Date: Wed 24th Jan 2024, 20:00-20:45
Location: Zoom Call
Attendees (14): Keith Lyall, Jo Horrocks, Roger Eve, Joss Woolf, Linda Pitkin, Martha Tressler, Anthony Holley, Jane Burnett, Anne Andic, Gill Marsh, Godfrey Bevan, Chris McTernan, Pash Baker, Rob White
APOLOGIES
Apologies were received from Carole Hazelrigg, Pat Deeley, Bob Soames, Maria Kjellen, Martyn & Sue Guess and Wendy Eve
APPROVAL OF 2023 MINUTES
The minutes of the 2023 AGM had been circulated before the meeting. There were no matters arising. The minutes were proposed by Martha Tressler and seconded by Jane Burnett. The minutes were passed unanimously.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Joss Woolf reported as follows:-
Photosub Annual Meal – Saturday 25th March 2023
Events at the hotel in Farnham had become too expensive and, although we loved our evening last year at Cranleigh Golf Club, this again was prohibitively expensive. I’d like to thank Keith and Jo for identifying the Percy Arms Pub in Chilworth, Surrey for our annual meal on Saturday 25th March. We had the benefit of our own room for the event which was attended by 22 club members together with our guest judge Nick Blake and his wife Sharon.
Following a three-course buffet meal, the Annual Competition images were projected. The competition comprised the usual 4 categories:
- Green Water Macro/Close Up (26 entries)
- Green Water Wide (29 entries)
- Blue Water Macro/Close Up (42 entries)
- Blue Water Wide (38 entries)
With a dwindling number of active divers in the club, it had been agreed to allow members to submit images without any date restrictions. In the event, we had a total of 135 images (up from 109 last year) submitted by 15 members.
Our competition judge, Nick Blake, is well known to many club members particularly through BSOUP, and as a former member of Photosub before moving to live in the Lake District. Nick is a highly accomplished and well-respected underwater photographer with many competition wins to his name. Nick presented the results, along with his comprehensive feedback at the meeting. Members can access all of his comments via the website.
Len Deeley Trophy
Following the death nearly 8 years ago this summer of our club’s founder, Len Deeley, a new trophy was created by Pash Baker and Jo Horrocks in his memory. This trophy is now presented on a yearly basis at the club annual dinner.
Last year’s recipients were Martha Tressler and Anthony Holley in recognition of their support and contribution to the club including hosting barbecues at their home in Southampton along with Martha’s tireless energy working as Treasurer and Membership Secretary. Martha and Anthony have been members since the early days of the club and are regular attendees at club events.
Let’s say thank you to them again!
Photosub May 2023 Meeting
A Photosub social evening was hosted by Joss Woolf on Saturday 27th May 2023 at her home in North London. The event was attended by 18 Photosub members and the very kind summer weather allowed us to socialise in the garden. I made a Thai chicken curry as well as veggie and gluten free options which seemed to be enjoyed by all. The meal was completed with a selection of puddings brought by various members including the now legendary banoffee pie for which thanks, as usual, to Keith and Jo.
There was no competition at the meeting and in the end no images were presented either which enabled Keith to have a night off and we all had a relaxing time, simply socialising.
Photosub BBQ and Splash-in Competition 2023
Gone are the days of the “splash in weekend” or even “a splash in month”. Images are now eligible from any time in the calendar year up until the date of the competition and can be taken anywhere in the UK or Ireland. This enables more members to participate and getaround the usual issue of the British weather preventing diving. This, of course, is quite apart from the issue of the ever-decreasing number of active UK divers in the club. And, talking of the weather, the 14 club members who attended the 2023 Photosub Club BBQ, hosted by Keith and Jo at their home in Cranleigh on the 5th August, were forced to retreat indoors due to the wind and rain. A few stalwarts remained outside to cook the food under a parasol (parapluie?) but all of the socialising and eating took place inside.
Thanks very much Keith and Jo for opening up their home to the members, for organising a bbq and for organising the competition. Thanks also for the obligatory banoffee pie. Thanks to Martha and Roger too.
