Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023

As the weather improves and spring is well established, there are lots more opportunities to photograph gardens. One of the best gardens to visit in Birmingham is Winterbourne House. This Edwardian house and garden have a captivating charm. The House was originally owned by the Nettlefold family and has a long history. The House and Gardens are owned by the University of Birmingham. The house has been restored to what it would have been like at the time of the Nettlefold family. The gardens that surround the house are an example of Edwardian living and several acres are planned out to take advantage of the lay of the land. There are several areas including the walled garden, a lime walk, a rhododendron walk and a glass house area. At the furthest end of the garden is the Japanese bridge and sandstone rock garden. All through the gardens is the influence of the Edwardian approach to design and then there are quirky structures created by the University of Birmingham during its ownership.

The Gardens

Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023
The classic view of the Edwardian house from the Nut walk.
Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023
The Japanese garden bridge in Black and White.
Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023
A place to rest and admire the garden.
Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023
The bluebell walk adjacent to Winterbourne.

Glass Houses and Alpine Garden

Winterbourne House

The house has been restored and the rooms reflect how an Edwardian family will have lived their lives in the building. There was ample opportunity to view the bedrooms and admire the collections of belongings including children’s toys.

Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023
Top of the stairs

More views around the Gardens

Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023
Colours in the water of the sandstone rock pools.
Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023
Detail in the greenhouse
Winterbourne House and Gardens, The University of Birmingham, May 2023
Pathway to the garden.

There were around 20 IgersbirminghamUK photographers and we all enjoyed taking the photographs and also meeting each other to have a chat and catch up on the world of photography. Many of us met at the terrace for a cup of tea and a chat before moving on to the rest of the weekend. These are a selection of my pictures and I would encourage you to view other photographers pictures which are posted on Instagram. Thank you to Winterbourne House and the University of Birmingham for allowing us to visit the gardens.

Follow the tags #igersbirminghamUk, #igbUk_meet_winterbourne and #winterbourneHG.

I have two other posts on Winterbourne one written before the Pandemic and the other when the house reopened after the Lockdowns. They give more insights into this wonderful place in Edgbaston.


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Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023

You may have heard the news that there was a Coronation taking place in May. An event that has never happened for 70 years. The excitement was everywhere and it was not difficult to get caught up in what was happening over the weekend. My village Knowle is very active and keen to promote community based events. The place is very friendly and since moving here from the North West nearly 40 years ago, there has always been a community get together around major events. For the Coronation weekend the plan was to close the High Street for a day and let the community reclaim the streets. This event took place last year with the Queen’s platinum Jubilee and plans to repeat this successful venture were made for the King’s Coronation.

Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
Crowds on the High Street.
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
The Mayor of Solihull learning that King Charles may have arrived.
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
Judy the village crier.

Visit Knowle were the champions of this Royal Coronation High Street celebration. As I walked the dog around early on the Bank Holiday Monday, the High Street was already closed and the contractors were putting up the stands and the stage. The weather forecast was not great and there were a few drops or rain around. I returned to the High Street at 11.30am to find it crowded and the party in full swing. The stalls were doing great business and many of the shops were open as well. The Mayor of Solihull was present plus a guest cardboard cutout of Charles III. The stage was in regular occupancy with all acts getting in a rendition of God Save the King somewhere in their routine. The idea of throwing a football into a toilet bowl attracted a lot of attention plus there were many other things to do. I did not get chance to go up the Knowle Church Tower or visit the inside display. There was just too much going on. Many people posted photographs and searching through the local social media sites confirms the success of the Celebrations and shows events that I missed.

Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
Are you ready for “God save the King”?
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
The stage is the big draw for the crowds.
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
The Church grounds are being put to good use.
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
We have toilets and we have balls. What games shall we play?
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
My aim is true.
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
Time for a cuppa.
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
This cup of tea is most welcome.
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
If there are no cars, then let’s sail a boat down the High Street.
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
Someone in the picture is not happy!
Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
Knitted Camilla to knitted Charles, “How many times have we been photographed today”

I spent a good hour and a bit wandering around, meeting people I knew and enjoying taking photographs of the fesitvities. Oh and did I mention the weather? Well there was no rain when I visited and it held off for most of the day. How would we cope if there had been sunshine?

Royal Coronation High Street, Knowle, Solihull, 2023
A painted flag.

Epilogue – I won a basketball shirt in the basketball raffle winning a black top and red vest. A good result of the day. Pictures to follow.

You may like to see how the High Street looked last year during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

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The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.

