincher - Pictures

A photo slide show from the Guardian, obviously quite a guy. Julian

Terry Fincher - Obituary

• Bob Aylott
• The Guardian, Wednesday October 8 2008

During the 1950s and 60s the photographer Terry Fincher, who has died aged 77 of a liver tumour, covered every major war and trouble spot around the world. He did five tours of Vietnam and his pictures regularly fetured in the Daily Express, in the era of its greatness. He was British press photographer of the year for 1957, 1959, 1964, and 1967, and runner-up in 1968, creating an unequalled record.

His coverage of royalty, political stories and show business stars made him the finest Fleet Street photographer I ever encountered. His ruthless competitiveness, quick thinking and foresight kept him ahead. He covered wars in a different way from his contemporaries, Don McCullin, of the Sunday Times, or the late Larry Burrows, of Life magazine. Terry was working for a daily paper, and thus to tighter deadlines, so he had to tell the story in one or two pictures.

I sat happily for hours listening to Terry talk about Vietnam. It was the story of a press photographer at war. In April 1968, he shared nights and days in a trench with Burrows on Hill Timothy, held by the US army. After a night when several soldiers were killed by incoming artillery fire from the nearby Hill Tom, the two photographers decided to dig a trench near the command bunker. Another uncomfortable night ensued as they realised, amid the shelling and rain, that the trench was too short, narrow and shallow.

When they awoke, there were dead bodies all around, waiting to be lifted out for burial. Terry wanted to be at home with his family, and deliberated, as the helicopters came in, whether it was time to get out, but he did not move. That day he and Burrows dug the trench deeper, longer and wider, put up shelves for their cameras, pulled ground sheets across the trench to keep out the rain and put up a sign - Hotel Timothy Press Centre.

In the evening an army padre joined them. They talked about how they did not leave an assignment until it was finished. "You don't take the easy way out," said Terry. Larry agreed that this was so. They understood the code. That night the shelling was heavier and the night darker. In the morning Terry asked his comrade what they should do that day. Burrows looked up at the dark sky. "Exposure one second at f2.8," he said.

Terry Fincher was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and raised in Putney, south-west London. Len, his father, was a caretaker at Putney library and his mother Ruth was a nurse. He was educated at Clark's college, Putney, which he left in in 1945 to become an electrician's mate in a clothing company near St Paul's Cathedral.

At lunchtimes he would wander down Ludgate Hill and stare at the national newspaper offices then clustered along Fleet Street. One day he saw a photographer carrying a large plate camera with flashlight attached, and off to an assignment. He told his mother about his aspirations, got an interview at the Keystone Press Agency - and was hired as a messenger boy. He recalled running miles every day in all weathers delivering photographs to newspaper offices. He had one pair of shoes and kept out the wet by stuffing cardboard in the soles. "Nothing," he said, "could dampen my enthusiasm for Fleet Street."

As a reward his mother bought Terry an old folding camera for 18s 6d (92p). One day in 1947, travelling to work, he spotted a policeman holding up the traffic, and shepherding a swan across Putney Bridge. He leapt off the No 14 bus, photographed the scene, and developed the plate at work. The picture was published in all three London evening papers - the Star, the Evening News and the Evening Standard.

During the late 1940s and early 50s Terry mixed with the Elephant Boys, a gang for whom weekends were for dancing and punch-ups around the Elephant and Castle district in south London. The battlegrounds were the dance halls and the fights were with north of the river gangs. Through those relationships, Terry became friends with some of the boys who later became the great train robbers.

Before long Terry was a photographer with the Keystone agency. The turning point in his career came in October 1956, when he was accredited to British forces as a photographer covering the Suez invasion, the first of his many wars. The following year he joined the Daily Herald and won his first award as press photographer of the year. In 1961 he joined the Daily Express and was given his own page, the Fincher File. It showcased photography from around the world, and his assignments that regularly scooped Fleet Street.

When I joined Keystone in 1967 as a junior photographer, Midge Aylward told me that "If Fincher's on the job, stick to him like shite and you won't miss anything." The first time I tried to act on this advice, Fincher, a man 20 years my senior, completely lost me. After the job was done, he asked me what I was up to, following him around so closely. I confessed my sins over a cup of tea and we became good friends.

After Terry left the Express, he freelanced for three months on the Sun. Then, in 1970, with his wife June and their daughters, he set up the Photographers International agency. It was based in the former railway station at Chilworth, Surrey, and supplied Fleet Street with news and features with high-quality material from worldwide assignments. Later, they specialised in the royal family, in particular Princess Diana, with whom both Terry and his daughter Jayne built up close personal relationships. Earlier this year, a retrospective exhibition of his work was held at the Getty Images gallery in London.

Terry became weak and forgetful in his last year, but he still never left home without a digital camera, with which he produced beautiful landscapes pictures. Last month, June predeceased him. He is survived by his daughters, Jayne, Sally and Lucy.

• Terence Edgar 'Terry' Fincher, photographer, born July 8 1931; died October 6 2008

PHOTOJOURNALISM LEGEND TERRY FINCHER DIES

Terry Fincher, one of Fleet Street's finest and best-loved photographers, has died aged 77 after battling a long illness.

Four-times winner of the British Press Photographer of the Year, Terry had a globe-trotting career which took him to many war-torn locations.

