At 18.47 Sam emailed 27 photographers, phoned 1, and spoke to 3, with this request:

Tonight is a special date and time! And we invite you, as special friends of Quiraing Lodge, to celebrate this coming moment.

At 2 minutes past 8 it will be a unique numerical date and time – 20.02 20-02 2002.

At this precise time please make a photograph, and send it to us here. We will make a Gallery on the web site………

Here are some of the responses:

Ian Angus:

Hi Sam
You took me by surprise, but I grabbed Ruth and so here are my efforts – I downloaded your email at around 20.01 so absolutely no time for planning!
Cheers
Ian

Jane Ross

Sorry Sam I missed the moment. I didn’t check my email until after the event. I did hear it on the car radio though, as I was driving round the M25 at 20.02 20-02 2002. Hope you get some good results. Good idea. I heard there will be a similar event 20.12 20-12 2012 so I will send you a photo then! Love Jane

Liz Ellis

Sorry darlin’ I was in the middle of ‘Down by Law’ the fantastic film by Jim Jarmusch at the NFT at the time….
But a great scheme!
Lots of love Liz

Sam Gardener

We were in the middle of a meal for 6, so no time for carefully staged photos.

Suzy Gray

I managed to sneak outside, to photograph our meal through the salt laden wind and windows!

Patrick Barlow

Robert Arnold

bother
missed it
checked email about 45 minutes after the auspicious moment still wondering if I can send you a discontinuous photo, but have not done one ...
oh well

Fay Collings

Sorry Sam and Suzy, no photograph.........we were flying to Portugal for a week in the sun.......

Caroline Dear

... more to follow ...