Avolites announced their new Irish distributors last week as High Resolution Lighting, headed by Peter Canning. High Resolution are based in Dublin and work very closely with film and television lighting specialists The Electric Light Company, run by Dieter Hartfiel.

The deal was cemented by Avolites Steve Warren and Tony Shembish who also took the opportunity of being in Dublin to run a training session at the ultra-trendy Temple Bar Music Centre - where resides an Avolites Pearl.

After cracking open a celebratory bottle of champagne, Steve and Tony decided to catch a cab back to their hotel.

Although acquainted with the idiosyncrasies of Ireland and the expansive sense of humour of the nation, the situation suddenly became very surreal when the cab turned out to be none other then a splendid Bactrian camel which sashayed round the corner - with a hump for each rider!

Steve and Tony both saw the hilarious side of the situation while they argued about who should occupy the front and back humps ....."At first I thought the champagne had some strange hallucinogenic properties!" declared Steve ... although it turned out that someone had taken the warm Irish welcome to extremes in thinking that Libyan-born Tony might feel more at home astride a ship of the desert!!

The camel is owned by Robert Fossett of Fossett Brothers Circus, a family run business established in 1888. The circus has recently purchased an Avolites Azure 2000 console.

Of course, camel trainspotters will point out that the smaller, stockier, two-humped Bactrian is a native of Mongolia, China, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan ........ and of course on industrial estates in Dublin ...... rather than the more arid Arab countries!