PODcast

The Alphabet Project | A is for adventure

The Alphabet Photography Project IS BACK! Hello to everyone that joined in last time and welcome, welcome, welcome if you’re new.

I utterly love this photograph from Newlands Corner in Surrey. The heavens opened just after we arrived but we made the most of it until the showers stopped by eating chips and chocolate money. The hanging round paid off with incredible views, wonderful smells and a whole lot of fun!

How to join in #alphabetphoto

To join in all you need to do is link up a post below with a photograph that represents the letter A. It’s your call on how you interpret the theme – it might be an object, an adjective or a representation of that letter.

Your photograph can be from any time too so don’t feel you have to take a fresh one each week! You can join in every week or once in a while too, it’s entirely up to you.

If you need any hints, head over to the Alphabet Photography Project page or check out letter A on Scrabble Finder.

You can also join the #alphabetphoto project on Instagram (PODcast is here). Feel free to link up your Instagram photo here too. You can also share your post in the Pinterest and Facebook groups or in the Google+ community.

The Alphabet Photography Project runs weekly with a new letter every Wednesday. You can link up your post anytime from that day to the following Tuesday.

Grab the #alphabetphoto badge!

Pinterest gorgeousness

PODcast now has almost 2,500 followers on Pinterest. There are some awesome photos on the #alphabetphoto Pinterest board.

Follow PODcast grappling with a box of frogs’s board Photography: The Alphabet Photography Project on Pinterest.

The year in photos | May to August

Welcome to part two of the Doves year in photos covering May to August 2014. If you missed part one, you’ll find it here.

May kicked off with a visit to National Trust managed Winkworth Arboretum where there were not only oodles of bluebells but Azalea lined steps too. We had a special visit to Bocketts Farm when POD fed the animals for the first time. The look on her face was just priceless.

The #alphabetphoto project kicked off in May too and we paid Chilworth Gunpowder Mill a visit to get that A is for abandoned! So excited it’s back this week!!!

Another National Trust gem we visited for the first time was Headley Heath. A designated Site of Specific Interest with a mix of open heathland, shady woods and steep chalk grassland valleys.

Some may find it excessive but June saw three visits to RHS Wisley. One of which including stumbling upon the most magical poppy field and the other getting lost near the rose garden. Too much loveliness at this time of year!

We absolutely loved the SEA LIFE aquarium in Great Yarmouth. Some 50 displays including a 250,000 litre tropical ocean exhibit and tunnel where you can gaze at SEA LIFE’s largest inhabitants – sharks!

The lead up to BritMums was incredibly busy but the event itself as brilliant as it always is. Awesome speakers, great workshops and the opportunity to catch up with friends – both old and new. After I returned home we took to Frensham Little Pond in Surrey. Owned by the National Trust, it’s an idyllic location with a beach and a lake. Absolutely the perfect place to just hang out and unwind for a couple of hours. We even saw a snake!

We went to Butlin’s at Bognor Regis for the first time and were pleasantly surprised with what was on offer. POD had the best time meeting all her favourite characters and we discovered how awesome Butlin’s is.

With POD’s birthday on Christmas Day, this was the first year we had her party in the Summer. Donning her Christening dress, we had a BBQ, played games and enjoyed the sunshine. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.

July also saw a visit to Cassiobury Park, a blogger meet-up at Hitchin Lavender and more lavender loveliness at Mayfield.

August saw POD take on the role of a pirate! We took a few days off and escaped the rat race too by heading to Suffolk. We hit Thetford Forest, ate ice-cream

and had the most awesome time at Felixstowe beach. POD even got to go for her first dip in the sea!

August also saw POD visit Peppa Pig World for the very first time. Peppa and George are her favourite characters so you can imagine how excited she was!

So that’s it for the second slice of our year, keep your eyes peeled for the last installment!

What’s The Story? | 12th January 2015

Hello everyone, welcome to #whatsthestory for w/c 12th January 2015. I hope last week didn’t prove too much of a struggle – always a challenge getting back into the swing again.

This week’s post is part two of our Year in Photos – May to August. A photo extravaganza and some really lovely memories to boot too.

Welcome to #whatsthestory for w/c 12th January 2015.

How to join in

What’s The Story? enables you to share the stories behind your favourite photographs. To join in all you have to do is share a photograph and the story behind it. You can write as little or much as you like and your photo/s can be from any time. The Linky is open every Monday until the following Sunday.

Feel free to use the What’s The Story? badge or include a link to PODcast in your post and do share some comment love too. There’s a community on Google Plus so do pop over if you haven’t already. We’re at Charly Dove or PODcast.

You can read about other photography projects here (including #alphabetphoto and #bwphotoproject).

Have a good week everyone #whatsthestory.

The B&W Photography Project | Week #27

Welcome to week #27 of the Black and White Photography Project. I hope you’ve had a good start to the year and it wasn’t too much of a struggle getting back into it.

As some of you know I walk from Waterloo to Farringdon and back again on occasions. These past few days have seen so many train delays, making the journey by foot has been far more preferable.

I love the contrast between day and night along the Southbank. Morning see it pretty deserted whereas the evenings are just buzzing with energy. It’s nice to pause for a moment and just take it all in.

How to join in

To join in with the Black & White Photography Project, just link up a short post, with or without words, featuring a black and white photograph. You can link up a collection of black and white photographs too if you prefer. The photograph/s can be from any time – old and new are welcome. You’ll find a post on how to create better black and white photographs here.

