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All being well, I’ll be back for more in 2020!

That’s how I signed off my last blog. Probably jinxed it if I’m honest. Sorry world. My bad.

It all went a bit pear shaped didn’t it? Pear shaped with a dash of pear jus on a bed of pear crisp, Masterchef style, just lacking any buttery biscuit base.

I had originally planned to get out to the Spanish Grand Prix, Silverstone and possibly the Belgian GP at Spa in 2020, and I was really looking forward to those experiences, taking a few images, writing a few blogs and possibly a new venture, but all that was put on the back due to some rather vigorous germs.

Thanks germs.

But we’re getting back to it now, and I hope that everyone, everywhere is starting to enjoy a little normality and hasn’t suffered too greatly over the past months.

And where better to get back into the swing that involve yourself with 140,000 super sweaty folk congregating on Silverstone for the 2021 British GP, full of fevour for the ensuing track battle in what is surely one of the closest championship fights since 2016. They were also pretty keen to involve themselves in a few beers.

Alas, a year and a half of no photography hasn’t made Silverstone any prettier.

In fact, opportunity was even more restricted for punters pics, as new grandstands and hospitality zones had overtaken areas that you used to be able to glimpse decent view from. A shame.

Still, camera in hand, I ventured through the swathes of sunburnt fans, excited but also a little wary of what the weekend might present in terms of photographic opportunity.

I hadn’t panned an image for almost 20 months and didn’t really want to run about obsessing about angles, so I decided to enjoy the racing for a change, rather than contort myself around the fences, the umbrellas and ‘Jimmy, get the beers!’ on the hottest of weekends.

Sweaty folk aren’t very photogenic, nor is ‘Jimmy’ with his beers. Niether make a great foreground, or background, for Kimi Raikkonen through Becketts.

Honestly though, it was pretty nice to actually sit back and enjoy the racing for a change. Sure, I kept saying to myself “Should’ve brought my long lens – I’ve wasted an opportunity here” especially when I’d spot a potential angle as we mosied about.

The urge to shoot was strong, but I was really glad that I didn’t have to lug 15kg of kit about for the whole, sweltering weekend, in those crowds, especially on my first actual genuine day out for almost two years.

Photographically, it was half baked, but I didn’t really mind.

I was really stoked I got to enjoy and oven fresh race that will, as they all say, go down in the annals of the sports history. Not to sure about the later times and that sprint thingy though.

Enjoy the small gallery of shots and thanks for reading along.

On a side note – if you happen to notice or experience abuse or racism online at all, never be afraid to stand against it. Report it, block it, tell your friends to report it and we might begin to get the message across to those morons. There are plenty of people out there who detest such attitudes and will support.