Hello,
My name is Martin and I live at Ripley in Derbyshire. I have been a keen gardener for over twenty years and have enjoyed photography for thirty years or so. My gardening interests, since moving house, have shifted from nurturing finicky alpine plants (used to be a member of the Alpine Garden Society and other specialist societies) to enjoying and growing what you might call "Old Fashioned" plants. I now enjoy growing old roses, perennials, annual plants such as snapdragons, marigolds etc that were listed in the old seed lists (I recommend Chiltern Seeds as a source for old varieties). I must say I have never enjoyed my gardening as much as I do now, it puts a smile on my face!
My gardening hero is Harry Dodson who starred in the wonderful "Victorian Garden" series and I must confess to having and using a large collection of original Victorian clay plant pots made by Sankey. Some of the really small ones still have little fingerprints in them, presumably those of a Victorian child employed to make them.
My photography brings me great pleasure. Digital photography has bought an entirely different element and interest. I quite enjoy editing my photographs in Photoshop and sharing them on Flikr.
My wife, Angela, and I celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary last year and as a special treat we had a lovely holiday in Switzerland organised by Great Rail Journeys.
We have two daughters. Charlotte (24) is a teacher and Hannah (23) is just about to embark on an adventure to New Zealand where she will work her way around the country for two years. I am going to miss her dreadfully.
Professionally, I am a quality/business improvement specialist for a large company within the plastics industry. I am proud to be a Member of the Chartered Quality Institute and if there are any other members here, please get in touch. My work has taken me to many different countries and last year to Egypt which was a very interesting experience. I was in Cairo during the rioting in Tahrir Square and went past the area each day when returning to our hotel.
Looking forward to making a positive contribution to the forum and meeting new people and friends.
Martin
