Meet married York couple who are star BBC Weather Watchers

“We are fortunate that where we live we’ve got all these lovely locations on our doorstep,” says BBC Weather Watcher, Gary Gimmick.

The online crowd-sourcing weather club launched a decade ago this autumn, and Gary and his wife June Gothika, both pseudonyms, are among the most prolific amateur photographers who submit their pictures to the site.

Gary, who lives near York, says sending pictures to BBC Weather Watchers has become part of his and his wife’s lives and they rarely miss a day.

“Life’s too short for staying at home, so we are always somewhere. Wherever we are we always take time to upload a photograph.”

He began sending weather photos to Look North, long before Weather Watchers began, almost 15 years ago at the urging of his family.

“When I started going out walking, my wife and my mum saw the quality of the photographs and my mum said ‘send it to Paul the weatherman’.”

He says the technology had changed a lot since then.

“When I first started sending them you had to use a camera and then had to go home and send it by email. But now with smartphones you don’t need a massive camera.”

He says the advantage of Weather Watchers is that you can get a “snapshot” of what the weather is like right across the county “straight away”.

“You can see what’s happening here, you can see what’s happening in Huddersfield, you can see what’s happening on the east coast.

“I look constantly to see what’s happening in other regions of the country.

“We do look quite a lot.”

June began submitting her own photographs after a day out in Whitby and capturing a shot of sea foam.

“June rushed out and took it and then said ‘how do I send it in’.”

He said they chose a name for her to use and she has been submitting her photos ever since.

The couple are “always out and about” and regularly attend steampunk and goth events.

Gary says June’s preference is for the coast and he like’s an “iconic image” with the sun behind it.

“If I am in Knaresborough I want the viaduct, if I am in Whitby you’ve got the abbey.”

The couple’s photos regularly appear during weather forecasts on Look North, but they deny any rivalry.

“I am always surprised when I get mine on as he’s so much better, well I think he is,” says June.

“We always take one every day,” adds Gary.

“It is very rare we miss a day unless we are out of the country. It’s always good to see our photographs on the telly, it makes it worthwhile.”

“We’re among the most active Weather Watchers and we’re married,” June says.

“Sometimes you just see something and you say ‘I can’t let that go by, I’ve got to get a picture of it.’

“We like capturing the autumn colours at the moment, all the fallen leaves, there are some lovely colours at the moment.”

The couple say being involved in Weather Watchers also encourages them to get outdoors.

“Whatever the day is, if it’s misty and foggy, if it’s slinging it down, if it’s glorious sunshine or if it’s blowing a gale, there’s always something to take a photo of,” adds Gary.