I was surprised on Tuesday this week to receive an email from The Times newspaper asking permission to reproduce a photograph from this blog. I will be honest with you that I thought it was a windup or a scam. But I checked the email and it was from ‘@times.co.uk’, so it seemed genuine. I replied and agreed that they could use the photo. Thinking it was for some glossy magazine article, I asked when it would be published. ‘Tomorrow’ came the reply. So we dutifully bought a copy of the paper the next day (Confession, it’s not the one I normally read) and there it was, or at a small least part of it, on Page 3 in a serious story about the connection between our Royal Palaces and slavery.
I have had photos that have appeared on the blog used elsewhere before. Most recently, a church that wanted to use some photos of an abbey founded by someone who was buried in their crypt. But this is my first time in a national newspaper. Do I now get to include a strap-line in the blog title ‘as seen in the Times’? Only kidding.
Pete's Favourite Things 
How exciting, Peter
FAME moment! Although not sure it ranks as high as seeing a British Bird first (and as far as I know so far only)record. Originally identified as Tristram’s Storm Petrel, later accepted as Matsudiera’s Storm Petrel on examination of photographs(1997). Having the legendary Sea-birder Peter Harrison with us that day and some good photos helped us identify it or else it may have remained one of those ‘I wonder what that was birds?’