Junior Miss Dover

My god-daughter Kayleigh won the Junior Miss Dover pageant last week and I took some photos of her, she looked lovely. She turns thirteen next month so hopefully becoming a teenager won't change her lol

Olympus E-30

I have put my canon 450D for sale on Ebay and plan to buy the Olympus E-30. Unfortunately I am waiting for the price to come down a bit... come on Olympus!

Emma

Emma
Originally uploaded by Shaun Madden

Waiting for the train...

Marlec Marine Website

I have just updated Marlec Marine's website with a brand new look for 2009. There are still a few modifications to be made and also I need to photograph all the products over the next two months.

NEC

En-route

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New Photography Website

I have just designed my own photography website where I will display my portfolio of photographs. During 2009 I plan to increase the volume of the site significantly and include college work, wedding photography and web design projects.

UCAS Application

The closing date for UCAS applications is today. Fingers crossed my application to study Photography at Broadstairs this September will be successful.

Remembrance Day Las Vegas

An excellent parade in remembrance for those that served, whether overseas or at home, in many different conflicts. I was impressed with a turnout that would have been fitting for a capital city. Well done Las Vegas...

Website Design & Development

Check out my latest website that I created for a client at Streetlife Entertainment. If you need a website something like this can be yours for £400 including initial consultation, images, domain name & hosting, email and minor updates...

Friends

Falling out with friends can be awful, truly awful...

Movie Review - Lucky You

Starting Eric Bana who Christina immediately took a fancy to and Drew Barrymore who I adore made me think this was going to be a love story. However enter Robert Duvall and the love story is actually between father and son, Duvall and Bana. The gambling scenes definitely took Wayne's interest so the film went down well with us all. 7/10

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iPhone Upgrade

I received a text at 8am to tell me to pre-order the new iPhone now. I went to the o2 website and tried but no joy. After an hour of trying and getting error messages I was re-directed to the following web page...

First Day In Calais

My first day working in Calais was a bit strange, it would turn out that most people didn't realise it was my first day as I looked at home! Thankfully I did eventually get a bit of a tour. I stayed in the Holiday Inn and didn't go out for the night but had my dinner and watched tv all evening...

Mill Race

I am thinking of moving and went to view a flat in a converted mill in River. Some major pros to moving to river; quieter, easier to clean, sociable open-planned living, cheaper, better class of neighbours. Some cons; further from shops (could be a pro!), further from railways station, taxi home from pub? The flat is lovely and the pros outweigh the cons...

The Prince Albert Pub

For almost a year I have been going out on Wednesday nights to the Albert pub in Dover. I have missed one or two nights in that time which is quite good as I was living in Paris! It's funny how you see the same faces all the time and then you don't see them anymore and a new group of faces appear. Tonight was Wayne's turn to join Christina and myself as Shrub was skint and wasn't coming out to play. PS she don't like this pic...

Trip To Jessops

I made a second trip of the week to Canterbury to buy my Canon 450D, bought a shirt in Debenhams too. Had a pint for lunch in the Albert with Christina then had visits from Darren, Emma & Scott. Never really got chance to play with my new camera but on my next day off I will go out and take some shots...

Canon 450D

Today was about choosing a new camera. The choices were the Canon 450D and 40D. Both were being offered with cash-back deals from canon but the 40D offer ends at midnight. The offer on the 40D is pretty impressive but I noticed that Canon release a new prosumer camera every eighteen months, so the 50D will be a few months away. The 450D is probably where I need to start and is a mighty impressive piece of kit. tomorrow I will make a trip to Jessops...

Spain Win Euro 2008

Everyone I knew was supporting Spain tonight, lets face it, who wants the Germans to win anything? Torres got the only goal of the game, Fabregas started but was subbed and the Germans were poor, very poor. So no more football until next season, which by my reckoning starts with Arsenal v Barnet on 19th July, just under three weeks away, how will I cope...

Web Design

Building websites takes a lot of time, layout design, text, photos, image editing and testing take ages when working from scratch, yet this templated blog can be updated in seconds. I like the idea of working from home, with the cricket on in the background though...

Movie Review - Juno

This film has been in my rental list for a while, and one of my friends told me not to bother. A couple of weeks later when the film arrived that same friend again said it's not a good film. However, firstly what stood out was the soundtrack, it was mainly of lesser known indie songs that really suited the film. Ellen Page superbly played Juno, a young girl who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. The film has a feel good atmosphere and plenty of unusual, non stereotypical events. I really enjoyed this film and think people who watch inferior quality bootlegs miss out on good films. 8/10

Arpeggio Coffee

We have run out of Nespresso capsules, well we still have plenty of decaf ones left from the assortment pack we bought back in February, so hopefully the 200 we have just ordered at £50 will last until September! The strong intense Arpeggio and Ristretto are our favourites and not just for making cappucinos but for wake-me-up espressos...

A Picture Of Dover Every Day

I am really liking the ease of using blogger from one dashboard so I now have the time to start a little side project at one of my other websites; doverexpress.co.uk is where (hopefully) from now on I will post a picture of Dover every day. I plan to take the pictures with my iPhone but it's a very basic camera phone and might not do justice to the project as a whole as I am getting blurry pictures. My other camera is a Panasonic digital SLR and is capable of taking great pictures, but it's not always with me, it's just too big. It's a shame Apple have not upgraded the camera specs in the new model because being able to point, shoot,and email the picture to my blog in a few seconds is remarkable...

Sorting Out The House

After finally moving back from Paris I have loads of stuff to sort out, all my clothes are in one place, all my books are in one place all my things are in one place. I have so much stuff. Would I be able to fit all this into a flat? I doubt it although I do still miss my old flat, especially the social side of the lounge/kitchen and not forgetting the tall ceilings. This house is great but very expensive, and do I really need all this space? I will keep my eyes peeled for the one next to my old flat it as it may come up for rent again soon...

