Milky Way And The Mud
Barns Ness Lighthouse East Lothian
5th Jan 2022
Holy Island
Astro Trip
John Gilchrist, Simon Wooton, John Blair, Stewart McConnell
The trip was cursed from the beginning, I was so busy taking excess gear to assist others, carting it out to the car, as we were pulling an all nighter, Mary said give me a kiss before you go, so I laid my main bag down went through kissed her and left. Mary called informing me my main camera bag was still in the hallway, yes my camera and lenses are still at home and “it was all her fault” I was doing a fair bit of mumbling and moaning about Mary. the phone buzzed a text from Mary “ if your going to rubbish me to your friends remember to hang up the phone”….could this night get any worse? A couple of calls and Help was at hand, John Gilchrist, ‘a local hero’ doubled back for his spare camera for me to borrow. A sigh of relief and back on the road again heading for the border on this cold clear night with a high expectation of some great stars and images to take home. We crossed the causeway on to Holy Island, we were not disappointed, lovely clear skies and the peaceful silence which goes hand in hand with this genre of Photography.
We’re set up and ready to go, going our separate ways, I decided to head into the harbour beach and shoot back for the Milkyway. I was suddenly aware the “on button” for the camera wasn’t there … or at least not where is should be! using my phone torch this essential part of the camera was still evading me.
While I am still searching for the on switch, I realised something else much more sinister and dangerous was happening, I have strayed into the Cumbrian mud. Although only five inches deep my feet were rooted! both glued firm in the mud with little to no movement. I struggled for a while with the occasional step, in ten minutes of struggle I had only moved a step or two. I realised my life was in imminent danger! …. not so much from the incoming tide, but if I dropped Johns Camera in that mud it might be a different end of life epierience :) I struggled on, trying to find a way out, stoopping to the embarrassing level of shouting for help! … with every shout wondering if my credibility would ever survive this ordeal. There was no answer. Even in the stillness of the night my desperate cries remained unanswered … or ignored, even to this day I’m not sure which :)
I remembered I had John Blair’s number in my phone … sorted, I thought, I called he answered emergency over I thought… Im waving my phone with the torch on, but he’s not seeing it. It later turns out “he’s behind me” Yes it becoming a real pantomime, John starts to pack up and head where he thinks I am, but still no sign. I see water flowing through the mud a couple of metres away I’m thinking this has to be more solid. I decided I would go for it, taking five minutes a step and the more I pressed with one foot to free the other, the deeper I’m getting in.. After a lot of effort, and stumbling, covered in mud I’m free! … free at last!
The worst start to any night, I was ready for home. so no pictures on that part of the night. We stopped on the causeway showing both north and south The lights of Newcastle had the look of a lovely sunrise to the south and we had the Milkyway to the North. I remember this part of the night fondly, it was full of laughter and banter my sorrows were behind me, I was back in business.
Moving on we stopped at St Abbs Lighthouse where it was blowing a hoollie, I got out for a look but resigned to the fact of more chance of the borrowed camera getting blown off the cliff than getting a decent image. We headed back up the coast to Barns Ness lighthouse. Its still freezing, with a wind that could rip the breath from our lungs I’m still caked with mud, so is the inside of Simons car by this point, The image above is my best image, taken with a strange camera with an on switch in a stupid place.
A very memorable, “enjoyable” night with friends and one of my photography highlights for 2022
Graeme
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