What is it about me that makes people expect me to work for free? So far this week, I have had two requests to send photographs - not just one but multiple photographs for publication to each of two separate glossy magazines - one, 'Herefordshire Life', the other an Italian National that wants to run an article on Ross-on-Wye. Great! Publicity, you might think. No! It is they that want the publicity and neither of them want to pay - they just want the photos. I don't really know why but I did supply 'Herefordshire Life' with what they wanted. I would like to think that I supplied them for the sake of the town but, if I am absolutely honest, I did it grudgingly and have been swearing under my breath about it ever since. That really is the very last time unless they pay!

Also this week - within the past three days, in fact, I have received a request for photos to go in a commercial brochure and four requests for electronic copies of photographs I have taken to go in various company and organization newsletters. All expecting me to supply for free, of course.

I am not being difficult in mentioning the small matter of getting paid when I supply photographs. This web site is supposed to be a business, not a charity. A few people pay me less that £1 per week to advertise their own businesses, extremely successfully on Wyenot.com, so I am not by any means being greedy. That is all the money this web site brings in and if my motivation were greed, I would have closed it down six years ago. I spend far more than that small income on general maintenance of the site.

To be absolutely honest, the people asking for free stuff this week have made me feel really angry and I felt inclined to shut the whole site down today. Tina persuaded me not to. She is one of those ever optimistic people who can see a silver lining in the darkest of clouds. The fact is however - for all the work I put into it, 'Wyenot' has made me a financial loss of tens of thousands of pounds over the past six years. Why the Hell should I work all hours of the day and then just give it away for free?

If you write to me asking for free photos in future, please do not be offended if I add you to my anti-spam black list.

Above: Eco friendly Lea Primary School had a lectern donated by Mr. Peter Heath for use by children spotting birds and other wild life associated with the school and church. Mrs. Peggy Lewis has illustrated wild flowers for a display on the lectern and the children help with monthly illustrations of what is likely to be spotted throughout the year.

Below: Year 6 pupils from St Joseph's R.C. Primary School in Ross on Wye enjoyed a week of Road Safety Cycling sessions, led by Mr George Fulford. The group of eighteen children learned vital cycle safety skills on the roads around the school and took part in both a written and practical assessment at the end of their training.
Mr Fulford, who has been coaching children at the school for a number of years, was presented with a Thank-You card and book tokens, by the students.

Even belower: Hugh Wisdon, Tutor at the Foundation of Holme Lacy College has been working with students involved in community projects from the Ryefield Centre. They have been clearing the area around Dean Hill Park to make the children's play area more visible and therefore more secure. In the picture: Steve Roberts, Hugh Wisdom, John Bird, David Stevens, Margaret Baker and Richard Evans.

Bottom: Sorry - during the week Chris Tarrant came to Ross and I also ran an article about the space shuttle, I somehow forgot to publish the other topical photography - though I do remember setting it on the page. It must have been accidentally deleted before I uploaded to the server. Sorry - don't know exactly what happened there. Off hand, I cannot remember what else I photographed that week either but Helen of Wilton Court reminded me that this was one of them. Sylvia Burford and Sandra Esteves were awarded GAOL Level 2 NVQs at Wilton Court by Andrea Bick, Assessor from HCTC Ltd. Here they are pictured with Helen Wynn of Wilton Court.

I know that many of you look at this site regularly. I thought you might like this short, contemporary slide and movie show of family and friends. Tinged slightly with sadness as it is very nearly a year since Mum died (June 13th 2005 at 1:20 pm). Alive and well in our dreams, she can still be seen, walking on ground which has since become the M25.

Family and Friends 1971 to 1975 Revisited
(Left click to watch, right click to download - 11 Mb)

Glynn Brasington, with whom I have remained friends since our mums gave birth together. I have movie footage of your Mum also - I must sort that out and get it to you. In the mean time, I hope this brings back some memories as you view from Japan. Funny thing, the human brain. I can't remember what I did last week but I can remember us pulling those silly faces in the Kodak booth and everything else in this show as if it all happened yesterday.

Last week I said that I was going to run a competition to win tickets to the August Bank Holiday music on the Rope Walk.

If and when the promised four tickets for each event arrive, I will run the competition. I am certainly not going to risk running it and then end up having to pay for the winning tickets myself. I'll wait and see if the postman delivers the organizer's promise. If he doesn't, my promotional tactics will change, drastically.

If you have a local news item or story of local interest which you would like to appear on Wyenot News you are very welcome to submit it by email, telephone or by post.

Please advise as early as possible if you would like me to photograph your local event so that I can put it in my diary. This service is offered strictly on a first come, first served basis.

Many Wyenot News photographs appear in various local newspapers and magazines. This does not imply that Wyenot News or any other part of this web site belongs to those publications. Wyenot News is a totally independent news magazine.

Contacting Wyenot News:

Email: please click here.

Telephone: 01989 763217 - Mobile: 0779 683 4077

Postal address: Wyenot News, 1, Hillview Road, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. HR9 7EY

Although it is fine to submit if you are submitting an event taking place in a pub / shop / restaurant etc., please make sure that your story does have real news value and is not simply an advertisement for your business. It would be unfair to those who support Wyenot.com and Wyenot News by advertising to publish blatant advertisements disguised as editorial material.