Some
disturbing news comes from several quarters where Area Leaders are thinking
in terms of elections with object of bringing in new blood and, in one case
at least, of giving up the Area Leadership in any case. In the main the
request comes as a result of advancing years - and really to me, this is all
extremely understandable.
Roy Salmons,
of Area 3 suggests an election would be to the good. New blood. New ideas,
New brooms, even, says Ron. He intends sending out a Newsletter-cum-form
next time.
Down in
Worthing, Reg Long points out that he has been Area Leader of Area 19
for 15 years and feels it is time to give up He says he needs a rest
and would like some other mernber to take over Reg hasn’t enjoyed the best
of health of health for a long time so one can well understand his and the
others - point of view.
Bob Lewis of
Area 9 asks for a younger chap to take over and suggests a democratic
solution by suggesting an election - though he is still prepared to carry on
should there be no other candidate willing to take part in the ‘hustings’.
Seems a good idea to me and, as I say, I cannot but agree. that. it is
certainly, unfair to expect officials to continue indefinitely.
Bill
Wilson, of Area 18 is another Area Leader anxious to call it a day
— though he is intending to continue as a member but, as he puts it,
“Frorn the back benches”. Again I can sympathise and understand Bill’s
attitude. In his letter to me he bemoans the general attitude of society
which also, unfortunately,’ appears to be creeping into the Colour
Reversal club. “time marches on”, says Bill, “And our economy and way
of life has also changed bringing in different outlooks, changed learning
standards, and most potently, a challenging attitude of indifference. Our
communicating is now brusque and sour - when once it was genteel ‘and
patient. I feel ‘the values we once knew and cherished are receding into
the dim past and, sadly, will not return.
Yes, Bill, I
cannot but agree and feel that our generation is being by-passed
It seems that this
Country of ours is now a country for the young and we have but little
alternative but to grin and bear it”. Sad but true, but let us not give in
altogether - certainly not so far as the Colour Reversal Club is concerned.
For we can still retire to our darkrooms and there do OUR OWN THING -and
leave the youngsters to ‘enjoy’ their ‘Pot’ and Pop’. Ain’t
that a good idea?
In them
meantime, though, can I add’ my plea for an offer from some member of Area
18 to give Bill a break by, ‘taking over’? certainly I must disagree
with the suggestion that the Area, or any other, be ‘amalgamated with an
adjoining Area. This’ surely is hardly the way forward and ‘I can but
hope there’ is a volunteer among the Area 18 ranks willing to take over
the reign.
MONO POD
Treated myself to a mono-pod recently and this after’ some 6o years using
a camera! Quite frankly I’m amazed that I’ve never kitted myself with
one of these most useful gadgets many years ago - even though in my
professional days, I could hand-hold a heavy press camera using a speed of
only around, one-tenth of a second. Now I am unsure, with even a 25th!
However, with the mono-pod, I find it easy to move to and fro when using
extension tubes to keep the image reasonably in focus for really big
close-ups. And so easy to manipulate to keep the subject in the frame. And
for slow exposures it is also a ‘Piece of cake’.
USE
BEFORE DATE
The
above piece of equipment I bought from the local camera dealers here in
Cleethorpes owned and run by Mr. Doug Cornley and ‘his son Mark, and I
have always found their shop a real treasure house for the enthusiast and
one, can always be sure of a fair deal and added pleasure these days. Whilst
in there the point arose as to the “Use before” dates on, particularly,
colour paper’ and I was amazed to find that the present day packets carry
this ‘use before date in CODEZ The exception, I was told, is but one -
Cibachrome. Fortunately, as I say, Comley’s is a caring and reliable
dealer and I happen to know that their colour paper IS stored correctly in a
‘fridge’. But equally, I know too, that not ALL dealers are.
Fair
in this respect. So that we, the customer, cannot even know how long: the
packet of Colour paper has been on the shelf. Shameful I call it. In fact
Mr. Comley’ told me that he didn’t know
the code either.
My
Area ,Leader, Eric Weatherill, will be. interested to know that, in
between, my wife and I are undertaking a massive house-painting job, I have
been visiting (as a result of the kindness of fellow-member, Neil Mumby, who
provides the transport) the local R.AF. station at Binbrook. There stationed
near the end of the runway ,I
shall have some cracking pictures of military aircraft. Well I HOPE to have.
In fact my darkroom has also been having a sort of pre-spring-cleaning so it
has been out of action for some time and so, I haven’t yet been
able to process any of the several films exposed But I’m confident, you
see. So why do I mention Eric!
Well you see he’s an avid aircraft photographer And he has taken some
crackinp aeroplane pictures - which I remember mentioning last time Much
reminds me I inadverantly transfered Eric from the fleet Air Arm- the SENIOR
service! - to the R.A.F. the JUNIOR service. Eric asked me not to mention
the mistake. But .it’s only.
fair that I do so, The truth and nothing but the truth... that’s me! Well
most times’
CARBON TEST - a warning…
From Roy Salmons Newsletter from Area 3 comes a warning in ‘regard to the
use of Carbon Tetrachloride to clean grease from films. Roy states that one
of the specialists at local hospital was quite frantic when hearing that he
(Roy) used C. T. C. to clean films. The stuff is unpleasant and apparently can
do nasty things to your liver. It is poisonous by inhalation and by
absorbtion through the skin. If you inhale it’s vapour through a lighted
cigarette you get a whiff of Phosphene Gas’ Which is potentially
lethal.
No doubt all
this is very true - but I have used CTC for many years (though, I admit not
recently) for film cleaning and, in fact, there used to be a formula in the
old B J Almanac using C T C with a ‘spot of Vaseline dissolved in it which
both cleaned and at’ the same time, filled any scratches. But Roy is quite
right the commercial Cleaners are longer use Carbon Tet and in fact I now
have on my darkroom shelf a bottle of Beaucaire obtained from Boots which is
sold for cleaning cloths but also works for film.
MORE
ON THE 3-Bath.
There has been a continuing interest in the Three Bath formula, which I gave
in the Jan issue. It hasn’t worked for everybody - but then that is
understandable, 1 think. Though,
though as I’ve mentioned before the snag has almost always been the ‘BLIX’.
And I now freely admit that this part of the process is suspect. But it WILL
work but it would seem it must be freshly prepared Maybe we should keep
it
in a hall-filled bottle and give it a pretty good shaking at least
notice a ‘iay’ for it DOES need to be kept in an active state
apparently.
Anyway the
treasurer of Area 15 has asked for a copy as he had mislaid his January
Newsletter I have duly obliged . So far, though, I have had no further
information but hopefully he’s got it right!
From Bob Fry
of Area 19 I have received examples of his leaders processed in my Dl, &
D2 and with ‘BLIX’ of varying age. Also with BLIX of photocolour
vintage. The result from the latter I must admit was unfortunately better
than any from mine. But this is the point, the Photocolor is a Two Solution
bath - so, of course would be fresh. which underlines my original evaluation
on ‘BLIX’. However, I shall keep ‘trying on’ this one.’
In the
meantime I advocate that a FOUR-BATH formula is used and with this, using
my Dl and D2 I feel can guarantee complete success In fact Bob, in addition
to the ‘Tobacco-coloured’ Leaders also encloses an Agfa frame of some
fIowers and a butterfly and it is, as he himself says, perfect.
So I suggest No Stop . Wash .. D2... No Stop Wash And I’ll be surprised if you
fail if you fail to get, as the soccer people say, a result If you don’t
please let me know. Bob also enclosed a one-bath ‘blix’ formula and also
a two-bath ‘blix’ formula which I shall try out as soon as is
possible.
So thanks, Bob.