Ilkley RFC, Season Highlights Recap 2022-2023. Sport Action Photography.

As we are fast approaching a new rugby season '2024-2025' I started to look back at some of our previous seasons photographs and thought I would share a selection from 2022-2023 with you. 

Ilkley RFC, Season Highlights 2022-2023. Sport Action Photography. Photographed and selected by Ruggerpix photographers Peter and Cecile.

Ruggerpix  is brought to you by Yorkshire based photographers Peter and Cecile who specialise in Sport, Event and Travel photography.

Please take a moment to follow the link below and scroll through the Rugby Union related photographs which I hope you will enjoy.

https://www.procam.me/albums/275755-ilkley-rfc-season-highlights-2022-2023-sport-action-photography

In this album you will also find links to other aspects of our photography in our new Image Library ‘Procam’. We do hope you will enjoy our photographs and perhaps find some which will inspire and enhance your article or publication.

(downloads and prints are available)

For all album queries please contact Peter by

e-mail: ruggerpix@yahoo.com

‘Hebden’, a small but picturesque Yorkshire Dales village.

We re-discovered ‘Hebden’, a small but picturesque village in lower Wharfedale, full of character and history when we extended one of our favourite riverside walks: this being a stroll from Burnsall in the Yorkshire Dales. We diverted across the River Wharfe via Hebden Suspension Bridge built by local blacksmith William Bell and opened 1885. It is sometimes referred to locally as the Swing Bridge. I must say I preferred the bridge to the other adventurous option shown in the photograph below - 'the stepping stones'. 

 

We then followed the footpath to Hebden, only half a mile to go and the thought of coffee and cake or perhaps a light lunch in the Old School Tearoom to keep us going and looking forward to a stroll around this historic and photogenic village.

In the opposite direction the Dalesway Footpath from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere route can be entered. Total length of this route is eighty miles, not for the faint hearted or us, save it for another day or two, maybe a week or two!!!

 What a delight as we continued upwards approaching the village via Mill Lane and then on to Main Street, admiring quaint cottages with colourful gardens.

 The Old Bridge over Hebden Beck (explored after lunch)

St Peter’s Church (formerly a chapel of ease now grade II listed) 

St Peters church was built from local stone in 1841.

Photograph of the interior showing the Harrison and Harrison of Durham 'listed' organ.

As we walked a little further along Main Street another of Hebden blacksmiths William Bell's creations came into view. Not quite as imposing as his River Wharfe Suspension Bridge but an equally outstanding creation, a wrought iron 'Kissing Gate' which had been commissioned by the Parish Council in 1905. Details are on the commerative plaque which can be seen on the wall top next to the gate.

The Old School House, closed in 2007 

 now converted to 'The Old School Tea Room'. 

When we reached the Old School House this was certainly a welcome sight in an idylic, beautiful location. We enjoyed a very tasty lunch in a relaxed atmosphere, our table inside next to the window overlooking Hebden Beck.

We will certainly return to Hebden for more exploration and photography. Another visit to 'The Old School Tea Room' for refreshments will definitely be included.

Very gratifying to note The Times Newspaper has selected

'The Old School Tea Room as one of the seven Best Afternoon Teas

in the UK for under £30.00

Well Deserved 

Camera - IPhone 13 Pro Max and SmallRig Cage with Side Grip

To view all our  Photo Albums

please follow the link to our Image Library

Peter and Cecile Clark - photographers

We do hope you will enjoy our photographs and perhaps find some which will inspire and enhance your article or publication.

(downloads and prints are available)

They may also help find and explore your next

film/video location.

Grassington, Coffee and Cake, almost!

Friday was a free day for us and we had planned on a slow drive up the Yorkshire Dales to Grassington for a short walk, maybe a few photographs then follow with a visit to one of Grassington's many delightful coffee shops for refreshment.

On looking out of the window and seeing the ever darkening sky accompanied by light drizzle we considered our options if the weather was to deteriorate.

Maybe a slightly shorter drive to one of our favourites 'The Riverbank' at Burnsall then a stroll along the banks of the River Wharfe or if the weather really worsened perhaps stop at the Bolton Abbey riverside venue 'Cavendish Pavilion' and hope for a seat by the window to watch for an improvement and lighter skies as we enjoyed coffee and some generously buttered crumpets.

