Seeing as Christmas and the festive season is now well and truly behind us, I figured I should really make a better contribution to my blog for 2023…..or just add something to it..
The Christmas and new year season in my line of work (chef) is a mix of planned chaos, adapting to the unknown, and generally trying to survive on a diet of roast potatoes, pigs in blankets and bread sauce sandwiches….whilst trying to maintain the high standards of cuisine for our patrons and fit in the time for family life let alone other pursuits.
Mentally rather than physically this can put a substantial amount of pressure on the strongest of wills and sadly around this time of year we see chefs and front of house staff turn their backs on the catering industry from simply being overcooked or burnt out… a fact that won’t get any better anytime soon until the vast chasm of vacant positions are filled.
I am very fortunate however to have annual leave in January as the business closes for refurb, meaning I generally have 10 days in the normal world where my life isn’t governed by a clock and the relentless pursuit of trying to please everyones palates..I have me time…
My wife (soon to be ) is also conscious of the fact that when I am approaching that very delicate point of fatigue meets work overload, I need to find my inner peace, go to my zen and reach tranquility…… I feel the need… the need for speed..and avgas
And so after a few fruitless hours on the first Thursday of freedom at Lakenheath left me hopelessly despondent at the lack of shots coupled with the fact I had not noticed the wrong settings were set on my lens, having been trying to get shots of the family doggos….. moving round to Mildenhall provided 7 different airframes inside 2 hours!
Therefore only one thing for it, wipe the memory cards, charge the batteries, and head back for fast jet Friday…
Fridays are becoming increasingly popular with not only photographers (togs) but more and more streamers are making their way along the pathways and setting up shop to provide live action feeds to those that may not be able to get there….wether this becomes an issue with damage to the pathways and farmland therein remains to be seen hopefully it won’t become an issue….but it does seem most are in it to make a buck and seek fame, rather than the hobby …. a topic for another day I’m sure
Despite the wind chill, and the Lakenheath esque weather ( overcast when planes are about, sunny spells when not much going on ) the morning provided the quick climbs we all savoured and hoped for ..
Im not sure of many things that can equal or surpass the spectacle of a circa 20ton plane, hurtling down the runway with afterburners roaring and then as it passes you pulls up and away to 17,000 ft….if there is anything please let me know …
Needless to say after about 6 of these climbs the endorphins were flowing and shutter button was getting more hits than a disciplined child ( Tinie Tempah lyrics)
The first launches I hoped to get a clear shot down the runway but that was at the extreme limit of my lens, but I still ended up with nice burner shots as they went over head, in the end I had to quickly peg it further along the fence to be more side on profile shots…
The weather was really starting to close in and time was a little against me as I needed to return home and walk the aforementioned hounds….
Leaving with a memory card of hope and possibilities I was thankful for the time to get out, away from the pressures of my chosen career, albeit just for a few hours, it was the nectar needed to reconnect and be able to think clearly.
Nobody should ever feel they cannot be open about how they truly feel, a way I look at it was put brilliantly across in a YouTube video I saw last year…..
Look after yourselves, look out for others…
T