Buy the ticket, take the ride

Buy the ticket; take the ride, a quote from the late Hunter S Thompson.

Did I buy the ticket? Not exactly. I just shoved my head round the door for a shufty to see what was going on. Did I take the ride? Well, it was more like sticking out my thumb out to hitch a lift, not knowing where I’d end up. And, as we all know, that’s the best way. As long as you have a good travelling companion and know where your towel is. And I ended up with some good companions and a stack of fluffy towls.

 

What started off as just one photo shoot, has culminated, four years later in an exhibition, a few busy weeks and an empty bank account. 

 

I had scheduled the exhibition for late October/early November for several good reasons. To try and coincide with as few bouts as possible. In the early days bouts were a rare phenomena, one every few weeks. People would travel miles to see them. Now there seems to be three or four every weekend. How far things have come. So finding the optimum weekend was difficult. But check, it seems to have worked out fine. It’s also half term. Another bonus for all the school teachers out there. And I know that a large proportion of Roller Derby fanatics are teachers. You can’t take it out on the kids during the week, but you can duke it out on the flat track with friends at the weekend.

 

Also to coincide with the launch of Ellen Parnavelas’s new book, The Roller Derby Athlete (I may have one or two photos in there, or twenty or so).  Gives a bit more scope to the exhibition. And the first year Anniversary of Inside Line. Unfortunately the party is on same day as a meeting with a publishing house, but hey ho, a quick meeting then scoot down to London. I can do both and I’m not one to miss a party, especially if it’s back in my home town. How I miss that river. Build that critical mass.

 

So with two weeks to go everything is on schedule, except that I have 30 empty frames and no pictures. I don’t think it’ll make for a good exhibition but it’ll be alright on the night. Honest. I hope. Nah, it will, I trust my suppliers.

 

So for more information see www.roller-derby-on-film.co.uk. Everything is for sale and for a good cause, to replenish my bank account so I can see you all on the flat track sometime next year.