There is a tunnel in Utrecht that leads from the Ganzenmarkt to the Oudegracht wharves.  I discovered the tunnel by chance after a late night in the town as part of the conference dinner.  Walking back to my hotel, I passed by the restaurants and the bars.  My eye caught a flashing light and I looked over the railing and saw colourful lights radiating out of a tunnel close to the canal.  I walked down and found this colourful psychedelic tunnel.  The lighting of the tunnel kept changing and there were three people dancing in what looked like a trance.  They were oblivious to my presence and so I took some pictures and then headed home.  

The next morning I retraced my steps to the tunnel. The location is a photographer’s dream site for pictures especially as the colourful lights are constantly changing on a regular cycle.  The street art is colourful and the illumination provides a changing backdrop.  I asked a colleague to return with me so that I could place him at the entrance then use his silhouette to provide a focus to the pictures.  Enjoy the result.  Sorry if it is somewhat self-indulgent but it was such a great place to photograph.

The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Figure at the end of a green tunnel.
The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Lost in colour.
The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Street Art in the tunnel.
The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Artistic detail.
The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Get down low.

Want to know more about Utrecht and this amazing tunnel.
Discover Utrecht
Ganzenmarkt
Student life in Utrecht

Also please see my companion piece to my visit to Utrecht.
Photographing the streets and canals of Utrecht

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Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.

I had the opportunity to take pictures during a recent visit to the streets and canals of Utrecht

Utrecht in the Netherlands was the base for the Ultrasonics Industry Association conference.  My research group were presenting at the international conference and I was there to support their activities.  We stayed in the Karel V hotel which has a picturesque view of the adjacent canal.  There were many opportunities in the early morning or during conference breaks to explore the streets and canals.  This Dutch city is very photogenic and I had brought along my Fujifilm x100v to accompany my iPhone13 for the photographs.  For the readers of this blog, I will just show a selection of the many pictures that I took during my short stay.  At the end of the blog, I have provided some links to Utrecht which provide ideas for your travel to this ever-surprising city.

Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Early morning in Utrecht.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Another early morning view.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Canal reflections.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
A nod to Greek architecture.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Flowers, bikes and the canals.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Canal scene in black and white.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Windmill
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Real and unreal.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Reflections.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Streetlife
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
The train station.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
More canal scenes in Utrecht
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
The Utrechts Conservatorium and part of the Utrecht School of the Arts
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Biking over the canals of Utrecht.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
The holocaust memorial to people murdered in Utrecht during WWII.

So many pictures of this city and here are some more from both iPhone and camera.


Do you want to know more about Utrecht? Here are some links
Discover Utrecht
Holland Travel Guide

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Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023

Who doesn’t love the sight of bluebells gently swaying in the breeze.  Many of our ancient woodlands are at risk by the creeping threat of development and that is why I support the annual Bluebell Wood Fundraising Open Day in the Heart of England Forest.  Conserving our woodlands for future generations is very much a priority.  Great Alne Woodland is just off Spurnal Lane, and is a part of a Natural Burial Ground.  The ancient wood has a stunning display of bluebells at the end of April and is open to visitors for two days.  

Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
A typical woodland scene with bluebells.
Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
Bluebell carpet running up the hill.
Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
Bluebells gather around a fallen tree.
Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
Bluebells with a scattering of white bluebell flowers.

My daughter loves visiting this quiet and picturesque woodland and there are so many good photographic opportunities.  I brought along my camera equipment and found that the early morning light was perfect.  The contrast of blue and green is a joy to see and photograph.  My lensball was also put to good use for a few pictures.  A useful photographic tip for maximising the benefit of your lensball is to use your macro lens for the pictures. This technique works a treat.  

Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
Using my lensball in the bluebell forest.

My 52 week project challenge was bokeh and the bluebells provided several opportunities to focus on the flowers with a wide open lens (f/2.8). This throws the background out of focus producing lovely Bokeh.  

Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
A bluebell with a blue background.

During my visit to the woodland, I met Toby, who is the organiser of this charity event.  He kindly agreed to have his picture taken and be part of my 100 strangers project which is slowly moving forward on my Flickr pages.

Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
This is Toby who organises the Bluebell charity walk.

The organisation of the day is excellent.  The walk starts in the car park and takes you through the woodland with some well positioned spots for those important selfies.  I noticed that the event is becoming more popular but via the use of ticketing, our family took part in the walk and did not meet many other people.  For a short time, the woodland was ours to enjoy and we were able to take in the sights of those beautiful bluebells.  My grandson loves the place as you can see from the following pictures.

Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
A boy and his dog.
Bluebell Walk, Heart of England Forest, Great Alne. April 2023
A portrait in the bluebell forest.

Please consider donating to the Heart of England Forest charity and look out for future events that they organise.

If you want to see my other blogs on Bluebells, including last year’s walk in the wood, then I have provided links below.  


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Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.

My challenge for this week’s 52 weeks project was black and white photography. As I was in Birmingham for my research work, I took the opportunity to wander the streets of the city looking for pictures of buildings. Armed with my trusty Fujifilm x100v, I stepped off the bus at the O2 arena stop. On the opposite side of the road, there are new high raised buildings going up. All are aimed at the residential market. These skyscrapers are going up all over and the city looks unfinished or going places depending on which way you think.

Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
28 floors with 154 residential apartments being built on Essex street.

My next stop was the square area of buildings that house the Holiday Inn, 3 Arena central and the Alpha Tower. Many shapes, angles and lines as the tall buildings are all clustered together. The Library of Birmingham and the Town Hall were also the subjects of my study on black and white architecture. Finally the rain, which had been falling heavily all day, got the better of me and soaked through, I headed towards Snow Hill Station for my train home. I still managed to get a few pictures of the Snow Hill skyscrapers.

Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
The edge of the Alpha Tower.
Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
Clustering of building lines.
Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
The Radisson Blu in Black and White!
Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
Surreal reflections of the Library of Birmingham.
Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
Tram stop in front of the Town Hall.
Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
Tram passing by the Snow Hill Buildings.
Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
Three SnowHill

My processing was a mixture of simple black and white or enhanced work with Silver Efex. The results were interesting and I was surprised that I captured so many buildings in different ways. I reflected all this was done without the need to photograph those iconic Birmingham buildings of the BT Tower, the Rotunda or the Cube. I will probably give the ones that I missed the black and white treatment another time. Meanwhile enjoy the ones that I have in this blog.

Black and White Architecture, Birmingham April 2023.
A conversation outside Birmingham Town hall.

If you enjoyed this blog then how about a splash of colour with your architecture.

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Flowers in the garden, April 2023

Using a ring flash in dentistry was second nature. Having learnt how to photograph the teeth and other structures around the mouth, macro was second nature. There were two good mentors to my macro photography. A medical photographer at Wordsley hospital. I can not remember her name and Wordsley hospital is no more. However she instilled a discipline and love of macro photography. Then there was Mike Sharland at Birmingham Dental School. He set up your camera and showed you how to gently rock back and forth using manual focus. The settings were Manual Flash half a second, aperture f/22, shutter speed 1/200s and an ISO 100. These are your go to settings and then you can experiment from here.

Flowers in the garden, April 2023
Close up of a wild Daffodil.
Flowers in the garden, April 2023
Wild Daffodils
Flowers in the garden, April 2023
Hellebores.

Gardens are just great places for macro weather you want to photograph flowers or insects such as bees and butterflies. I dusted off my macro lens with ring flash and wandered around the garden. For this series of photographs, I find the way that the subject is illuminated and the background is dark attractive. There is little in the way of distracting background around. Hope you enjoy these photographs of flowers. By the way, if you are like me and do not know the name of the flowers then there is a very good app, PictureThis, that takes a picture and hey presto the name of the flower is revealed.

Flowers in the garden, April 2023
Daffodils and Hyacinths
Flowers in the garden, April 2023
Common Hyacinth.
Flowers in the garden, April 2023
Grape hyacinth.
Flowers in the garden, April 2023
Forget me not (Siberian bugloss)

Finally a big shout out to @hortihenleygardening for their work in my garden.

If you enjoyed this then please take a look at these blog postings

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Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023

The cemeteries of the Jewellery Quarter offer a fascinating glimpse into Birmingham’s past.  There are two sites, Key Hill and Warstone Lane, with both cemeteries containing the burials of notable Birmingham people.  The Friends of Key Hill cemetery and Warstone Lane cemetery work to maintain and protect these important historical landmarks. An @igersbirminghamuk Instameet was held in conjunction with @JQ_BID (Jewellery Quarter Business Improvement District). We aimed to start at Key Hill and then move to Warstone cemetery. As it transpired, we spent so much time in Key Hill that we agreed we must return for a Warstone Lane Cemetery tour later in the year. This blog is about our visit to Key Hill Cemetery.

Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
A collage of photographs taken on my iPhone

Key Hill is part of the Jewellery Quarter and I have visited the area before. The sister cementery Warstone is more popular due to it being nearer to the heart of the Jewellery Quarter. Key Hill is often overlooked yet it has so much to offer in history and stories of people buried in the cemetery. As organiser of the meeting, I had arranged for people to meet at the Key Hill entrance near to the ring road, forgetting there is another entrance at Key Hill Road.  Then a few people got mixed up with the 2 cemeteries.  Luckily, we all found each other and the Instameet got started.  Josie from the JQ_BID was our host and proved to be a knowledgeable guide.  Her enthusiastic storytelling brought the past histories of the area to the present.  We were very fortunate as Josie agreed to open the Catacombs for viewing.  First she gave some fascinating insights into the background of the cemetery. There was the obligatory group photograph and then we congregated outside the entrance to the catacombs.  The large cast iron doors were unlocked.  

Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
The IgersbirminghamUk participants for the JQ meeting.

This was the first opening of the year and, as Josie explained, catacombs may work well in Mediterranean climates but in Birmingham the inside chamber was cool and damp.  We used our iPhones for illumination and looked around the walls which included inscriptions of the people who were buried there. Picture taking was not straightforward due to the lack of light. The many iPhones helped bring some light to the dark interior. Some of the IgersbirminghamUK photographers did well with the low light levels and I encourage you to review their photographs on Instagram and other social feeds. The links are below.

Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
The opening of the catacombs.
Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
Deep into the catacombs with light at the end of the tunnel.
Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
The entrance door at the catacombs
Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
The view from the catacomb entrance.
Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
The grave of Constance Naden

Following the tour of the catacombs, Josie took us to several notable graves. The first was Constance Naden (1858 – 1889) who was a writer, poet and philosopher. Whilst Constance’s work was well regarded in her lifetime, there has been a resurgence of interest in her writings especially her ability to bring science and literature together. Learning about her life and legacy proved to be enlightening and she achieved so much in a short life succumbing to ovarian cancer at the age of 31.

Other notable graves that we stopped to discuss further stories included John Benjamin Tolkien (1784 – 1840) the grandfather of J.R. Tolkien and Thomas Walker. The grave of Thomas Walker has a brick design and the coat of arms of the City council. He had the idea of using highly durable blue engineering bricks for paving roads which led to better pavements and roads throughout Birmingham. We moved onto the family graves of the Chamberlain family which included Joseph Chamberlain (1836 – 1914). As former Mayor of Birmingham and founder of the University, the city owes a great debt to Joseph Chamberlain but as Dr Matt Cole writes on the University of Birmingham web site “Chamberlain’s legacy is so broad and idiosyncratic that it likely to leave no-one in full agreement with him.”. As a group we discussed his legacy and then one of the IgersbirminghamUK organisers @James_never_jim noticed the adjacent grave of James Austin Gargory who lived in Bull Street. He was an optician but also brought in different engineering items and was also an enthusiastic photographer.

Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
The grave stone of Thomas Walker with the brick design and coat of arms.

Other graves included the Martineau family which linked to our previous Instameet at Martineau Gardens. We also visited the grave of Alfred Bird, the inventor of Custard. An interesting grave was that of Shadi Mohammed who died during the Blitz, In an episode known as the “Sand Bag” deaths, Shadi, his wife and several others died when a wall of sand bags collapsed on them. There were many many more stories to be told.

Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
A view from on top of the cemetery.

The storytelling of Josie was excellent and we lost all track of time until she remembered that she needed to help at the JQ beer festival. The morning was eventful and many photographs were taken. We thanked Josie for hosting the meeting and we all made our separate ways. A few of us ended up in the Rose Taven in the centre of the JQ for a drink and a chat about the photographs we took and those that got away.

Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
A view of the Jewellery Quarter buildings. The Rose Villa was one of the venues for the JQ beer festival and a final stop of the Instameet.

If you want to catch up on photographs taken by the IgersbirminghamUK community then please use these hashtags to search Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more pictures.

#igersbirminghamuk 
#jqbid 
#igbuk_meet_JQBID

Whilst we were visiting, we could see many bluebells getting ready to bloom in the next few weeks.  I aim to return and take some pictures of the flowers when they are in full flower. Hope to see you there!

Key Hill Cemetery, Jewellery Quarter, April 2023
No bluebells as yet but blue grape hyacinths make up the colour.

