Nat in his new Gallery

I've bumped into Nat Coalson a few times over the last few years in connection with camera club competitions and presentations. He gave an interesting one last night at Leicester and Leicestershire PS on black and white printing.

He's a working photographer and prints work for other photographers, some of which you can see behind him in the photo, a superb series of portraits of native Americans in their tribal clothes.

Along with his wife, he opened his new photo gallery, called Photoiq in Royal Leamington Spa today. Basil and I went along for a peek. I vaguely recognised the singer, of whom I have jaded memories from when I sang solo for a now defunct choral society in Leicester (another story). I confess that I was gratified that she displayed a lack of breath support. Nat would have been better off with piped recordings of Nina Simone.

Nat aims to make money - well, he needs to live - so he is aiming squarely at the corporate market. I can only wish him well. He makes large canvases of abstract photos processed solely in camera.

The gallery occupies a corner site on Park Street from where Nat will print work for anyone who wants it and also conduct seminars and 1-2-1 tuition. He's in the right part of Leamington.

Basil entered into the spirit of things, engaging the humans in their conversations, turning up his head as if he understood everything. I let him off his lead to wander around.

When we left, we stopped at Carluccios for a latte for me and biscuits for Basil. I bought one of Carluccio's famous meringues. As ever it was as hard as a ship's biscuit.