Gamers, cosplayers, gaming-cosplayers, have seemingly all converged in Birmingham (yeah, it's the NEC again, though no dogs this time). Having not really picked up a controller since 'investing' a considerable amount of time to various N64 titles during my university 'education', this was a somewhat alien world for me. Lots of things to note, but one was that the graphics on the F1 game were incredible. On the giant screens from across the hall, it looked indistinguishable from the TV footage. They'd clearly fine-tuned the accuracy of the game play too; as the eSports teams competing fought a largely processional race devoid of overtaking. Also, the fervour that greeted some of the Call of Duty teams competing in the main arena was greater than I'd witnessed at some recent Premier League matches! It might just catch on, these video games...
-----------------
Gamers attend the DreamHack 2026 gaming convention at the NEC in Birmingham, central England on March 27, 2026. / AFP PHOTOS #game @dreamhack #gaming
Shoppers make their way around various stalls at Bury Market in Bury, Greater Manchester on March 25, 2026. Britain's annual inflation rate was unchanged at 3.0 percent in February, official data showed on March 25 ahead of an expected jump as the Middle East war has sent oil prices surging. / AFP PHOTOS #market #shop
Similar in many ways to my recent time spent navigating the halls of the NEC for Crufts, albeit with significant increase in average neck-length, I spent yesterday at the British Alpaca Society's National Show. A big thanks to all the alpaca exhibitors who answered my questions about these majestic, if faintly comical, animals.
---------------
Alpacas are judged at the British Alpaca Society National Show held at the Staffordshire County Showground, in Stafford, central England on March 20, 2026. The three-day British Alpaca Society National Show brings together 510 alpacas from 69 exhibitors from across the UK vying to be awarded the title of 'Supreme Champion' in either the Huacaya or Suri fleece categories. / AFP PHOTOS #alpacas
Yeah, I know it's been a week, and yeah, I know that there are some other things going on in the world right now. But in my defence, I've been busy, and also, maybe we could all manage one more belated post from a dog show.
This was the cavalcade of canine chaos that was Crufts. Four days where antihistamines were a non-trivial part of my diet, but it was (as ever) a huge amount of fun.
-------------------
The Crufts dog show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, central England. / AFP PHOTOS
#dogs #dogsofinstagram #crufts
Model railway exhibitors manoeuvre model locomotives and carriages on layouts on the first day of the annual Festival of British Railway Modelling, held at Doncaster Racecourse, in Doncaster northern England on February 7, 2026. The show features over 30 intricately detailed model railway layouts of varying scales, eras and gauges alongside trade stands, clubs, and societies from across the country. / AFP PHOTOS #rail #model #railway
🌊 La côte de Holderness, dans le nord-est de l’Angleterre, connaît l’un des taux d’érosion les plus rapides d’Europe. Entre juin et novembre 2025, le photographe de l’AFP Oli Scarff a documenté le recul des falaises sur ce littoral long de 61 kilomètres, entre la réserve naturelle de Spurn au sud et Flamborough au nord. En l’espace de mille ans, le trait de côte s’est déplacé d’environ deux kilomètres, entraînant la disparition de 26 villages.
📸 Oli Scarff
Not the most arduous evening's work I've ever had to undertake yesterday - backstage with Northern Ballet as they performed the second night of their telling of the Yuletide classic, The Nutcracker. Not only did it deliver a strong dose of undiluted Christmas Spirit, it was mesmerizing to see these dancers perform up close. Their dedication, athleticism, and precision - although not unexpected - was pretty special to see up close (as well as the exacting standards of the Creative Team). What was very interesting to see was the camaraderie - when Soloist Alessandra Bramante performed the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, the wings were packed with the other dancers looking on with admiration and support. It was a privilege to be there too.
----------
A performance of The Nutcracker by Northern Ballet in Leeds Grand Theatre, in Leeds, northern England on December 19, 2025. The Nutcracker ballet, created by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1893, is set in Germany on Christmas Eve and follows a child's imagination after receiving the gift of a Nutcracker doll. / AFP PHOTOS #dance #ballet #nutcracker @northernballet
The end of a feature I've been working on for some time now; photographing Tea Dances in grand town halls in the north of England. Sparked by a visit to photograph one at Rochdale Town Hall (see earlier post), I've been welcomed to dances in: St Helens, Sheffield, Tadcaster, Liverpool, Stockport, Dukinfield and, of course, Blackpool. I appreciate that this year has been somewhat dancing-heavy, but what not to like? - beautiful locations, happy, graceful people and a seemingly limitless supply of cups of tea.💃☕
------------------
Tea dance, which evolved from the tradition of afternoon tea in the late 19th century, is enjoying a revival, especially since the pandemic. One recent chilly Monday afternoon in the northwest city of Liverpool, 115 dancers paid £12 to waltz, tango and cha-cha-cha under the chandeliers of the stunning 18th century town hall. Refreshments included tea and cakes. / AFP PHOTOS #dance #ballroom #tea #dancing
A return for me to the global epicenter of the ballroom dancing world - of course, the majestic glamour of Blackpool. This was the British National Dance Championships; an event that never fails to disappoint - a giant room full of people that move about with such effortless ease and grace of motion.
-------------
The 50th British National Dance Championships, in the Empress Ballroom of Blackpool's Winter Gardens, in Blackpool, north-west England, on November 20, 2025. The annual, four-day British National Dance Championship features over 2000 entries and showcases 60 hours of competitive dancing, with 23 championship titles in Ballroom and Latin dance disciplines. / AFP PHOTO #dance #ballroom
In fairness, you were warned. Following on from my 2 days at the Reform UK conference last month, please enjoy my wares from 5 days covering the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Very much the opposite end of both the political and background colour hue spectrum, although the former's name did crop up once or twice in the speeches...
As ever, along with the rest of the photographers present, my knees and ankles have taken a beating from days of crawling & scuttling around in front of the stage in an effort to not impede anyone's view. The fellow photographic company was top notch though - both in terms of talent and sociability - a rare treat to get to see many of my London-dwelling friends in the North.
Now, on to the next...
#politics #labour #government
Manchester United's Moroccan defender #03 Noussair Mazraoui collides with Chelsea's Spanish defender #03 Marc Cucurella during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on September 20, 2025. / AFP PHOTO #manchester #manutd #united #chelsea #manu