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Martineau Gardens, Edgbaston, IgersbirminghamUK, April

There is a hidden gem close to Birmingham city centre and must be ranked as one of the places to visit.  Martineau Gardens is a beautiful community garden just off Priory Road in the middle of Edgbaston.  After getting off the 61/63 bus that leaves the city, cross the Bristol Road and make your way up the hill on Priory Road.  After a short walk, Martineau Gardens is on your right.  There is a wooden entrance hut that leads you into two and a half acres of beautiful gardens.  Martineau is a mixture of traditional gardens and a woodland towards the back of the property.  The hub of the gardens is the Pavilion, so named, as there were originally tennis courts here as part of the land.  The building, which will be renovated in the coming year, is a welcoming centre for the gardens.  There is the opportunity to sit out on the table and chairs and share a cuppa with the volunteers and other visitors. 

Martineau Gardens, Edgbaston, IgersbirminghamUK, April
Nine iPhone pictures from IgersbirminghamUK Instameet

IgersbirminghamUK run Instameets where we invite local photographers to a venue.  We tag our pictures and share them both on Instagram and also with the venue who kindly allowed us to photograph their property.  At the start of the meeting, we were met by Jenni Fyer, CEO of Martineau Gardens who gave us an introduction to the gardens.  Jenni outlined the history of the place where it was once used by teachers to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.  Now it is a community garden and is maintained by volunteers.  The gardens pride themselves on being a therapeutic environment of organically maintained land, close to the city centre.  The environment helps the community and supports people from different backgrounds especially those with various special needs. Jenni invited us to roam around the gardens, which were just waking up from the winter months, to take as many photographs as possible and then to join her and the volunteers for a cuppa at the Pavilion.  After the obligatory group photograph of the IgersbirminghamUK participants, we were then left free to wander around the grounds. 


I do love Instameets as it is a chance to catch up with old friends.  Therefore there was much chatting with people before the real business of the visit; the photographing began.  I made my way to the entrance and then into the formal gardens.  There were spring flowers around and the buds were only just appearing on the trees.  Next was the herb garden and the orchard.  The sun was out making shadow play on the greenhouse glass and the wood of the garden huts. The shipwreck play area looked fun, and a mental note was made to bring my grandchildren back to see the place.  Whilst the wildflower area was not yet up and running, I enjoyed taking pictures of the wheelbarrows, watering cans and the potted flowers.  I then moved onto the woodland walk and was immediately surrounded by tall trees and foliage.  

Martineau Gardens, Edgbaston, IgersbirminghamUK, April
Peaceful scene
Martineau Gardens, Edgbaston, IgersbirminghamUK, April
Cacti in the greenhouse.
Martineau Gardens, Edgbaston, IgersbirminghamUK, April
Butterflies and Robins.
Martineau Gardens, Edgbaston, IgersbirminghamUK, April
Apple orchard

This part of the gardens is Designated a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC).  Jenni Fryer had mentioned that this area is teaming with wildlife and is a welcome green corridor amongst the urban conurbation that surrounds the gardens. There was a pond that looked a great place for dragon and damsel flies over the summer months.  Next along the path was a Sacred Circle for meeting on a common ground and then a collection of beehives.  There was much activity in the hives so I did not get too close!  I slowly wandered back as I found myself content just strolling through the gardens.  There was the occasional sound of tennis balls against rackets as we were neighbouring onto the Edgbaston Priory Tennis Club but otherwise you could lose yourself in the environment.

Upon returning to the Pavilion, one of the volunteers made me a lovely cuppa.  Then there was time to chat talking about the photography and the gardens.  Before saying my goodbyes, I purchased some apple and mango chutney from the shop. Something to remind me of the visit later.

Martineau Gardens, Edgbaston, IgersbirminghamUK, April
Jars of Apple and Melon Chutney and Honey available to purchase.

I started off this blog saying that this is a hidden gem.  It is no longer hidden to me and this will be a place to visit in the future with the family. Martineau Gardens is a place to visit to meditate, to unwind and let the stresses of life fall away.  There is so much to enjoy and see.  


Finally thank you to all the volunteers and staff and thanks to Jenni Fryer for welcoming us and to Sarah Hill-Daniel at the gardens for arranging the date and timing of the IgersbirminghamUK visit.

Please follow these tags on Instagram to see more photographs by the talented people @IgersbirminghamUK.
#martineaugardens
#igersuk_meet_martineau

Martineau Gardens, Edgbaston, IgersbirminghamUK, April
Dammodammo (picture by Jack Babington)

If you wish to discover more about the gardens then please visit the Martineau Gardens Website. There is also an informative leaflet plus map of the gardens.

