Thinking about it now, I don’t think I have ever been refused a photograph by anyone I have sat and drank tea with. In India it is an essential ice breaker; a liquid preamble to any really meaningful social discourse and a chance for your host to get the measure of you.

‘If you want to know the measure of a man look at the shoes he wears’. This well known aphorism came to mind as I squeezed myself into a barely workable space to take some photographs in the basement workshop of one of the most celebrated shoemakers in the world…

‘Art in Action’ is a celebration of craftsmanship: a one stop show case for demonstrable artistic endeavour. It provides a rare opportunity to observe painters, woodcarvers, weavers, potters, glass -blowers, jewellers, sculptors and a host of other artists, normally tucked away in studios, openly displaying their creative skill in the grounds and gardens of an appealing English country house…

On the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day, London hosts one of the biggest street parties of the year, an extravaganza of all things Irish including, of course, singing, music and dance. Working as a photographer in this sort of lively fun atmosphere is an enjoyable experience because participants expect to be photographed and indeed positively relish the experience.