A long time ago in a car park not too far away a group of hardy Gwynfa Knights would regularly gather together on a frosty morn carrying flasks of hot coffee and heavy bags of black equipment. Led by their own ‘Luke Skywalker’ (known only as ‘the Nick’), they would wait an extra 10 minutes for the arrival ‘the one with the Saab’, and then depart for their chosen destination, in convoy, following ‘the Nick’ at Millennium Falcon like speeds. It was not unknown for as many as six or seven of these craft to transport themselves many, many miles to destinations across the Welsh-iverse in search of a location for their ‘photography’, a cause held dear in their hearts.
This gathering became known as the ‘field trip‘. Days were long, and the sun shone, except when it rained. There were many… and it was good!
With their SLRs, zoom lenses and light sabre tripods they would arrive at unsuspecting locations and spend many hours trying to create a masterpiece (that didn’t have Philippa visible on the horizon somewhere) and one that may score the now fabled ’20 points’ when judged by an approved representative of ‘the Empire of the WPF’.
Come rain or shine the Gwynfa Knights would walk many ‘Nick miles’ and take many exposures before moving on to an establishment known as ‘the pub’ for sustenance and refreshment. There they would tell wild and unlikely tales of ‘beautiful light’, ‘f22’ and and ‘polarising filters’ as they sampled the Bishops Finger, Nuns Habit or Buttface.
Later, after more ‘photography’ at a second location, they would stop for the ritual ‘afternoon tea’ where one among them would complain loudly that £4.95 was way too much to pay for a cream cake! Further tales of f-stops, missed exposures and soft Nikon lenses would ensue before the Gwynfa Knights disappeared back to their normal everyday lives, pausing only to help one among them who had locked the keys in her car.
Some say those days of legend will never return but there are those who hope for a new Skywalker to arise and lead the Gwynfa Knights once more across the Welsh-iverse for field trips anew.
But who will take up the light sabre? Is the force with you?