The Cavendish Pavilion, Bolton Abbey in the Yorkshire Dales. Delicious coffee and a tasty crumpet with butter and jam.

As we drove up to the top of our local hill 'Cringles' which seperates Airedale from Wharfedale and reached the top we could see bad weather further up the Dale we then considered another of our favourites 'The Ginger Plum' in Addingham but unfortunately as we travelled down the Main Street I could see a sign in the window reading closed.

Decision made, it was to be The Cavendish Pavilion in Bolton Abbey, luckily we had a season ticket for the access and parking.

We managed to secure a window seat and after relaxing for half an hour could see a slight improvement in the weather. It was now or never as we were getting very comfortable, so coats and hats on and out we went committed to our hike, walk, stroll. Looking out of the window again we could see it was still a bit wet out there but it still looked inviting. We were going to see the River Wharfe in all its glory, full flow.

Crossing the footbridge which is part of the 'Dales Way' walk.

Then a left turn following a well maintained and mud free footpath facing into the driving wind and rain. 

                                                                               

In a short while we just had to stop to enjoy the turbulent and fast flowing waters of the River Wharfe. Absolutely spectacular! This was a photo opportunity not to be missed but unfortunately the rainfall was now quite heavy and we decided to turn back

This pathway showed great promise of future photographic exploration by side of the River Wharfe or a change of direction to the mysterious sounding "Valley of Desolation" or maybe further upwards to "Simons Seat" where you can sit, rest and enjoy the spectacular view. Well worth the effort.

Camera - IPhone 13 Pro Max and SmallRig Cage with Side Grip

To view all our  Photo Albums

please follow the link to our Image Library

Peter and Cecile Clark - photographers

We do hope you will enjoy the photographs and perhaps find some which will inspire and enhance your article or publication.

(downloads and prints are available)

They may also help find your next

film/video location.

Ilkley RFC vs Moortown RUFC - Patience is rewarded

It's been some time now since Ilkley RFC last had a home game at Stacks Field (before Christmas) 
but my patience was rewarded last Saturday afternoon when Moortown RUFC visited for their 1st team league fixture vs Ilkley.

 

During the previous week, in eager anticipation of the weekends rugby I had extracted  my Canon 7d SLR and an appropriate sport lens, in this case a Sigma 70-200 2.8 and prepped them ready, cards formatted and batteries charged.

We arrived at the venue early, assembled the kit and started to prowl round the touchlines waiting for the teams appearance.

Well worth the wait although a slow start for me as I was initially some distance from the action. 

I soon got back into the flow of the game which over the two halves built up into a crescendo, loved it!!

Ilkley had the edge, it appeared a hard fight but they won in the end,

Result: Ilkley RFC 29 pts, Moortown RUFC 22 pts.

Then it was a race back home, downloading, editing and uploading to my website Ruggerpix.

Phew !!!! 

For those of you with the stamina, all photographs can now be viewed, please follow the link.

There is also a link to the Match Report written by Sean Crannigan

👇👇👇

www.ruggerpix.com

'Dales Road Trip' Sedbergh in The Yorkshire Dales National Park.

After leaving the Ribblehead Viaduct our next destination was Sedbergh which although in Cumbria is part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Driving along the B6255 Blea Moor Road to the hamlet of Appersett then turning left and admiring the stunning scenery along the way, eventually arriving at  the market town of Sedbergh in the late afternoon . 

We soon located 'The Red Lion' a very cosy traditional style pub which was to be our accommodation for the next two nights.

By the time we had unpacked the weather had worsened and it was coats and hats on then outside to combat the drizzle for a quick stroll and explore around the nearby streets before sitting down to a tasty dinner in one of Sedberghs finest old coaching inns ‘The Dalesman’

Next morning we continued to explore Sedbergh taking my iphone 12 Pro Max camera but now with the addition of a 'small rig stabilizer kit' which gives greater stabilility and grip to the whole unit. Last thing you want when leaning over the bridge trying to get that almost impossible waterfall shot is for the phone to slip out of your grasp and disappear into the murky torrent below!!!

Another extremely useful tool when looking for interesting camera subjects and preliminary investigation prior to your visit is to explore the area with 'Google Street View' which can be found on Google maps.

👉👉👉

The Main Street was quite interesting and several of the specialist craft shops/workshops drew our attention.

