Report of the 2012 North Cheshire Challenges

Posted by Bill Chadband  Reports  No Responses »
Feb 132012

Another Annual Exhibition has come and gone, and we can now relax for a while!

The interclub competitions have built up over the years to be a highlight of the exhibition. We are greatly encouraged that so many other clubs are keen to take part, and not just L&CPU Clubs. The venue, the expertise of members, and our general club openness all play a part here. But we should all recognise the important part Tony Redford has played in his personal communication with the other clubs and the professional way the competitions are run by “the team” when they start. Peter Redford’s software; the large screen to allow projections of the print images to be clearly seen from the rear of the hall; and the sound amplification of all speakers are all important aspects of the show. Through attendance at these competitions members of other clubs have a chance to see our own member’s images. Our judges for 2012, David Johnston for the Print Competition, and Peter Gennard for the Projected Digital Image competition, were both well received. David had 125 images from 25 clubs to judge, whilst Peter had a record 160 images from 32 clubs.

Wigan 10 narrowly beat Chorley PS and North Cheshire PS to win the Print competition whilst in a closely fought match Wigan 10 shared the honours with Leek PC in jointly winning the PDI competition. The authors of the best image in each competition received a small monetary prize. “Try Time” by Maurice Jones of Wigan 10 was judged best print and “Class 3” by Chris Ellison of Leyland PS the best PDI.

Paula collected prizes from members for the raffle and delivered them to the hall before 7.00pm each night. We managed 20+ prizes on both nights. Some members have argued that we have too many prizes, but others have argued that the raffle is an important source of revenue and that a multitude of prizes encourages visitors to buy raffle tickets. The raffle has become a great tradition at our exhibition and many visitors look forward to it.

 

Results of the PDI knock-out competition on 9th February

Posted by Barry Pearson  Results  No Responses »
Feb 102012

9 February – North Cheshire Challenge Trophy (projected digital images KO)

Judge: Peter Gennard MFIAP EFIAP/p

Results: 2012 Projected Digital Images Knock-Out for the North Cheshire Challenge Trophy

Winning clubs: Leek PC & Wigan 10

Best image: “Class 3″ by Chris Ellison of Leyland PS

John Allanson
Judge Peter Gennard (Centre) presents the
North Cheshire Challenge Trophy to Leek PC & Wigan 10

Photographs supplied by Jon Allanson

 

Results of the Digital Print competition on 8th February

Posted by Barry Pearson  Results  No Responses »
Feb 092012

8 February – Alan Adshead Trophy (digital prints competition)

Judge: David Johnston EFIAP/p

Results: 2012 Digital Prints Competition for the Alan Adshead Memorial Trophy

Winning club: Wigan 10

Best print: “Try Time” by Maurice Jones of Wigan 10

John Allanson
L&CPU President Christine Widdall presents the
Alan Adshead Trophy to Wigan 10 (David Butler)

John Allanson
Judge David Johnston (right) presents the
award for “Best Print” to Maurice Jones for “Try Time”

Photographs supplied by Jon Allanson

 

Traffic Update

Posted by Tony Redford  News  No Responses »
Feb 092012

At last we have clear access to the Civic Hall through Poynton! The temporary lights affecting the main junction were removed just in time for last evening’s inter-club print competition. The 150 + visitors suffered no delays in arriving or departing and despite the freezing temperatures we trust everyone had a safe journey home.

Attending tonight’s big Knock-out competition should be equally straightforward with the roadworks out of the way and no dramatic weather expected until later tomorrow. We look forward to welcoming a full house for a prompt 8.00pm start.

 

This Week’s Big Events at Poynton

Posted by Tony Redford  News  No Responses »
Feb 062012

Unfortunately the local authority is unable to supply definitive answers to our questions concerning the ongoing Poynton road works. We must hope for the best but suggest everyone allows themselves plenty of time just in case. Doors to our venue, the Main Hall in the Civic Centre, are open from 7.00pm so be early and reserve your seat.

This year 25 clubs are competing on Wednesday in the Print Battle, and 32 clubs compete on Thursday in the Inter-club DPI Knockout Competition. All the digital files are safely received, with the actual prints required at the Civic Hall by 7.30pm on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s Print Competition for the Alan Adshead Trophy has attracted the following clubs:
Atherton & Dist PS, Bolton CC, Bolton Digital PS, Bramhall PS, Chapel CC, Chorley PS, Crewe PS, 85 Group, Holmes Chapel CC, Hyde PS, Keswick PS, Leek PC, Macclesfield CC, Nantwich CC, North Cheshire PS, Prestwich Co-op CC, Rochdale PS, Sheffield PS, South Liverpool PS, South Manchester CC, Southport PS, Stockport PS, Wilmslow Guild PS, Wigan 10 and Wigan PS.

….. and for Thursday’s DPI Knock-out Competition for the North Cheshire Challenge Trophy:
Atherton & Dist PS, Altrincham & Hale PS, Bolton Digital, Bramhall PS, Chapel CC, Chorley PS, Crewe PS, Davyhulme CC, 85 Group, Grange & Dist PS, Holmes Chapel CC, Hoylake PS, Hyde PS, Keswick PS, Leek PC, Leyland PS, Lytham St Annes PS, Macclesfield CC, Nantwich CC, North Cheshire PS, Prestwich Co-op CC, Rochdale PS, Romiley CC, Sheffield PS, SLIC, South Liverpool PS, South Manchester CC, Southport PS, Stockport PS, Wilmslow Guild PS, Wigan 10 and Wigan PS.

Full results will, of course, be posted on this comprehensive website soon after the events but, better still, be sure to be there on the night and get them hot off the press!

