The snow started falling on a Saturday morning and it was settling on the ground. Seeing the conditions, I gritted my teeth and decided to head out in the cold. There could be some good pictures of Knowle village in the snow. Venturing out in the windy cold conditions was not fun. Being cold and wet, I took my Fuji x100v which is weather proofed and wandered around the High Street taking pictures. Even though I had camera gloves on, with only the tips of the thumb and first finger exposed, I was getting very cold. However it was disappointing as the snow had turned to rain and there was little of the white stuff around. I decided to call it a day and when I got back to my car, I was soaked. Sitting in the car, I noticed that a thick snow blizzard had started. I decided to be brave and I returned to the High Street for a second time. My decision this time was to use my iPhone13. Going to the northern end of the High street, I started taking pictures and slowly advanced towards the church at the opposite end of the road. The temperature had dropped and the driving swirling snow was making it difficult to see what was happening. My finger tips were numb so it was difficult to know whether the camera had taken any pictures. I was also shivering and the iPhone was continually slipping out of gloves. I returned to the car more soaked than before and came home.
Snow swirling around the shopsLittle traffic and the pictures take on a timeless quality.Knowle Church in the Snow
When I saw my iPhone pictures, I realised that I had captured some magical Christmas card snow scenes. I did have some camera shake on one or two of the pictures but the majority were good. The reactions on social media were very positive. I made the long list of #sharemondays2021 and await the results of several other competitions where I submitted the pictures. I am really glad I did brave the conditions! Seeing the pictures made it all worthwhile!
Without the cars, this scene could be from the Dickens Christmas Carol period.
When the call goes out on Instagram for night time photography organised by the WestMidlandsPhotoCollective then you know it will be a good event. Unfortunately, it was limited numbers, and I was unsuccessful. I put my name down on the waiting list and promptly forgot all about it. A day before the event, a call came through saying someone had dropped out and was I still interested? No difficulties in saying yes.
Brindley Place with reflecting lights on the Canal
We met at the Roundhouse Birmingham which is where the horses that pulled the canal boats were kept in the early days of the industrial revolution. After a period of falling into despair, the Roundhouse is now restored to its former glory. With funding from the National Lottery Heritage fund, a partnership formed between the Canal and River Trust and National Trust has led to a community-based centre offering new purpose for the building. Check out their web site to see what is on offer.
Classic viewpoint of Gas Street Basin.Gas Street Basin looking towards the Black Sabbath bridge.
Jim and Sarah from the WMPC met us and outlined the walk. We followed a community route called “Brum through a Lens”. We were armed with our tripods and set out along the canals to Gas Street Basin to start taking our first set of photographs. It is one of the highlighted stops on the Brum through a Lens walk. This classic view is immediately under the Cambrian Wharf wall, looking out over the basin towards the Cube. I started having tripod malfunctions and struggled to get pictures. By the time I had freed up the tripod, it was time to move on to the Cube. On the way we passed under Holliday Street Aqueduct. This looked an ideal spot for light trials and I lingered around the place taking what turned out to be my best picture of the night. Several cars came through at once and I had the camera on the long exposure settings (25s, f22, ISO 100).
Light Trails under Holliday Street Aqueduct
Catching up with the group, I took a picture of the Mailbox. Trying something different I went low and illuminated the train tracks with my torch. The long exposure gave the water a milky texture and the background was the bright lights of the Mailbox.
Mailbox with old tracks in the foreground.
The final stop was Centennial Square with the Big Wheel and the Star Flyer. I looked around for a vantage point. Many of the photographers were setting up underneath the Star Flyer and I saw their pictures after the event. It was a unique viewpoint. I decided to stand back and get a good vantage point with both attractions in the viewfinder. After a while I got an idea of how the Star Flyer was moving up and down. I had a few efforts with the long exposure and then there was one session where I captured the movement from top to bottom. The flyer had illuminated struts with people suspended in chairs out into the heights. It looked quite scary and the movement made a good subject for the long exposure. There were also plenty of screams as well to accompany the long exposure.
The Star Flyer looks like a lollipop after the long exposure treatment.
The group moved back to the Roundhouse to take part in some light painting. Both fairy lights and long neon tubes were used for the light sources. It was a different light display and made for some dramatic effects as shown. The circular structure of the roundhouse allowed it to be very dark with little stray light. An ideal location for light painting.
