Sport
I won’t say I’m the least sporty person I know, but I’m come pretty close. Poor balance, problems with proprioception – basically that means I don’t ‘know’ where my body is in spatial terms, and hyper-mobility means team games are out.
As for watching sport? Looking back, I’ve watched some ‘major’ events over the past decades, but nothing particular with any regularity.
My sporting calendar
My collection for this week’s challenge is of sports-type activities I’ve captured over the past few years. I thought creating a calendar of my ad hoc mix would give them some sort of cohesion.
January – Thorndon Woods, Essex, England
In keeping with the January theme I’ve used Photoshop Elements to create a reflective image as a play on Janus, the two-faced god who looked back to the old year and forward to the new. My two tobogganers are travelling forward together, sharing the experience.
February – a touch of irony
We lived on a typical estate, safe cul-de-sacs and green spaces making it perfect for families. Except that on the walls of every green space were ‘NO ball games’ signs. This is my take on the irony of the council directives. Children need to play and they will play with anything that comes to hand, given the chance. Using Photoshop Elements I scrunched the sign (photographed from one of the ‘green space’ walls) and gave it to the children in the image to use as a ball.
March – St Agnes Beach, Cornwall, England (2012)
St Agnes beach appeared to be a magnet for surfers. While we were there a whole squad of youngsters arrived with half a dozen coaches, to be put through their paces, learning about water safety and board technique before hitting the surf. Enthusiasm and fun on all sides.
April – St Brides Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales
The haven may be compact but there was no shortage of activity. Swimming, boarding, snorkelling, and even a dog taking to the waters on his master’s kayak. You couldn’t make it up.
May – Kentwell Hall, Long Melford, Sudbury, Suffolk
An archery display was just one of the wonderful Tudor re-creation scenes when we visited Kentwell Hall for the May Day Celebrations. The Hall is a fine example of a moated manor house and there were different scenes being played out inside the panelled rooms, in the out-buildings and the gardens, and on the estate.
June – School Sports Day
Come the Summer Term, children across Britain looked forward to Sports Day with excitement or dread. At least for most of them, for most of the time, they could sit with their classmates cheering others on while the teachers were busy elsewhere.
July – River Murray, South Australia
Like many South Australians my niece and her husband owned a ‘shack’ by the River Murray where they kept a boat, water-skis, body-boards, and so on. It was quite a day, and despite being their Winter, the weather was glorious.
August – Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, Wales
A sheltered beach in a beautiful setting, overlooked by the remains of Manorbier Castle. Safe waters, good sands, with rockpools for exploring. Great for all generations.
September – Black Rock Sands, Gwynedd, Wales
Black Rock Sands is amazing – a wide, open beach with fine compact sands that offer lots of space for picnics, family games, and sandcastle construction. For safety reasons, there are restrictions in place for dogs on the beach. Back in the day, when it was permissible, my husband took a few early driving ‘lessons’ there. Vehicles still have access to the beach and there is a special area for motor boats and water bikes.
October – Rhossili Beach, Glamorgan, Wales
Rhossili Bay on the Gower Peninsula was voted the best beach in UK in 2010, and since then has achieved accolades for being the best beach in Europe and was placed in the Top 10 beaches in the world. Well worth a visit if only to sit in the café overlooking the coastline and take in the view.
November – Fforest, Near Betws-y-Coed, Conwy County, Wales
The ‘Zip World’ site is a must for our granddaughters when they visit and I was able to capture one of them swinging through the trees on the Tree Hopper Adventure. There’s also the Fforest Coaster and Zip Safari, as well as gentler activities for younger and less active members of the party. Me? I need to check out the café and the restaurant and make sure everyone is fed and watered.
December – pandemic perambulations
Most of last year was spent confined to base, just walking around and around the garden for exercise, and here I am in all weathers, all Seasons, fashioned in Photoshop Elements. I’m not complaining. Far from it. We are fortunate to have somewhere to walk. And the views aren’t half bad.