He also covered royal assignments and, along with his photographer daughter Jayne, built a close personal relationship with the late Princess of Wales.

Terry covered the Suez crisis, the Vietnam War and the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Amateur Photographer (AP) features editor Bob Aylott, a friend and former colleague, said today: 'Terry became weak and forgetful in his declining year, but still never left home without a camera in his pocket. His massive one-man retrospective exhibition organised by Getty Images - which ran for 6 weeks at Getty's gallery earlier this year - was hailed as one of the most successful shows ever held.'

Terry, who lived in Surrey, began his career as a messenger boy in 1945, when he carried a small fold-up camera in his pocket. Aged 15, he decided on a career in press photography.

His death, from liver cancer on 6 October, came just weeks after the death of his wife June on 19 September.

He leaves three daughters, Jayne, Sally and Lucy.

For a full obituary see forthcoming issues of AP.

Lovely photos

It was lovely to see photos of Mary and the children, and of course, also Nic and the children. The children both look so happy. Looks like being a busy December for you. What is the name of Mary's replacement??

Farewell to Mary

We were very sad to read that Mary is leaving. What a super help she has been. I know you will reward her well and we hope she will be happy starting her own family in Myanmar, although I don't relish the thought of her going to such an inhospitable country (Burma). Tell her we will pray that she will be happy. Love H&M

Goodbye Mary

After helping us look after Claire and Daniel for the last eight years, our wonderful Mary will go home this Friday to Myanmar to start her own little family (she got married last December). We'll miss her very much but wish her all the very best and we hope to see her soon.

On a slightly lighter note, Nic and I attended the Singapore F1 grandprix last month and had a really good time. Claire's having her final semestral exams at the moment and then she'll be on her long school break from the 23rd of October to 2nd January 2009!! I really don't know what she will do to keep herself occupied for that long long break! Daniel starts Primary one next year and will also have his long break during December.

love, Nic and Jen

Thanks Pete

It was lovely to see you and Jess yesterday. Thanks for the lunch at the Rose & Crown. We did appreciate our two boys lunching together and we hope it will be repeated in the future.
Congratulations to Stanley on his 90th birthday tomorrow and we hope that the family will give him a good cheer today.
If you are lunching at the Chinese restaurant in Aylesbury next week, let us know and we can join you. Love from G&G
P.S where is it??

What a lovely picture!!

I can just imagine Tess D'u struggling across that field.
A beautiful picture, Julian. What decides if a print is made (or is it Who)
Lovely to see you yesterday. Pete came in just after you left and we all four, Steve, Pete, Mum and I went to the Rose and Crown in Charlton for a lovely lunch. Love to Ruth. love from your loving Da

The Guardian

Ruth, always full of optimism but married to an old grouch, sent out a press release to various newspapers, US and British, to announce the impending 1000th painting off old grumpy's easel. Today, as a result, I did a little phone interview with Jon Henley of The Guardian and a small piece (no doubt miniscule) should appear in the G2 section on Monday or Tuesday (depending no doubt on how many banks go belly-up in the interim). If you should see said article please buy a couple of copies (one for each cat perhaps) as we don't get the G2 bit here.

Grouchy

All go ahhh!

our Crouch End cousins

Two girls named June

Once upon a time there were two boys named Fincher. Their names were Michael and Terry. They both lived in Putney, south London.
Once upon another time there were two girls named June smith. they were not related, but each loved one of the Fincher boys. At a later time June Smith met Michael Fincher, through her brother Hugh, who worked with and played cricket and football with mike when they both worked for the Wandsworth Borough Council. Hugh and June moved to Oxford and in the course of time. Michael visited Oxford and their friendship blossomed and they were married. Hugh was Mike’s Best Man at their wedding. June and Mike moved back to London and lived just behind Brixton prison, in Dumbarton road. June and Mike had two children, Robert and Rebecca. Robert lives with wife Sandra in Bromley and is a successful photographic printer, working for the Daily Express. Rebecca has two children, Mark and Ruth. Mark is a successful restaurant manager and Ruth is a partner in Specsavers optician’s business in Maidstone , where she manages the contact lens section.
Mike continued to work in local government and moved to Hammersmith Borough Council, working in the Borough Engineer’s department. In time they moved from Dumbarton road to a new block of flats in Streatham and later to Arundel drive in Chelsfield, from where Mike commuted to London. Mike suffered from ill-health and eventually had to leave work as he had contracted multiple sclerosis, suffering for many years until he died in hospital in 1982.
Meanwhile the other June Smith and Terry also met and were married. They had three daughters, Jayne, Sally and……………….
and they lived in Surrey. Terry worked for the Daily Express as a press photographer and for years he was Champion news cameraman – traveling all over he world to get photos for the Daily Express and eventually was named press photographer of the year and appeared on “This is your life” TV programme. He was a very successful press photographer and in time opened his own private press photography business. His daughter Jayne also joined in the business and she gradually became a very successful press photographer, working as personal photographer to the Princess of Wales, Lady Diana Spencer. Terry became ill and his daughter Sally had a heart attack
June later contracted Parkinson’s disease and I have just learned that after suffering this debilitating disease for over 15 years, she sadly died in September 2008. RIP
Terry continues to live in Surrey but his illness is so bad that he spends all his life in a wheelchair.
Hugh