Alison Mees, guest speaker at Norton Radstock Photographic Society on Thursday, provided a first class end to our planned Zoom weekly sessions before we launch our summer outdoor meetings programme.

An enthusiastic supporter of Cheetah Conservation, Alison has “lived the African Dream” for many years, in Tanzania, the Serengeti and the Mara regions. Her stories told of her time there are as vibrant and inspirational as the images she showed, during what was a truly memorable evening.

We witnessed the wildlife of the steamy Seleus Reserve and the wonders of the Serengeti through Alison’s lenses that faithfully recorded the colour of the birdlife in the landscapes of the bush, as well as the elegance of the Masai and their endeavours to balance a traditional lifestyle with the demands of tourism.

Sensitive to the rythms of life in the fascinating land that is Africa, Alison took us with the Wildebeest on their annal migrations, to the land of the Buffalo where the conflict with the Lions is an ever-present threat, before enthralling us with tales of survival of the Cheetahs that have been central to her love of all things African since she first encountered Born Free as a five-year-old. She appeared to know the animals personally, readily identifying them by spots and scars, naming and following them through the bush, chasing sunsets and sundowners as well as Baboons and Honey Badgers so that we felt we had been with her on the journeys. It was a magical tour that members were privileged to share and one that will stay with us for some time to come.

Readers can view Alison’s photographs at: www.alisonmeesphotography.com She also makes and sells handmade cards using her images, with profits going to CCF UK.

It was good to see Margot Witcombe on Zoom following support and encouragement from Bill Collett to take the digital plunge! This week, members who can, will venture to Portishead for an afternoon led by Suzanne Ladd that is eagerly anticipated as the first of what we hope will be a number of outings to remember in the summer months. We shall also be planning our delayed gathering to celebrate the 2020 Pictures of the Year Awards over a light meal so we can fully round off a very strange year. Jenny Short