I was introduced to John by Jason Mills at Hardcore Hobbies in Bury St. Edmunds earlier in the year.
I'd recently retreated from skating with some of the people that I used to hang with for various reasons, intentional and not in equal measures. I visited my local regularly, skating with my friends from Bury but I had lost the regular crew deep journeys to spots and all the other things that came with rolling with a large, recognised group with big plans. So meeting a new bunch of enthusiastic skaters through Jay relearning to skate and meeting up with old friends was a blessing which came shortly after my return from Australia.
Currently, we get to the midweek Skate Night at Empire skatepark on mass and skate together wherever we can through the week. For the first time in a few years I get to go to parks that I want to skate.
I have, since returning from my travels however, experienced a reduction in opportunities to shoot photos, good skate photos of great tricks in a varied range of terrain I mean. I still love to photograph my friends and I'm even getting a bit less cagy about having my picture taken. But the fact still remains. This needs to be sorted. Soon.
I picked up Simon outside The Greyhound at five to eight. Then on to John for eight and straight to Colchester, arriving at 9am as instructed by Harry earlier in the week with sausage roll and coffee in hand, rousing him and a big grin from the office as I knocked loudly on Empire's front door.
The park was due to open at ten for scooter lessons until eleven when the open session began. But until then, the three of us had the run of the park! Thank you Harry!
Skating the mini for most of the time I found things coming quite easily. Pleased with results I got the camera out and got John to skate round me as I sat on the flat bottom. He's been putting the hours in and relearnt a few things which deserved a record.
John then offered to take a few of me, so those are below too.
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