IT’S ALL FREE!
During the early part of the war I was stationed just outside Birmingham
at Castle Bromwich aerodrome and with a free day just after Christmas I
decided to go into the City to see my favourite artist, Jack Buchanan, in
pantomime. One of the popular songs of the day was called - The Best
Things In Life Are Free - a pleasant melody and strangely significant
words, which have remained in my memory right through the years.
These words were recalled recently
during a processing session and up popped an exceptionally simple idea
which, surprisingly, has never struck me before.
The “trick” is to float the
developing tank in a. bowl of water at the temperature appropriate to the
process being used. But that is nothing new, you say. So hold on, I say.
That’s the start. The IDEA then grew out of nothing, you might say. So
it did. So what is it, you say, It’s the Twizzle, I answer. Yes the
Twizzle.
Having got your tank floating
comfortably you grip the rim and give a quick clockwise twist from the far
side of the bowl and Hey presto you’ve got yourself into a brand new
game. And what’s more it’s one you are bound to win - since there’s
only you playing! So what’s the point? The point is that this tip is not
so stupid as it might sound. You will find your film will have constant
and efficient agitation and you yourself will find the developing time
passing so much more quickly for I now explain the competitive element.
You are of course, playing against yourself so there are no
complicated rules to remember. Simply count the seconds before the tank
comes to rest.
To give you something to aim at my
record to date is 38 seconds playing from corner to corner. The playing
area’ is 14” x 13” giving a distance from corner to corner of 16”.
INTO THE SUN
Eric Weatherill, Leader of Area 11 airs a grievance regarding a flying
display at RA.F. Fillingley where he says spectators were herded into a
compound facing SOUTH and of course looking into the light. Obviously this
is the worst possible outlook for the spectators and is even worse for the
guy trying to get good pictures.
I have only limited experience at air
shows (aircraft recognition, I must confess, was never my strongest help
to getting, that extra stripe, but it would certainly seem that the
organisers at Fillingley ignore or are unaware of the need for spectators
to be considered for a friend of mine, Roy Johnson also of Area ii
confirms the thoughtless sighting of the compound at Fillingley.
I can well understand the frustration of
these aircraft enthusiasts and certainly, in the case of Roy, who showed
me his results and asks if there are any ployographic competitions solely
for silhouettes. Of course, there isn’t an answer other than contacting,
the organisers and pointing out the futility of the compound sighting. If
this fails to move the viewing area to a more satisfactory spot then I’m
wondering if the photo-enthusiast wouldn’t just “lose his way” and
find himself on the South side - looking North.