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The Old British School, Umberslade Baptist Chapel, March 2023

Spring is often the best time to set off on a bike ride around the Warwickshire countryside. I take my smaller camera bag with me which can hold my Canon D5 Mark IV in addition to two lenses, my EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM and this time my wide angled EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM. I planned my travels around four churches which are in cycling distance and make an ideal circular route. On my way, I passed by Packwood House towards the canal where I can use the towpath and then up towards Lapworth. There is a well-positioned canal bridge that offers good views of the countryside, and this is where I turn onto the road leading to the first church on my trip. As I was passing, there was a canal boat moored up to the bank which lined up for a nice picture. The scene was featured on the Midlands Today weather feed on Twitter.

Canal Scene at Lapworth, March 2023
This scene was featured on BBC Midlands today social media feeds.

St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth
The road to St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth takes you through a quiet part of Warwickshire. Ever since the construction of the M40 which took away a busy access road, the place is a safer place for cycling. St Mary’s church has a prominent position looking out over the Warwickshire countryside. Whilst impressive in size on the outside, it retains warmth and welcome inside. The church was open, enabling me to take an interior picture, whilst listening to some rather good piano music being played by a parishioner. On the outside, I love the texture of the brickwork and the position of the church next to the road. The small outside annex is also interesting.

St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth, March 2023
The cosy interior of St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth. Note the piano player on the right of the picture.
St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth
Upwards view showing the intricate features of the brick work.
St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth, March 2023
St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth.
St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth, March 2023
The interesting addition to the front of the church.
St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth, March 2023
A view from the church towards the Warwickshire countryside.

St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth has a web page that links to further information.

St Thomas’s Church at Hockley Health
Back on my bike, I crossed the busy Stratford Rd and onto another quiet road. There is a steep hill down to a hollow which is fun to ride but there is payback with an uphill climb to St Thomas’s Church at Hockley Heath. This imposing Victorian church is built of red brick. I often pass it in the car on my way to Tamworth in Arden and beyond. Taking the time to stop off and explore the church was fun. The church was locked and therefore most of the pictures show the outside red brick work.

St Thomas's Church at Hockley Health, March 2023
The Victorian St Thomas’s church.

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St Thomas's Church at Hockley Health, March 2023
The sign says it all.

For further information St Thomas is part of the Hockley Heath – Packwood Churches

Umberslade Baptist Chapel
The road to the next church is not very bike friendly and luckily the entrance to Umberslade Baptist Chapel is only 100 metres down the road. The approach to this pretty church is via a tree lined avenue. Upon entering the church grounds, the first building you encounter is the Old British School. This old disused building has a printed piece of paper on the door which reads “The Nuthurst British school 1877-1913”. There then follows the name of the Headmistress and the four teachers who worked there. The building sits at the end of the tree lined road and then further on there is the church. However, the dilapidated school house holds the more interesting story. Whilst it is all locked up, I just like to think what it must have been like when the school was active. Now the school is bowing out gracefully.

Umberslade Baptist Chapel, March 2023
The British School House front view.
Umberslade Baptist Chapel, March 2023
The door to the school house with the teachers names on the door.
Umberslade Baptist Chapel, March 2023
The Church cuts an imposing figure against the trees.
Umberslade Baptist Chapel, March 2023
A view of the front face of the Church

To learn more about this church then follow the Facebook group which has atmospheric pictures of the inside.

St Giles’ Church, Packwood
Leaving Umberslade Baptist Church, I crossed back over the busy Stratford road in Hockley Heath and started the journey home. The way back took me past St Giles, Church, Packwood which was the final church of the four. St Giles is a very picturesque church. Cycling down the path, I arrived at the gate where I parked the bike. When I entered the church grounds, my eye caught sight of an array of daffodils on one of the graves. The flowers helped me take a low down view of the church as the picture shows. St Giles church was also open to visitors. The inside of the church catches the light and on a late afternoon, the sun shines through the stained glass windows creating patterns on the walls. The play on light and dark makes a good subject for photography. I lingered in the church for a few minutes taking in the surroundings.

St Giles Church, Packwood, 2023
The daffodils are still out in Packwood.
St Giles Church, Packwood, 2023
The side view of the Church.
St Giles Church, Packwood, 2023
The beautiful interior of the Church.

For further information follow the Hockley Heath/Packwood churches link.

Then it was time to head home, process the pictures and write up a blog of my travels. If you enjoy my accounts of my bike rides here are a few more for you to read through.

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