Eurolines

I was up fairly early today, all the windows were still open from the night before and it was a beautiful day. I pottered around finishing packing my last few things and getting rid of trash. Everything was going to plan until the train didn’t arrive at Reaumur-Sebastapol, I waited for about fifteen minutes then decided to get a taxi. Finding one was no easy task. The taxi took ages and I finally arrived at Eurolines fifteen minutes before departure. Was funny to see a female cyclist with a builder’s crack! The journey up to Calais was quick and a small delay before boarding the ferry, P&O’s Pride of Burgundy...

Last Sunset In Paris

Well it's finally my last night in Paris. I still have quite a lot of things to do before tomorrow lunchtimes bus home to Dover. I didn't realise just how much trash I have to get rid of and the bins are already full. I really can't be bothered. Today was my last shift at work, and just as I had hoped I was able to slip away quietly. Paris has been a great experience, an interesting chapter in my life, but i know I never really got into it as I should have done...

My Last MLV

It’s a bit of a strange feeling knowing I have done my last MLV (Marne-le-Vallee) shift. At least I went out with a bang doing four in the last week. I have managed to ship all my belongings home to the UK and my suitcase has taken a hammering, just one more trip when I leave Paris on Tuesday, hopefully it will hold out. Its a shame to have missed out on Mike’s 60th birthday party bash in Paris tonight, would have been great to see everyone just before I leave. I am hoping to bump into a few people tomorrow and Monday before, while still trying to leave on a very quiet note, just like my entire posting! Healthwise I think the end of all this travelling will do me wonders, only time will tell...

Trains, Trains & Automobiles

Well today was one of those days, one of those days when travelling isn’t fun. The first Eurostar had electrical problems and broke down for an hour, then on my second journey the Eurostar was delayed an hour by a bomb scare at Lille. Having missed a couple of trains to Dover I was offered a lift, however only a couple of minutes from Dover we hit a traffic jam and were held up another hour. Fortunately I have no upcoming plane journeys...

Gunners' 50 Greatest Players

The countdown from 50 has been on for a little while now. The website makes it quite clear that this list has been chosen by the fans, so it was almost inevitable that they were preventing a backlash when the results were announced! Its very annoying to find a certain former left back at number 25, ahead of some really great players (McLintock, Sansom & Smith, to name a few) who spent years at Arsenal and now work for a living, unlike this deceitful and arrogant fucker who left for more money, while already earning millions and would easily top Arsenals most hated players list (if there were one), now there's a thought...

Movie Review - No Country For Old Men

Sometimes a film is so good it leaves you stunned for a while afterwards. This is certainly the case with No Country For Old Men. A really good thriller, the suspense is incredible throughout, the characters detailed and the acting is superb. I thought I new where the film was going, but if I'd had ten guesses to what would happen I would have been wrong, totally wrong. This is cinema at its very best as its four Oscars firmly suggest.  10/10

Missing The Train

Well today was a pretty uneventful day both at home in Paris and at work. I did manage to miss my train home by less than a minute which is very annoying. If it wasn’t for my ridiculously heavy suitcase I would have made it! I haven’t planned my two days off this week, I think a trip to the gym is long overdue. I also hope the weather is nice so I can try and even up my tan. Luckily Christina has cooked a curry so that’s something to look forward to when I get home, perhaps...

One More Week In Paris

Although I love Paris in the spring, its summer now and Paris is starting to get very hot, especially the Metro. Today was exceptionally busy on the metro, a strike on the RER was to blame and the trains were packed. Who will be on strike next week? Frankly I don't give a damn! I am looking forward to the backward life of Dover, Folkestone & Canterbury...

Movie Review - Go

I watched the film 'Go' again last night. I have seen this film before but is such a cleverly constructed film that I still enjoyed it. I like the way the story is told from three different perspectives in turn and how each persons actions influences the others. This enables to film to have a great pace without losing the viewer. The style of the film is similar to Pulp Fiction being divided into chunks that all come together at the end and also that the film is not dominated by just one actor. In brief: Girl needs money for rent, decides to sell drugs at a party but things don't go to plan. 8/10

iPhone Update

It appears that I can't update my blog using my iPhone apart from the title as I am unable to type in the text box. Roll on 2.0...

Elliot Minor or Good Charlotte

Christina wants to go see either Good Charlotte or Elliot Minor. Now as Good Charlotte are only touring in the US that could be very expensive! Elliot Minor are a relatively new band and tickets are cheap so all going to plan we will go and see them in Brighton on 18th July. 

I haven't been to Brighton for a couple of years now so would be nice to have a wander round town and have a good night out watching the band and then a club afterwards. I need to find a decent hotel in the heart of Brighton...

Last Tango In Paris

With help from Darren (who drove me) I went to Paris Thursday night to collect the bulk of my possessions. A few suitcases more and all my stuff will be home in Dover. I have only seven shifts left to work in Paris and I will miss the job but not necessarily the place itself. 

I am really looking forward to the next few years but first I must enjoy the summer, hopefully it will be a nice one as its been a while since I had a suntan!

Ramsgate Marina

I have spent the day at Ramsgate Marina taking photographs for Marlec Marine's website. The sun was in and out and there weren't too many boats coming or going and scaffolding was being erected around the shop so it was not a really successful day, but a pleasant one. I will try again next week.

Royal Military Canal Bike Ride

Cycling from Sandgate along the towpath of the Royal Military Canal all the way to Cliffs End near Hasting. camp the night and return the next day, frequenting a few pubs on the way. I will add some photos along the way providing I can get a signal on my phone...

Madden's Bar

No I haven't opened a bar, but stumbled across the photo...