Sport? Exercise? Getting physical? Call it what you will, it’s about having fun and boosting your wellbeing. And being mindful of and for others. Being a ‘good sport’, and giving others a ‘sporting chance’: attitude to others is way more important than the attitude for winning.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my sporty images. If you’d like to check out more – and probably view collections that are a lot more hands-on than mine – head over to Dr B’s site for more details on Challenge Your Camera. https://buddhawalksintoawinebar.blog/2021/02/22/challenge-your-camera-8-sport/
Stay well. Stay active.
Marilyn X
marilyn unmasked 
What a great collection Marilyn, lovely variety and a clever way of showing them across the year. It made the whole post very interesting to read. I hope you are enjoying my #challengeyourcamera, something different and indoors on Monday next 👏🙏👌
That’s intriguing. I love the focus your challenges give me. On Sunday I was restless, just needing to do something creative. My husband reminded me I’d just completed crocheting a poncho, had a Powertex creation on the go in the kitchen, and am teaching myself to play the harp. But with the study I’m doing I need some cognitive creativity, so your Monday challenge is the perfect solution. Thank you so much. 🙃😀
Thank you Marilyn, I try to select something that’s very different each week rather than the “usual” x of the day etc. Someone asked me recently about giving out a list of the next 30, but that removes the anticipated fun of the challenge in my opinion. 👍
Your last comment didn’t have a ‘Reply’. Does it know it’s a rhetorical question/comment?? 👻😱
Yes, I prefer not knowing. It makes a more level playing field ⚽🏈 doesn’t put anyone behind the 🎱 on a sticky wicket🏏 or an uphill climb ⛰, and keeps us all in the swim 🤿 able to paddle our own 🛶. That’s enough sporty clichés!
Cheers Dr B.
Wow, a great year you showed us here! I think you are quite right when saying we need to head outdoors and have fun! We definitely need a boost to our well being!
Thank you for your feedback. It has been a ‘different’ kind of year. So much lost, but then so much time to rethink attitudes. Like the 110 year old the other day ‘make the most of what you have’. There’s beauty and marvels our there. We just need to open our eyes, and our minds. It’s chucking it down here with winds gusting at 61mph – so actually the rain is horizontal! But that’s OK. Enjoy your day. X
What a clever idea to create a sporting calendar! I love your Photoshop edits, especially the image of yourself going around in circles – I think we’ve all felt like that during the past year 😦
Thank you – yes indeedy it’s been quite a year. We have our ‘bucket list’ ready for when we feel safe to venture forth. Just a pity Hay Festival falls in May/June so it’s already been postponed for the second year.
I know how you feel – frustrating, isn’t it? I was due to host a large international meeting in Newcastle upon Tyne last May. I postponed it to this May, and then again to September. I’m just hoping I won’t have to postpone a third time!
All the best of luck for that. Today marks 3 weeks since we had our first jab. The daffodils are out, camellias are about to burst forth, bird song is everywhere; and I want to get out there with my camera. 📷🌸🌼🐦🦅 X
You have a great collection of sporty shots there.
Thank you. I do enjoy completing these challenges and it’s great to know that others enjoy it too.
While I admire your photographs in your post – and the very interesting text alongside them – I even more admire your proficiency in Photoshop. I just cannot get the hang of many of the great things one can do there. I think I’m a bit impatient as I tend to give up after a bit when things aren’t working out for me, but wha’eva, as they say…. I’m also trying to learn how to use a hair-dryer in lockdown and that’s just as difficult! But I live in a lovely area, as you seem to as well, and count myself lucky in all other respects, so I’ll just get on with my Italian for now and leave Photoshop for another day.
Hello,
Thank you for your lovely comment. Photoshop Elements is wonderful in that you learn more just by playing around with it! The first posts I did where I featured Photoshop Elements I included a step-by-step of how I achieved the result. They were possibly about a year ago.
If you had an idea of something you’d like to achieve please let me know and I’ll have a go at ‘talking’ you through it. Good luck.