My guest today is Tommy Clarke,

Tommy is a world renowned photographer specialising in stunning aerial shots taken all over the world.

Tommy grew up on the south coast of England in Dorset and spent nearly every childhood holiday by the beach. This led to, in his own words, a deep interest of the interaction between water and land and how people connect with that location.

However it was when he was living in Australia that he first took to the skies and shot aerial photographs of Bondi Beach with stunning results. Since then Tommy has travelled the world as a photographer shooting everywhere from Iceland, to St Tropez and Mexico.

This year was a big one for Tommy with Sell-out exhibitions, his own gallery opening in London and a swimwear collection for M&S.

I just love hearing how these amazing people got to where they are today – and I think its really inspiring and encouraging to hear that there isn’t just one way. The road is often winding – there are ups and downs, but if you love what you do and work hard – you find what you are meant to do and it works out in the end.

In a little corrections corner just before you hear todays episode – I should point out a super soaker is a water pistol – and far from a Christmas sandwich. Having watched friends about 9 hundred million times and declaring to my boyfriend just the other day it would possibly be my Mastermind topic – I am hanging my head in SHAME that I couldn’t think of the moist maker. Such a good episode of friends – Ross gets sacked when he goes into a complete fury when someone steals his Christmas sandwich from the fridge….but I mean who wouldn’t get cross about that?

I love that the Christmas sandwich is Tommy’s favourite sandwich. So apt for this time of year and not remotely on purpose, although perhaps I should pretend it was! I love that roast chicken plays another starring role in someone’s childhood growing up – and I love the tradition his family had of coming together over Sunday lunch to catch up on the week and find out what everyone had been up to.

The best meal he’s ever had sounds impossibly dreamy. Staying in a beach hut down near Christ Church – he went fishing with his dad, wading off shore with the sea up to their knees and beers in their pockets. They caught sea bass and then went back to the beach to barbecue them. The setting sounds perfect, as the Sun was going down and music was playing. He describes it as perfection. And it sounds gorgeous. And a far flung cry from cold and frosty London!

Sounds like we all need to be hankering for an invite to a dinner party round at Tommy’s as he says he whips up a great beef Wellington. Although don’t hold out for pudding as he will probably be too exhausted by the effort of the beef to muster up much strength to provide a pudding. Although I’ve never heard anyone complain about a Gu chocolate pudding.

Desert Island Dish:

Surf and Turf – specifically steak and lobster

Check out www.desertislanddishes.co for the recipe inspired by Tommy’s choice of Desert Island Dishes.

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See you next week!

Margie x