Tenby Arts Club had a visit from John Archer-Thompson. John is a regular speaker at the club and this time he continued his walk around the Pembrokeshire Coast. He is an expert on rock formations, flora and fauna - in fact everything that he sees on his perambulations. Who knew, for instance, that a glue extracted from bluebells was used for the spines of books to deter silverfish?

One of his mantras is “take it while you see it” because if he goes back hoping to capture a view the chances are that it will have changed; either the weather or the light will be different, or the surrounding vegetation will have grown up or died back. One of his most spectacular pictures is of a rock formation known as Three Chimneys, at Marloes. John told us that he was showing that particular beach to students from Japan. They were stunned to see Three Chimneys and told him that they knew the sight well from images in their textbooks in Japan. It’s world famous.

John also captured images of industry in the snow and/or sunlight and made them look most attractive. In fact each and every one of his shots was gorgeous to look at and peppered with information about the area. He always seems to have been in the right place at the right time, though told us of “the one that got away”, meaning a shot of fulmars nesting which he still bitterly regrets not having taken 28 years ago!

John took the lovely picture featured here at Lydstep Point. The club will welcome him back again as soon as he has time.

Today, Friday, November 4, Arts Club is taking a break but looks forward to welcoming members and visitors back again on November 11 when speaker David Llewellyn’s subject will be “Every Man a Hero”. Intriguing! Arts Club is at St John’s Church Hall, Warren Street, Tenby, at 6pm. Admission charge applies, with a discount for members - tea, coffee and biscuits included.