These are fairy lights
Taking pictures at night
Angel or Ghost – You deice
Light painting at the Roundhouse
All the walking combined with the photography made for thirsty work. The remaining photographers made their way to the Distillery pub for some well-earned refreshments. There was talk about those pictures that were successful and those that got away.
Thank you to West Midlands Photo Collective for organising the meeting which was very enjoyable giving many of us an opportunity to wander around the City. Being in a group reduced concerns about our safety with all of our equipment and we were able to concentrate on the photography.
All these long exposure pictures were taken with a Canon D5 on a tripod. I used a fast zoom lens 24-105mm. The camera settings were on manual with an ISO 100. The aperture was set at either f/11 to f/22. The timings were around 30 seconds for the light trails and the Star Flyer. At the Roundhouse, I adjusted the timings to be around a few seconds due to the intensity of the light.
Craft beer breweries are increasing in number and Birmingham has around 15 of them. Of those 15, I have visited the Two Towers, DigBrew and Birmingham Brewery over the years. Time to discover some new ones and a Saturday craft beer walk was planned to start at the Burning Soul. This brewery sits on the edge of the Jewellery quarter in an industrial estate just off Constitution Hill. The colourful signs of the Burning Soul emblem greet you on their garage door.
The front of the Burning Soul Craft Brewery.
You then enter a brightly lit room where Chris, the master brewer greets you. Chris runs the place by himself and serves up some tasty beers. Beers on offer include Ice Cream Pale and the house favourite Pineapple Chilli. Both are very nice on the palate and provide a mixture of tastes. The ice cream variety lives up to its name whilst the chilli is noticeable against the fruity flavour. The mixture of fruit and chilli works and makes for a great beer. Chris is an amenable host and showed us around.
The beer display at Burning Soul bar
A refreshing pint at Burning soul
All the different beers brewed at Burning Soul
The back room where the beer is brewed.
Wall decorations in the bar area
More details of the different beers brewed on the outside entrance
Going behind the scenes, Chris explains the brewing process and how he comes up with the ideas for the beers. We return to the bar for drinks and notice that the place fills up very quickly. Soon we are on our way to the next port of call the Rock and Roll brewery on Hall Street, near to the centre of the Jewellery Quarter . Whilst the brewing is done downstairs, the first floor is the lounge area with the bar. The walls are adorned with Rock and Roll memorabilia and whilst there were no bands playing during our visit, there is a small stage for performances. Both Rock and Roll and Burning Soul have worked together on several beer projects. I purchased a couple of their cans to bring home with me.
Love the memorabilia
Elvis is Alive
The Rock and Roll Brewery
The bar area in the Rock and Roll brewery
After an enjoyable stay our next tasting session was at the Halton Turner Brewery in Digbeth. This is a recent addition to the Digbeth scene, and it is based under the arches on Trent Street. Whilst the Burning Soul and Rock and Roll breweries were in warm premises, the brick arches surrounding Halton Turner are a touch on the cold side. Drinking beer in this brewery does require the wearing of warm clothing. This is not to distract from the beers which like the other two are well worth tasting. In summary all the establishments have wonderful character, the beers range in taste and style. There is something on offer for everyone. An enjoyable time and a wonderful stroll down the independent side of Birmingham.
Halton Brewery
Halton Beer
Under the arches
All Pictures taken on my iPhone13 and I lived to tell the story after drinking all the beer!
Selfridges is always on my list as a building to photograph. It has featured in many of my picture books over the years. I have even written a blog about the building which includes several of my pictures. The building is striking with the discs spread over an amorphous design. I love the building and it has come to be one of the iconic images of the City. I also like shopping in the store as the interior design is appealing but that is another story. If you want to know more, there are several good sources of information about the design and history of the architectural design.
Sunset fire over Selfridges and look closely some discs are missingMissing disc highlighted by the sunrise
In 2020, problems with the attachment of the discs to the building began to surface and this is evident in my pictures. A decision was made by Selfridges to undertake the refurbishment and replacement of all the discs on the building. There are 15,000 discs and it will take some time to replace them. The original makers of the discs no longer exist and new constructors were required. The story may be followed up in the news media when in November 2020, the official reports of the replacement began.
