I thought I’d round off the year with an a, b, c of photos from my archive:
A is for AC Cobra – a mean, sleek racing machine.

B is for Bull – a Hereford White Face, emblematic breed from my native Herefordshire.

C is for Cockerel – this is a composite image from shapes I was playing around with in Photoshop.

D is for Dragon – we found this one in a park just on the outskirts of Barcelona.

E is for Entrance – the entrance to the Boquería food market in Barcelona city centre – a mecca for all foodies.

F is for Fire engine – this one is Norwegian – they seem to use them more for clearing the streets than tackling fires.

G is for Graffiti – Barcelona has some fine examples of it.

H is for Husky – this one lives in Tromso, Norway with his 299 kennel mates – a vociferous mob but very friendly.

I is for Ikea – that well known purveyor of flat pack furniture.

J is for Jalopy – this one being put through its paces in the  construction stages by my dad.

K is for Kune kune pig – this breed has gained in popularity over recent years.

L is for Lifeboat – slung overhead they make for an interesting photo.

M is for May Fair – our annual fair invades the town for three days in early May to provide fun and entertainment.

N is for Nativity – a traditional alternative in Spain to the Christmas tree – a lot of homes display a nativity scene.

O is for Origami – my son has become adept at this after a trip to Japan – as you can see, this one is a bookmark shaped like a cat’s head.

P is for Patch – a piebald horse I used to ride who is now contentedly retired.

Q is for Quoits – a very competitive game on board ship !

R is for Roulette – a rather more sedentary, but nonetheless exciting, game, played in the on board casino.

S is for Sculpture and this is a beautiful, interactive one.

T is for Tree – this one is at Shobdon Arches, Herefordshire.

U is for Ural owl – this feisty youngster lived at Kington Owl Centre, Herefordshire.
 

V is for Vegetable – the talented chef on our cruise ship created all sorts of beautiful vegetable animals and birds inspired by cartoon characters.

W is for Windsurfers – there are always some off Barceloneta beach in Barcelona

X is for Xmas starter – I was ready to throw in the towel trying to create this from a Gary Rhodes recipe – only 4 pages of instructions!!
Y is for Youth clinic – children learning to ride at an annual clinic in Monnington, Herefordshire.

Z is for Ziggy – this beautiful animal, owned by friends of mine, was called Ziggy Stardust – sadly no longer around, but aptly named  -a prima donna!