CAPTURE NEW HORIZONS

Peter Baldwin set a new record when he won his sixth Dunlop Mini Miglia Challenge title at Thruxton yesterday.  The 72-year-old driver from Cambridge has won more championships than any other driver in the 47 year history of the Mini 7 Racing Club and has won races in a Mini in six different decades and even though he has been eligible for a bus pass for the seven years, he shows little interest in hanging up his racing boots anytime soon, heading to Spa next week for the historic races in Belgium. The 2012 title came about almost by accident when he decided to take the car, which had been left standing after Sarah Munns decided not to race this season, to Donington Park for Rounds 2 & 3 of the championship.  He duly set pole position and took a win and a second place in the two races.  Further wins came at Brands Hatch and Snetterton.  At Thruxton he added another win to his tally in the first race of the weekend and looked like he was heading for the dou...

As you crest the hill coming from the east, the 14 towers of San Gimignano look like a medieval Manhattan. The towers, which once numbered 72, were symbols of the power and wealth of the city's medieval families. San Gimignano delle Belle Torri is surrounded by lush, productive land and the setting is altogether enchanting. San Gimignano was the first Tuscan town on our list of places to vsit.  We decided to wait until the late afternoon to visit the town due to the heat and also due to fact we had been advised that the tour buses leave at around 5pm.  When we arrived in San Gimignano there were still plenty of tourists around, but the streets were far from crowded. We parked the car and headed towards the main square, the Piazza della Cisterna, visiting several of the souvenir shops and art galleries on the way.  Our first Italian ice cream of the holiday was purchased while we enjoyed the sights of this beautiful medieval city. We also visited the ...

The latest limited edition A2 Canvas Print has been released and is of the Paddle Steamer Waverley passing by the Isle of Skye in June. The image is a black and white print with the Waverley in full colour to stand out from the dramatic background.   Only 125 signed A2 prints will be available and they cost just £75 + P&P. The shot is also available as a 12" x 8" or 18" x 12" photographic print for £13.50 and £20.00 inc P&P. For more information and to order CLICK HERE  

For the past week we've been on holiday in Tuscany just south of the little hilltop town of Barberino di Val d'Elsa.  We had an apartment in the Agriturismo Due Piani, a wine and olive farm of seven hectares and we had seven days to soak up the Tuscan sunshine and sample the local wine. Due Piani Due Piani (meaning Two Levels and referring to the two levels of the farm) has three apartments and we had the largest with the most stunning view across the valley of Tignano, which was perched on top of the hill opposite our balcony.  It was very pleasurable looking out as the sun set behind us eating our evening meal.  The warm welcome we received from Brunella and Alberto was fantastic and we were made to feel right at home. The Wine The vineyard produces about 4000 bottles a year mainly for local consumption in restaurants, bars and direct sales at the farm.  They produce the classic Chinati, Other Due Piani Wines are the Rosso Toscano and the B...

Situated about 80km south of Naples on the southern end of the Bay of Salerno is the small Italian coastal town of Agropoli.  The new part of the town is situated around the coast while the older part is located on the hill overlooking the harbour, the perfect defensive position from the raids from Turkish pirates that plagued this area in the 16th and 17th century. For more on Agropoli CLICK HERE ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. MORE IMAGES CAN BE VIEWED ON  FLICKR  AND ON OUR  WEBSITE

A few days ago we came across a nest of blackbird chicks in our garden hedge. We decided to keep a watchful eye on the nest but also to keep our distance to not upset the parents.  Anyway today the chicks fledged and the last one was sat for ages on the edge of the nest plucking up the courage to fly the nest.  This allowed me the opportunity to grab the camera with a long lens to keep my distance and get a few shots.  the blackbird intrigued by not both by the noise of the camera and eventually it flew off to join its siblings in the big wide world. Here is the best shot of the little blackbird chick Blackbird Chick - Nikon D700 with Sigma 50-500 lens at 500mm Tomorrow we head to Heathrow airport before flying out to Tuscany for a week's holiday early on Saturday morning. I'm not sure what internet access I will have in Italy but I will post some images from out trips to Florence, Sienna, San Gimignano and Pisa when I can. ALL IMAGES ARE THE PROPERTY ...

On Friday afternoon I had a spare hour before getting the Eurostar back to London following a meeting in Paris so I decided to head two stops north of Gare du Nord on the Metro and walk up to the  Sacré-Cœur    Basilica ( Basilica of the Sacred Heart). A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city. The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.   Arriving at Château Rouge Metro station, it was a short climb up to the top of Montmartre, which at  around 120 metres above sea level is the highest point in Paris.  The view of the city from the top is fantastic and worth the climb in itself. Sacré-Cœur  is an impressive sight up close with fantastic architectural detail where ever you look.   In front of the...