The Scaffolding going up followed by the Infinity pattern 1
The Infinity pattern 1 will protect the workers replacing the discs
The canvas covers all of the building
It was during Lockdown #2 that scaffolding began to go up around the store. So as to protect the construction workers and the scaffolding, an eye-catching temporary skin has been put in place. The striking art structure is called “Infinity pattern 1” and is designed by Birmingham born artist and interdisciplinary designer, Osman Yousefzada. It is intended to be a “message of hope” to the people of Birmingham. The design was drawn up in conjunction with the IKON Gallery. The colours are striking and are best viewed in the sunlight which picks up the shades of red. The installation is temporary as the replacement of all the discs will be completed in time for the Commonwealth games in 2022. Therefore whilst it is on view, I encourage you to wander down to Birmingham and see Osman’s creation. The visit will be worthwhile.
Taken from the walkway linking the store to the car park
There is even a walkway underneath where you catch the buses
Contrasts with the work around the City
The fully covered building
These photographs show how Osman’s artwork interacts with the City and the people. The pictures tell the story of the loss of the discs, the placement of the scaffolding and the final structure. There is merchandise in the store that feature the Infinity Pattern 1 on them. The colours and the design pattern lend themselves to pictures and I like the picture with my daughter looking out over Birmingham with the Infinity Pattern 1 behind her.
My daughter looks out over the street below.A favourite Birmingham viewpoint. This time with Osman’s Infinity Pattern 1.
Instameets are friendly photographic get togethers where you meet like-minded people for a social chat and take pictures. The meetings are also held at fascinating venues around the West Midlands. My usual patch is IgersbirminghamUK or the Westmidlandsphotocollective. Both hold meetings at venues which provide a multitude of photographic opportunities. Igers_staffordshire is a group that hold Instameets around the Lichfield area. The venue for this meeting was the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The Arboretum occupies a large swathe of land just North of Lichfield and is well signposted off the A38. However, it is a place that I always pass by and think to myself that is somewhere to visit in the future. When Igers_staffordshire advertised the event then I quickly signed up. The meeting started in the car park which is one of the strategic places in the Arboretum. Whilst entry to the site is free, car parking is strictly controlled and must be prebooked. The entrance and the welcome buildings guide you through to the main body of the Arboretum. I was greeted by the organisers and it is easy to work out who the photographers are as you will not miss the tripods, backpacks and cameras on display. Once through the entrance we made our way to the most commanding monument which is the Armed Forces Memorial. It is not difficult to miss as it sits as a raised structure with an attractive circle of trees. We posed on the steps for the picture of the group and then started exploring.
The inside of the Armed Forces Memorial
You find yourself pulled towards the Armed Forces Memorial, up the steps and into the inner parts. It borrows heavily in architectural design from the Greeks and Romans. It is impressive, and it was here that I met Kenneth who is a volunteer at the National Memorial Arboretum. We got talking about the Arboretum and Kenneth outlined some of the major features about the place. He showed me where a shaft of sunlight shines through the gaps in the southern walls onto the central bronze wreath on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month #Armistaceday. Kenneth does two days volunteering and is out in all weathers, greeting visitors. His welcoming smile and enthusiasm help visitors to get the most from their visit. Kenneth is one of many volunteers who I met during my time at the Arboretum. I explained to Kenneth about my ‘100strangers’ project and he agreed to being photographed. This picture shows him standing in the centre of the #ArmedForcesMemorial near the central wreath with the #cenotaph in the background.
Kenneth, Volunteer
Next, I set off to visit the rest of the Arboretum. There were several memorials that I passed along the way including those to the Iraq war and The Polish War memorial. I did like the Irish Infantry Grove. The paving stones are set out with a map of Ireland. From there, I wandered into the trees and was taken with the numerous discs with messages on them. There is so much to take in and this blog only touches the surface. I posted several sets of pictures on Instagram.
Looking through and remembering
The first is a set of lines and colours that made an impression on me. The #shotatdawn memorial by artist #AndyDeComyn was particularly moving. Consisting of stakes in the ground representing the young men shot by firing squad. There are several other memorials captured here.
Stakes and shadows
Shot at Dawn Memorial
rows of crosses
The Armed Forces Memorial
Royal Navy Memorial
Lines and Colours
My other reflection from my visit was the numerous Connections in the Arboretum and this is the link for this series of photographs including pictures with permission of soldiers remembering people behind the names. The sun and the rain connect with the memorials to enhance their stories.
