I headed over to Cheltenham Racecourse yesterday to photograph a large family party that was being held in the Panoramic Restaurant.
It was hosted by terminally ill Brian Babbage and he was joined by over 150 of his friends and family. Brian has lung cancer and wanted a meal with everyone he knows. The room was jam packed as they sat down to eat their meal, enjoying the most spectacular view of the racecourse and beyond as the backdrop.
Along with his wife Mary, the couple have three children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. A few poignant speeches were made after the meal before a more informal afternoon of chatting.
The Babbage family are well known across the county - B&M Babbage, named after Brian and his wife Mary, is one of the largest building and construction firms in the region.
There was great significance having their meal at the racecourse. Brian's son, Norman, was a racing trainer and was almost killed when two hay bales collapsed on him. The family were also celebrating 10 years since Brian opened the Deerpark and cross-country course.
The family have a long association with the military and it is because of this that they were recently presented with the Elizabeth Cross. Brian's father, Bill was in the Battle of the Somme in 1919 and his uncle Will took park in 33 missions with the RAF over Berlin. His brother, Fred survived two torpedo attacks during the Second World War and his brother, Norman was killed during the Korean War.
Grace Babbage, Brian's granddaughter, had booked me to come along for three hours to take some candid and informal photos of the afternoon's events.
I hope you like the photos. If you are holding an event or party and interested in having some professional photos taken then please get in touch using my contact page or give me a call on 07983 465414. Thanks!