Don’t forget to share on Instagram using #bwphotoproject. You can also share your posts and photos in the B&W Photography Project Facebook Group.

Grab the badge!

Feel free to grab the #bwphotoproject badge or link back to PODcast, I’m happy to share your post in return.

Inspiration on Pinterest

PODcast now has over 2,500 followers on Pinterest. If you’re looking for monochrome inspiration, do check out the Black and White Photography board. It features some incredible photographs from artists all over the World.

Follow PODcast grappling with a box of frogs’s board Photography: B&W Photography Project on Pinterest.

Silent Sunday

Project 365: Weeks #1 and #2

We’re back for another year of Project 365 having thoroughly enjoyed it last time. Here’s a sneaky peek at the first ten days of this year.

Having ventured out for a 40’s themed party on New Year’s Eve, we had a slow start to 2015. The next few days sped by with one thing and another but we managed to blow away the cobwebs before heading back to work. The time off really didn’t seem long enough but I felt surprisingly fresh on the first day back.

It has been ridiculously busy this week but I’ve managed to escape to the sanctuary of the Southbank a number of times. It’s a good walk from Waterloo to Farringdon and back again. Such a beautiful sight especially when the tide is out and the sun is rising.

Welcome to Project 365: weeks #1 and #2.

The year in photos | January to April

Welcome to the Doves look back on 2014, kicking off with the first four months. While it may seem odd splitting the year into three parts, little did I know how many photos I’d taken! Or how many poignant moments there were. Or how much POD had grown!

The year kicked off with a visit to Alice Holt, managed by the Forestry Commission, where POD got to test out her scooter for the first time. The experience was short lived but she enjoyed keeping her helmet on while she walked!

We’ve explored many National Trust sites over the past 12 months, January saw us discover Witley and Milford Commons and Bookham Common for the first time.

Other National Trust sites we visited included Clandon Park and Abinger Roughs plus we had our first outing to the wonderful Bocketts Farm too.

Spring seemed to arrive early at Winkworth Arboretum and we saw wild horses at the Devils Punchbowl. There were also a lot of photographs taken of butterflies in the glasshouse at RHS Wisley. Firstly with POD and then with a group of photographers attending an early doors session.

The Sport Relief Team Honk Blogger Relay took place in March. A person to person relay from Lands End to John O’Groats, it was a route of nearly 3,000 miles involving nearly 200 bloggers, their family and friends. The Fleet leg involved @MummyBarrow, @bruceb_uk, @lady_briggs, @navininika, @andywebbdj and @missuswebb.

In Wokingham we were treated to delicious warm bacon rolls, lovingly prepared for us by Suzanne from @3childrenandit. She was part of the group cycling to Reading which also included @gourmetmum, @BelindaAlbasini and @Owen2306. The total money raised by Team Honk for Sport Relief peaked at £31,800 (the target was £20,000).

We also had fun with leaves at Claremont, were surrounded by alpines at RHS Wisley and daffodils at Polesden Lacey. We donned Summer clothes at Sheepleas and in the garden plus we got really lost at the Devil’s Punch Bowl after ignoring the map!

The Dove family headed over to Stratford in the latter part of the month for the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games. We raised £200 for Sport Relief in addition to our Team Honk efforts.

Having explored Hatchlands Park in early April, we returned when ponies, bluebells and fairies were on the agenda. We also checked out another beautiful National Trust site – Hinton Ampner.

We did an Easter egg hunt round the garden for POD and enjoyed skimming stones over the Bank Holiday. RHS Wisley was high on the agenda too and we spent a glorious day there with @AnnieSpratt and her children.

What a bumper start we had to the year! You’ll find part two here and part three here. Happy New Year everyone!

What’s The Story? | 5th January 2015

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful break and are looking forward to the year ahead. Having broken them all too often, there are no resolutions here aside from getting fitter. Would be amazing to be darting around that tennis court again!

It seems only fitting that this week’s #whatsthestory post is part one of our Year in Photos. An easy read and a lovely look back at some really poignant moments. It’s hard to believe this photograph of POD was taken a year ago!

How to join in

Feel free to use the What’s The Story? badge (new one coming soon!) or include a link to PODcast in your post and do share some comment love too. There’s a community on Google Plus so do pop over if you haven’t already. We’re at Charly Dove or PODcast.

You can read about other photography projects here (including the return of #alphabetphoto).

Have a good first week back everyone #whatsthestory.

The B&W Photography Project | Week #26

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to week #26 of the Black and White Photography Project.

This week I thought I’d share a couple of images of POD in a lavender field. This is a miracle in itself given her reluctance to wander in the purple stuff. She did succumb in the end though – even cut some lavender to bring home.

How to join in

Don’t forget to share on Instagram using #bwphotoproject. You can also share your posts and photos in the B&W Photography Project Facebook Group.

Inspiration on Pinterest

Follow PODcast grappling with a box of frogs’s board Photography: B&W Photography Project on Pinterest.

Project 365: Week #52

How fantastic to have completed a year of Project 365. Its been wonderful to take an interest in the every day however mundane it appears at first glance. Nothing like pushing you out of your comfort zone either!

This final week and a bit has seen us take a break from the usual routine. We’ve visited family and generally enjoyed the festive period. POD turned four on Christmas Day so that was pretty special and we went out for New Year’s Eve!

Welcome to Project 365: Week #52.