Nikon hosted an event at Palmer PromoSport in England – the Motorsport Experience 96
It was a thrilling day competing against other editors, journalists and retailers in a variety of motorsports events.
Below are the results of all 63 competitors.
And here’s how I did
Circuit 6th
Kart 11th
Off road 10th
Skid control 33rd
Sprint Salon 16th
Super Sprint 20th
Overall 7th!
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Nikon representatives
Simon Coleman, Tim Hunnable
Press attending
Peter Bargh, Nigel Atherton, Doug Harman
Sigma UK invited us on a trip to Japan to visit the lens factory and spend several days with the heads of Sigma.
We flew by Virgin Atlantic VS900 from Heathrow to Narita Airport. I was in Seat 54A
Itinerary
Sigma Factory Tour
Ichimatsu Lakeside Restaurant
Tour of Ginza Akihabara and Asakusa photo retail areas with Mr Kubota
Bullet train to Kohriyama Station
Tsuruga Castle
Nikko
Toshogu Shrine
Yodobashi Shinjuku District
Imperial Palace
JCIA museum
Tour of Sigma Lens factory at Aizu with Mr Michihiro Yamaki
Sigma representatives
Michihiro Yamaki, Mr Kubota, Graham Armitage
Press attending
Peter Bargh, Roger Payne, Keith Wilson, Liz Walker, Neil Whitford
On this trip I discovered trains have seats that swivel 180deg, men set light to their pubes, toilet seats can have auto rotating covers, toilets with jet wash can be messy, Geisha girls can make ants out of leg hair, Japanese food is generally pretty rubbish, there are fish that you eat where one bit has to be avoided to avoid death, blind men do pretty good massages, there are insects that are big enough to touch the back of your throat and still stick out of your mouth, Bullet trains are really fast, McDonalds is not the same in Japan as it is in Europe, Keith Wilson is always late, I laugh more with Roger Payne than anyone else, and Sigma lenses are really well made.
Samsung’s European Convention 1996 was to Marbella in Spain. I attended as editor of Buying Cameras magazine.
British Airways flight BA 2473 – I was in Seat 4E
We stopped at the Melia Don Pepe Hotel
Cipriano Playas Del Doque
Hacienda La Venta
Puerto Banus
It was the famous trip of Prairie Oyster, Finger dancing prawns, clothes swapping by the pool, unexpected karaoke and hangover donkey riding…goes down as one of the best press trips in my career, made extra special by Dan, Rog, Liz and, of course, Mr Gary Banks. I drank some very strange stuff on that event.
Samsung Representatives
Gary Banks, J Lee, H Paik
Press attending
Peter Bargh, Daniel Lezano, Roger Payne, Keith Wilson, Liz Walker, Neil Whitford, Dennis Taylor, M Blackledge
Some of the many European editors included TIPA friends Sylvie Hugues from Reponse Photo (France), Fre Withoff from FotoHandel (Holland), Johan Elzenga Foto-Visie (Holland) Juan Varela FV Actualidad (Spain) and Giulio Forti Reflex (Italy)
The Professional Processing Lab, Colab, had a getting know the press evening at Combe Abbey in Coventry.
As part of the fun they organised a Murder Mystery (An Idea to Kill For) event played over dinner. We stayed over at the hotel – it’s supposed to be haunted, although I didn’t feel anyone’s presence.
Colab representatives
David Hartley (Colab) Cathryn Creed and Alistair Forrest (Fairway Public Relations)
Press attending
Peter Bargh,
Nikon event at Sopwell House Hotel and Country Club in St AlbansNikon FM10 launch?
Nikon representatives
Elaine Swift, John Clements, Simon Coleman
Press attendees
Peter Bargh, David Kilpatrick
Kodak took editors to France for the launch of the Advanced Photo SystemWe traveled over on Eurostar 9034, Coach 11 -I was in Seat 33
Our hotel – the Novotel Gare de Lyon
Representatives from Kodak
Angela McGinlay, John Shandley, Brian Bottomley, Clare Fleerackers
Press attending
Peter Bargh, Neil Whitford, Ailsa McWhinney, Joel Lacey, Eileen Martin, Roger Payne, Dennis Taylor, Steven Webb
I attended the International Contax Zeiss Symposium at Richard Branson’s Hotel La Residencia in Deia, Mallorca
I was editor representing Buying Cameras magazine.
The objective for Contax was to discuss the methods used for magazine lens testing and the quality of Contax lenses. They were not happy with the general reduction in magazine testing quality and were suggesting that the technical editors were no longer very technical and didn’t understand the finer aspects of lens performance. An interesting debate!
Contax representatives
Leo Stejskal
Invited UK Press
Peter Bargh, David Kilpatrick, Joel Lacey
Event at Hoar Cross Hotel – it may have been a Minolta Dynax launch?
I attended a press conference at Dryburgh Abbey Hotel May have been Minolta I cannot recall date, time or event
