The Wey & Arun Canal Trust is delighted to report the results of its prestigious Photographic Competition 2005. Entries were invited from amateur and professional photographers, and the results were announced at the Autumn Meeting of the Trust in Cranleigh, Surrey on 28th October.

Naturally the subject of the competition was The Wey & Arun Canal: people, flora, fauna, projects and events - with the aim of the competition being for the photographers to have fun, and thus demonstrate the leisure potential of the canal.

115 photographs were received and the invited judges were professional photographer Alison Snell and the Trust's Vice-President and Archivist, John Wood MBE, who spent his working life in the photography industry. The judges were unanimous in saying there were some 'fabulous' images amongst the finalists and choosing winners was difficult.

Overall winner of the competition was Don Gibson, with a beautifully captured study of the canal entitled "Drungewick Lane Canal Bridge".

There was a tie for second place. Derek Grieve's beautiful Common Blue Damsel Fly tied with Julian Morgan's Small Boat at Barnshill. The judges admired Derek's technical skill but they were disinclined to place it above Julian's eye for people and humour.

The junior prize was won by Daniel Stickland, aged 10, for a photograph he took from the bows of the Trust's trip boat "Zachariah Keppel". Commendations were given to Lawrie Wraight, Julian Morgan and Derek Grieve. All the winning photographs were taken by digital cameras and the winning picture was produced on a home printer.

Winning photographs will be exhibited at various locations and a display of winners and highly commended pictures will be available for viewing on the Trust's web site at www.weyandarun.co.uk

The two judges agreed that the event has been a great success producing some fantastic pictures from some very enthusiastic photographers. We are particularly grateful to Janet Phillips the organiser of the competition.

Drungewick Lane Canal Bridge Winner.

Small Boat at Barnshill by Julian Morgan Joint second.

Common Blue Damsel Fly by Derek Grieve Joint second.

Leaving Lock by Daniel Strickland (aged 10) Best Junior.

Julian Morgan (Compleat Angler, Is this the Way to the Sea and Happy Families),
Derek Grieve (Hoverfly) and Lawrie Wraight. Lordings Lock