 

On our route we called in at St Andrews Church which is located on Main Street. The church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade 1 listed building and has many interesting features.

Well worth a visit, interesting viewpoints external and internal plus maybe say a prayer or two.

To view all the photographs in our Album

'Sedbergh, Cumbria, England'

 please follow the link.

👇

Peter W. Clark photographer

We do hope you will enjoy the photographs and perhaps find some which will inspire and enhance your article or publication.

They may also help find your next

film/video location.

(downloads and prints are available)

More location photographs of our

'Dales Road Trip'

to follow.

Dent (In the Yorkshire Dales National Park)

Aysgarth

Askrigg

Hawes

Gayle

Bainbridge

and finally Buckden

'Dales Road Trip’ Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, England.

 

Several months ago we mapped out our plans for the first of our Yorkshire Dales Road Trips. Stage one was to head up above Settle to the Ribblehead Viaduct.

The Ribblehead Viaduct carries the Settle–Carlisle railway over Batty Moss at Ribblehead, North Yorkshire.

This structure has been photographed by many notable photographers and I was determined to try a few standout shots which I hope you enjoy.

There are many words to describe Ribblehead viaduct, a few that come to mind are – imposing, dramatic, stunning, amazing, impressive, but when seen close up it really comes down to a short intake of breath and WOW!!!

What a feat of planning and engineering! You cannot imagine the blood, sweat and tears that must have gone into its construction. There were many fatalities amongst the railway builders (navvies) through accidents and illness, so many in fact that the local graveyard had to be enlarged.

We set out that morning in cloudy and overcast weather conditions but when we arrived at this monumental construction the clouds had cleared leaving me with ideal conditions for the aspects of photography I had in mind. On this Dales Road Trip I had left my Canon 7D SLR and an assortment of lenses (the heavy gear) at home and intended to use the camera in my Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max which I had been trialling for the last few months and had been particularly impressed with the performance of the wide angle lens, this generally produces converging verticals but I happen to like this effect and it does pack a lot of landscape in.

What a photogenic structure, taking into account the weather, time of day and the many viewpoints available it is inevitable that we will make many return trips to photograph it in its full glory.

To view all the photographs in our Album

'Ribblehead Viaduct, Yorkshire'

 please follow the link.

Peter W. Clark photographer

We do hope you will enjoy the photographs and perhaps find some which will inspire and enhance your article or publication.

(downloads and prints are available)

More location photographs of our

'Dales Road Trip'

to follow.

Sedbergh (In the Yorkshire Dales National Park)

Dent (In the Yorkshire Dales National Park)

Aysgarth

Askrigg

Hawes

Gayle

Bainbridge

and finally Buckden

Gordon Burton, An Ex Player, Captain and ‘Legend’ of Ilkley Rugby.

Gordon Burton, Ilkley RUFC (Captain)

After an earlier post regarding the Ilkley RFC Ex Players Lunch I sent a link to contacts I thought may be interested to see the post. 

As an afterthought I remembered a good friend from several years ago when we worked at the same Ilkley estate agents and sent him a link as I vaguely remembered he had some connection with rugby (what an understatement!!).

It was a very pleasant surprise when a few days later Nigel replied sending me several photographs and mementos of his dad, Gordon Burton who had been Captain at Ilkley RUFC 1950-51.

I had not expected such a treasure trove of information relating to an ex player, Captain and ‘legend’ of Ilkley rugby.

Cigarette lighter presented to G.Burton (CAPT.) for leading point score. IRUFC 1950-51

134 POINTS

It would seem that Gordon had started quite a sporting legacy from his time at Ilkley RUFC.

 

Son Nigel played rugby for Ilkley Grammar School and at the Schools Sevens held at IRFC.  Later at Ilkley he had trials and played for Yorkshire Colts

. 

Following an injury Nigel stopped playing for a couple of years then moved to Lancashire and played for Fylde Rugby, where Bill Beaumont (England Captain) was his captain with Tony Swift (England) on the right-wing and Nigel on the left-wing.

 

Following a spell with Preston Grasshoppers then moving to Bristol and subsequently playing for a local combination Club.

 

By this time with a growing family of 4 children Nigel had qualified as a junior coach and coached at Clifton Rugby Club for 16 Years.

Nigel's sons, daughters and grandchildren all followed in Gordons sporting footsteps and are prominent participants of their chosen sports.

