[Leica] LUG-avullin

[TTAbrahams@aol.com]

I am not sure what constitutes a "mini" LUG meeting: one LUGger admiring 
himself in the mirror, two LUGgers shooting each other or does it take a 
larger crowd? I think 4 LUGgers is enough for such an occasion. 
Saturday/Sunday in Vancouver we had such an event. LUGger Martin Howard came 
for an all too short visit (he is leaving tomorrow), Ted Grant and his wife 
Irene came over for the weekend and then Henning Wulff and Tanya, his wife, 
joined us and in the end there we were. It was settled early on that this was 
a serious LUG meet, it had to be Lagavullin, Sushi and black/white film. Ted 
and Irene arrived early Saturday afternoon and we gathered at our place where 
Martin is staying (next to the darkroom/photo-library). Ted brought the 
Lagavullin and the discussion ranged far and wide and liberal amounts of 
Lagavullin improved the discussion. Henning joined us a bit later and made a 
valiant effort to catch up, he was about 3 "wee drams" behind. There is one 
great benefit with our location, 2 flights of stairs down, 5 steps north on 
the sidewalk is the entrance to one of the better Sushi-bars in Vancouver, 
"Kibuni-Sushi". By 7 a clock we descended the stairs, navigated the 5 steps 
and were seated for sake and sushi. At one time there were 3 Noctiluxes going 
and I almost went back upstairs for mine, but decided to stick it out with 
the Nokton at f1,5. By 10.30 pm we were all sated with sushi, sake on a base 
of Lagavullin and retired to our various domains. Next morning the "guys' 
went to the local camera swap meet, while Tuulikki and Irene decided that 
they had had enough camera-talk for a while and went for a healthy, albeit a 
touch rainy walk.
 To my great surprise Ted had never attended a photographic swap meet, but 
after observing his reaction I think he is a natural, particularly once he 
figures out that they don't take plastic, cash only. No, he did not buy more 
Leica stuff, but he did pick up a rather mintish Speed Graphic with 127/4,5 
and a 90/6,8 as well as a Graphic Flashgun, a box of holders and a new 
Graphmatic holder. Martin scored big with a Canonet QL 19 and a bulk film 
loader and Henning decided that there was nothing he needed (scary thought!) 
and I did spend a minute amount on an unidentified aerial lens and an old B & 
L brass barrel lens. There got to be a way to adapt it to an M! Of course we 
had to have a post swap wrap-up and Tanya and Henning provided locality as 
well as plenty of food. There are some great codes that come into play here. 
Wife asks how much did you spend, "Oh, not very much" and when pressed for 
more exact sums, you divide by 2 and the rule is that the other participants 
corroborates this with eager nods and expressions of "It was a great deal" 
and "I wish I saw it first".
 Ted has already announced that he is coming to the spring Swap meet and 
maybe we can get Martin back for it too. 
 In short, I could not have picked a more enjoyable way to spend a weekend 
and for those who have not meet Ted, you can learn more from him in 15 
minutes than from any book or workshop, Martin has a great eye for shots and 
except for a penchant for using film with a rather long "past expiry date". 
Henning is the technical expert, if it swings, tilts or rises he knows it. 
OK, some of the stuff is somewhat diffused by Lagavullin, Sake and presumably 
Sushi, but I am sure it all will be clear one day.
In spite of rain, a perfect weekend.
Tom A  and Martin H