Keith presented the results of the 2023 Photosub Splash-in. There were 14 images submitted by 5 members. In keeping with the club’s tradition, the competition was judged by a non-diving photographer; on this occasion, Emma Stokes. Emma lives in Kent and is an award- winning landscape photographer, selling much of her work at local fairs. Unfortunately, Emma was unable to attend in person, but provided her comments for Keith to read out.
Photosub Open 2023
Club members met on Saturday 25th November 2023 for the annual Open Competition. This competition pits blue water against green water, macro against wide angle. The evening was kindly hosted by Martyn and Sue at their home in Farley Green and was attended by 10 club members.
Although lower on numbers than usual this gave members more opportunity to catch up and a very pleasant evening was had by all. After a winter warming lasagne and general socialising, 45 images from 15 members were projected. This was one of our largest set of entries for this competition, no doubt as a result of the rule change to remove the date restriction so that non diving members can participate by entering
older images. The competition had been pre-judged by JP Trenque, a former Photosub member and a former Chair of BSOUP. JP was unable to attend in person but provided his comments on the results.
Huge thanks to Martyn and Sue for hosting, to Keith for his part in the organising of the evening, to Keith and Jo for providing the statutory banoffee pie and thanks also to Roger and Martha for their help with organising as well. And thanks to me for providing a cheese platter!
During the evening, the future of Photosub was discussed, on a casual basis, given the spiralling decline in numbers of both active divers and members who attend the three gatherings each year. We agreed that, for now, we would continue because we still enjoy it but, as everyone knows, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
Nobody puts in more effort than Keith to maintain this club by organising the competitions and the annual meal, together with help from Roger Eve and Martha Tressler.Please, please, even if you have stopped diving, try to continue to support our meetings as much as possible.
Dates for this year:
Annual Dinner 6th April 2024 – Annual Dinner will again be at the Percy Arms on the 6th April. In order to have our private room again, they require a minimum number of guests but we will be able to choose from a set menu, albeit in advance, rather than a set buffet meal.
Jane Morgan has kindly agreed to be our judge for the evening and Keith and Jo have offered to put her up for the night to save on costs.
May Venue – Joss 25th May 2024
Summer BBQ August 10th – Martha and Anthony
November – yet to be determined
TREASURER’S REPORT
We remain comfortable financially with a small £78 surplus for the year. Member numbers are down again from 33 to 28 (25 diving, 3 non-diving). Both the annual dinner and the BBQ showed a small profit and contributions collected at regular meetings continues to cover about half of those costs. Other expenses – trophies, website – were similar to previous years.
The proposal is to leave the subs unchanged at £15 for diving members and £8 for non-diving members. Martha also proposed we increase the meal fee at the May and November meetings from £3.00 to £5.00pp.
These changes were passed unanimously.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The current officers were prepared to be re-elected and as no others came forward the meeting unanimously agreed to the following:
- Chair – Joss Woolf
- Treasurer – Martha Tressler
- Hon Secretary – Roger Eve
- Competition Secretary and Webmaster – Keith Lyall
SPLASH-IN
Keith reported that with so few members now diving in the UK he was doubting the viability of the competition. This was discussed at length. The meeting resolved that for this year (2024) there would not be a judged competition but members would bring UK images from any date, to be shown at the BBQ. This decision would be reviewed at the 2025 AGM.
2024 CALENDER
Annual Dinner: The date of the Annual Dinner has been set for Saturday 6th April. As last year it would be held at the Percy Arms in Chilworth. We will need a minimum of 20 to give us the private room. However this year, rather than a buffet, we will have an individual choice of dishes from a selected menu e.g. three options for each course. These will be ordered in advance as in previous years. It is anticipated that the cost should be similar to the £44pp charged last year but the final cost is still to be agreed. Jane Morgan has kindly agreed to be a judge for this competition.
Roger will send out an email with all the necessary information as soon as this is available.
NB it is important that we all promptly respond to Roger’s email to ensure we secure the room at the Percy Arms.
- May Meeting: Joss Woolf agreed to host this meeting on 25th May.
- August BBQ meeting: Martha and Anthony have agreed to host this on 10th August.
- November Meeting: The host is yet to be announced.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
During the meeting there was a little discussion on raising the profile of the club to try and attract new members who are actively diving and taking photographs. The committee will look into this matter.
The meeting close at 20.45pm just as the Zoom meeting shut down!