East Midlands Region
Newsletter Winter / Spring 2016 Newsletter Editors Stewart & Shona Wall
Photograph by Chris Upton who will be speaking to us on May 22nd (see inside)
Happy New Year To You All This will be the last newsletter before I retire from the role of Regional Organiser. It has been a good time. I have just checked when I took over the role and it seems it was 2010, so six or so years is long enough in this role. We have had three venues during my tenure. Hopefully with the latest venue, we can call it home for a good few years. It gives us scope for activities which have not been possible in the past. I have to say a very special “Thank You� to Geoff Blackwell for all his calm help and for looking after the money side for over five years. Geoff has always been accompanied by his wife Hazel even when Hazel had emergency surgery. Geoff was always there to help if needed. On top of all this Geoff is constantly on the road as Treasurer of RPS. Peter Yeo and Mark Flatman have also been a help at meetings. During the last 18 months you will have noticed the presence of Stewart Wall, who hopefully will be taking over my role if elected at the AGM. You will find Stewart is a man who likes to get things done, being an ex Fleet Street photographer. It is Stewart and his wife Shona who have breathed life into the newsletter. He has many fresh ideas for the future and I hope you will fully support him. The three book projects we have completed this year are all thanks to Stewart. I do feel that sometimes members play safe and only attend lectures which they find easy and pleasing rather than stretching themselves a little. Give it a go. You may surprise yourself. I hope you all have a successful 2016, whatever your areas photography are. Ralph
Robert George Hawksworth FRPS 1935-2015 It was with sadness that we learned Robert Hawkesworth FRPS passed away shortly after his 80th birthday on the October 29th. Robert was a great friend of the East Midlands Region and the RPS. leading walks for the Nature group for many years, serving on the Nature Distinctions Panel and ending his time as Chairman. He was a lecturer and Distinctions adviser. Anyone who had seen him lecture always came away saying that the advice, quality of pictures and his style of presentation was clear and understandable.