Good luck to all those taking part and we wish everyone attending, a most enjoyable evening.

 

2012 North Cheshire Challenges – Latest

Posted by Tony Redford  News  No Responses »
Jan 302012

With the deadline for entries now upon us it’s encouraging to report that virtually all the required digital files for both the Print and DPI competitions are safely received and catalogued in preparation for next week’s BIG inter-club competitions. For this, I thank all the conscientious Competition Secretaries (and others involved) for collating and checking their club entries, thus ensuring I receive them in the correct order and in the required format which has happened in 99% of cases. (I’ll forgive the other 1%!).

So it is now up to us to make sure that it all comes right on the night, and that everyone goes home well-satisfied, if not with the result, at least in the knowledge that everyone has done their best to put on a very pleasurable and entertaining evening, efficiently organised from start to finish.

We are certainly assured of a surfeit of highly impressive competition images to admire over the two nights. We have currently 25 clubs competing in the print competition on Wednesday, and 32 clubs for the DPI Knock-out on Thursday. I make that something approaching 300 different pictures in total and everyone a winner!

Even if you leave without a trophy, you’re almost certain to have a raffle prize to take home. Our mammoth draw will again take place during the intervals. Refreshments are provided by NCPS, as is a catalogue of all entries in the North Cheshire PS Exhibition from which over 150 new prints and 200+ dpis will be on view around the hall throughout the events.

There is a huge free car park immediately behind the new Waitrose store and adjacent to the Civic Hall, and the good news is that the temporary traffic light at the car park exit, which caused a problem last year, is now history. Coming in, traffic can travel freely up Park Lane and turn left alongside Waitrose into the car park. There may still be temporary lights at the main junction in Poynton which could cause a delay, so please get an early start – especially those bringing their club’s prints on Wednesday. Doors are open at 7.00pm and we would like all the prints in by 7.30pm latest. Watch this space for any updates.

We look forward to extending a warm welcome to all our friends from clubs throughout the North so please bring along as many supporters as you can muster. We have the space and the facilities.

 

Update – The 2012 North Cheshire Challenges

Posted by Tony Redford  News  No Responses »
Jan 032012

The appropriate official of all clubs indicating their intention to participate in next month’s inter-club competitions should now be in possession of the full “rules & guidelines”. These were sent by e-mail to our contacts during the last week of 2011. Indeed, most have already been acknowledged and we are now anticipating receipt of the digital files of all entries. These are due in by the end of this month.

The response to these competitions has again been very positive, with over 20 major clubs from our region and beyond wishing to take part. We have been reluctant to widen the net still further, being conscious of the difficulties in doing full justice to an excessive number of entries on which the judge has to comment. It is also felt that having to reduce the number of judged images from each club on the night introduces too much of a gamble. However, we do hope that all participating clubs will bring along a strong following on both competition nights to add to the atmosphere and, of course, to see the exhibition of North Cheshire’s work displayed around the hall.

Judging the inter-club entries on the Wednesday and Thursday evenings will commence promptly at 8.00pm with doors open from 7.00pm. The unenviable task of sorting the wheat from the chaff (and there will be very little chaff!) is to be undertaken by those two popular and highly respected judges from the Midland Counties Federation, David Johnston EFIAP/p  and Peter Gennard MFIAP EFIAP/p. David will be in the hot seat on Wednesday and Peter on Thursday. The sharp-eyed amongst you will have spotted a last minute substitution. We are delighted that David and Peter are both available and enthusiastic about their return to Poynton for these major events. They are assured of a warm welcome from, hopefully, a full house at the Civic Hall on both nights.

 

Upgrade to this website and blog

Posted by Barry Pearson  Website evolution  No Responses »
Dec 222011

NCPS has two websites, two blogs, and (so far) two social networking accounts. It has been necessary to make it easier for viewers to navigate to the desired site.

The website team has therefore redesigned our Home pages to have links to all of our sites:

Then various aspects of the designs for the Home pages have been adopted for all  other pages and the blogs. These design of these other pages are still “”work in progress”. The content of these pages hasn’t changed during this visual change.

 

We would like to display “best photos” from previous years

Posted by Barry Pearson  Website evolution  No Responses »
Sep 212011

On the North Cheshire Challenges website, we have identified the authors and titles of the winning prints, PDIs, and slides, for the last 10 years or so. We would like to display the images themselves.

Here is how we would display them: this is an example where NCPS itself entered the winning image. (See PDI results of 2010). We would display the image, title, author, and copyright statement, on a black background. The border is one of “none”, “1px white”, or “10px white”, depending on the image itself or the author’s preference. Our standard size is “height and width are no more than 750px”. (We might also display smaller versions “in line” within an report, with an acknowledgment).

We want to hold copies of the images on our website, rather than links to images elsewhere, to ensure that links will not get broken. Please send images to the webmaster. Obviously there is no compulsion, and the author’s decision must be final. If the author prefers a smaller image that is fine. A discrete watermark would be acceptable.

Please help us improve our website with your winning images! Thank you.

(We would also be interested in any other suggestions you have for improving our website and blog).

 

The 2012 North Cheshire Challenges

Posted by Tony Redford  News  No Responses »
Sep 182011

Advance notification of dates and details for the 2012 inter-club events have been issued by e-mail to my list of contacts from last year’s participating clubs. This list may be out-of-date, as clubs’ officers and addresses might well have changed. If you are aware that your club is missing this initial contact, or if your club did not enter last year but would wish to be included in 2012, please respond to this blog and include your contact details.

More information concerning these events can be found under the “Next Comps” link.

 
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