She obviously spent so much on the Pentax she couldn't afford another dress .

The real problem is that children are being made to suffer because their parents are paranoid thanks to the red tops sensationalism.

We were all children, and most of us were free to play outside, go to the park on our own or with mates and explore our little world.
There were still paedophiles about, they aren't something new, but maybe we were far more street canny than today's kids with their helicopter parents.
I don't know, but I feel so sorry for the children, not being able to try things out and explore on their own, and for the parents too, who spend their time worrying about what if...

Most child abuse takes place within the circle of family and friends. Stranger abduction/abuse is very very rare.

Paedophiles do not get off on photos of little girls in skirts on swings or slides.

Most other countries in the world are not so obsessed with the fear of paedophiles. It is a very British thing it seems. Again I blame the red tops and their mawkish sensationalism.

I had a good copy of it. A really excellent lens. But not my cup of tea so I sold it.

I don't regret the sale at all, even viewing all the amazing photos taken with it posted in this thread.

What a sad state of affairs.

Those initial reactions make it sound as though it is illegal to photograph any child in Britain.

Now I know there are a lot of paranoid people out there, but almost everyone has family, and at some stage they were probably children and you have photographed them.

You could approach a friend/neighbour/family member with children and offer them a print or two in return for a photo session with the kids. Go to a playground with them, or the zoo, take the parents along too, to protect you from flak, or get them drawing, playing with Lego or something else which distracts them from the camera.

This is not a time restricted competition, so you can use older photos as well.

Good luck to everyone who enters. I shall look forward to seeing your entries.

Well I hope Orwell's words aren't Robbie's final words on the forum .

Hefty I fear you are correct. What a depressing, but interesting cartoon.

Well you certainly got us thinking .

What a relief.

I read 1984 when it was still the future, not the past, and can't say it left any great impression on me .

It was actually a bad year for me - we moved to the Netherlands .

:::

Thanks Mike.

So many confusing abbreviations being used on the forum nowadays - at least WTD - which I would have written as Wtd for wanted as per the Exchange and Mart (showing my age!) - can't be misconstrued as something rude like WTF can .

I'll pass it on to my brother - he is in C St G . He used to live in C St P.