 I hope you will take the time to view more photographs and information supplied by Nigel.

Of particular note are the details of Ilkley RUFC Golden Jubilee 1899-1949.

Also a must read article ‘A Few Useful Tips for Young Players’

 To view please follow the link to the Archive Image Library on my dedicated website.

'Ruggerpix'

Many Thanks Nigel and Family

Grassington, A Charming Market Town in The Yorkshire Dales

 A Market Town in the Yorkshire Dales Revisited

While having a coffee meeting in our usual location, the Riverbank Café next to the River Wharfe at Burnsall in the Yorkshire Dales we had a last minute change of plan and decided to drive up the Dale to the market town of Grassington for a browse around the independent shops surrounding the market square. 

This suited me fine as it would allow me to take additional photographs for our image library. 

Grassington Market Place

As I had not anticipated a photoshoot I used my iPhone 12PM camera which I have used on several previous occasions and have been more than impressed with the results especially with the addition of a SmallRig stabilizer kit. 

Absolutely love it, great practical combination. Especially like the wide lens and the resulting converging verticals. What do you think?

Grassington Shops

The resulting photographs I have uploaded to ‘Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales’ album which can be found in our image library. 

Grassington Folk Museum

 

You may recognise a few of the locations photographed as Grassington was used as the backdrop for the filming of the recent series of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ and is known as the fictional village of Darrowby.

To view ‘Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales’ album please follow the link.

Peter W. Clark photographer

We do hope you will enjoy the photographs and perhaps find some which will inspire and enhance your article or publication.

Maybe perhaps help to locate your next film/video production.

(downloads and prints are available)

Ruggerpix – ‘A Challenging Afternoon’ for both teams and the photographer.

 

Ilkley vs Pocklington (North One East) k/o 2.15, 20^th November 2021

 The venue: Stacks Field, Ilkley, Yorkshire.

                                     

I had made all my preliminary preparations for this assignment on the day before.

My camera – Canon 7D SLR with twin battery pack, all batteries fully charged, a formatted 16gb memory card plus one spare and my Sigma 70-200, F2.8 lens which I find to be most useful for this type of work, finally a Slik monopod to help keep the camera steady.

Checked all camera settings functioning and then laid all out ready to pack into my equipment backpack on the Saturday morning.

On the following morning the weather was dry but a little overcast and felt chilly so made sure I was well wrapped up then finally packed everything away.

We managed to arrive at Stacks Field comfortably well in advance of the 2.15pm k/o which gave me chance to have a walk around the pitch and  go through various camera checks.

I usually set the camera shutter speed to 1/1000sec. and the ISO to 400 these generally give good results but it soon became apparent that the overcast cloud rolling down from the Dales and the cool breeze were going to be a challenge to both camera and photographer.

Most of the afternoon was spent constantly adjusting camera settings knowing full well that decreasing the shutter speed could produce image blur and increasing the ISO would produce image noise (grain) but it had to be done to let adequate light into the camera to produce at best an acceptable result to capture the fast action.

More importantly I had to constantly adjust my scarf to produce a warm happy photographer.

The decreasing light levels made action photography quite a challenge and a lot of work was required in my image editing software Adobe Lightroom.

To view all photographs from the afternoons rugby please follow the link to my dedicated website Ruggerpix

 Ruggerpix

 A full match report can be viewed at Ilkley RFC website.

Linton in Craven, a Picturesque Village in The Yorkshire Dales.

Spent several days in and around the beautiful and very photogenic Yorkshire Dales village of Linton in Craven taking photographs for our image library and researching all the points of interest of which there are many. 

I must admit the Fountaine Inn ‘Fish and Chip Friday’ did help determine what days would be best for our photography. 

The weather also helped a little as did the very dramatic scenery on the River Wharfe at Linton Falls and the Tin Bridge. 

                                     

  Followed by the calming tranquillity of Linton Parish Church. 

    

To view all our photographs of this beautiful area in the Yorkshire Dales - Linton in Craven, Linton Falls and Linton Parish Church please follow the link to our image library - 

👇👇👇

Peter W. Clark, photographer

 

We do hope you will enjoy the photographs and perhaps find some which will inspire and enhance your article, publication or perhaps find a location for your film/video production.

(downloads and prints are available)