017/365

There is a fantastic vantage point on the White Cliffs of Dover giving superb views of the docks and across the English Channel to France. Having failed miserably to get a picture during daylight hours plan B was to get a long exposure shot of the docks. The Langdon Cliffs area has now been taken over by the National Trust which I am sure is excellent for preserving the environment but is rubbish when you just want to take a few pictures. Where you used to be able to park freely, the car park is now gated at night. There is room to squeeze your car in front of the gates but there is a polite message telling you not to park there as it blocks access for the emergency services. We decided to risk it and abandoned the car in the shadow of the no parking sign. Camera bag in one hand, tripod and torch in the other we clambered down the grassy bank to get a good view. My assistant tonight would prefer not to be named for legal reasons. She expressed her concern that we would fall over the cliff edge and the ambulance and search party would not be able to rescue us as some idiot had parked in front of the gates.

We made it to our vantage point with no drama. The Gateway to England, the busiest passenger port in Europe was not very busy tonight. I had anticipated hundreds of cars crawling around the dock roads painting their light streams on my picture - it wasn't to be. Also the huge 'street lights' give the whole area a virtual daylight effect meaning no long exposures. Whilst this was a bummer to my creativity my assistant reminded me (constantly) of the wind chill factor and how we could be at home in the warm.

Anyway the long and the short of it, a very average picture but I was thanked for taking out my 'assistant' on a Saturday night...