Afternoon sun shines on the Royal Navy Memorial
Remembering and reflecting
Reading the names
Water droplets
A shaft of light
Connections
It was a moving day out and I covered a fair amount of the Arboretum. There is still much more to see. These are the best of the pictures although there were many more to discover. Several of the memorials have been cleverly designed to catch the natural elements such as the sun and rain providing reflections and opportunities for carefully taken pictures that bring out the best in their design.
Royal Air Force Memorial
On the Eleventh hour….
Blue is the colour of the Sea
The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Memorial
A shaft of light
More lines in the Memorials
Finally a big thank you to @igers_staffordshire for organising this instameet. I also met such great fellow photographers. Follow #igersstaffordshire_nma for all the pictures taken by the group on the day.
The University of Birmingham has a major economic impact on Birmingham and the West Midlands region. The University educates students, is a major employer, a research leader in all sectors and a gateway bringing in global connections that benefit the city. Even though the University has a beautiful campus at Edgbaston, a physical footprint in the city centre has long been on the University’s wish list. The old Municipal Savings Bank began to look an interesting project. Especially with the location of the bank on the new look Centennial square.
Produced by the University of Birmingham
The former Municipal Bank is a Grade II listed building and has historical links with the University. Joseph Chamberlain was founder and first Chancellor of the University of Birmingham. Neville Chamberlain, the son of Joseph Chamberlain was behind the building of the Municipal Bank on Broad Street. It was first opened by Prince George in 1933 and has a long history of underpinning the wealth of an ambitious city. However, the bank closed at the turn of the century and the last 20 years has seen the building empty with no tenants. It was famously portrayed as the AC-12 base in the BBC series ‘Line of Duty’. The iconic safe deposit boxes in the vault were used in a Chanel advert amongst the various roles that the bank filled in these barren years. In 2018, the University negotiated a long lease of the building with Birmingham City Council and the renovations began.
Safety deposit boxes
Hard hats on at the entrance
The extent of the work to be done
The Board Room
Iconic view of the vaults
The Exchange being renovated in 2019
I was fortunate in my University of Birmingham role to see these renovations firsthand in October 2019 before the pandemic. During my visit, I took a series of pictures on my iPhone. I had no idea which room I was photographing, although I remember the vaults where the safe deposit boxes reside. They are so interesting to see. Rows and rows of metal doors with numbers on them. One can only begin to imagine what was contained within them. The building was being gutted and there was so much to do from floor to ceiling in each room.
Banking floor
Fast forward to October 2021. Hasan Patel who is part of Communications Team at the University of Birmingham invited me to coffee at the Exchange after his Marathon Run. (Follow Hasan on Twitter to learn how to sponsor him on his running diary). We spent an enjoyable couple of hours putting the world to right. Hasan introduced me to the University team at the Exchange and we visited several rooms in the building.
Is there any money in those boxes?
Symbols of the old Bank
Open the boxes
Open the boxes
On the balcony
View of the Hyatt from the top of the Exchange
A hook to hang out the washing
University meets the Bank
In the Vault
Look at all those boxes
Nothing in there!
Not long after my visit with Hasan, IgersBirminghamUK announced an Instameet at the Exchange. Immediately I signed up and went along. This Instameet is a friendly collection of photographers. We were given access to all areas including the Board room and the former bank managers office which I did not get to see on my first visit. The other interesting feature is the balcony where the bank manager opened the doors and looked out onto the banking floor to check that the bank was running smoothly. During the Instameet, this was a favourite spot for all the photographers.
Window View
View of the Hyatt from the top of the Exchange
Window view
External views around the Exchange
Whilst we were in the vault, we were also given access to a utility room where many of the safety deposit boxes were stored. Now many of the boxes are placed strategically around the building and are a feature of those rooms which are used as teaching spaces and meeting areas. This basement room had many of the old boxes and proved to be a fantastic place to take photographs. There were still some stickers remaining and on one of the boxes the notice stated that this box could only be opened in the presence of a solicitor. Once again one could only imagine what was kept in these boxes over the years.
View from the Banking floor to the Library
View out onto the Library and Big Wheel
Such a great location
We finished the tour and adjourned to the Distillery Pub next to the Roundhouse. This is another interesting place to visit and includes a wall mural of a canal horse painted by one my favourite street artists, Annatomix. The Roundhouse was used to care for the canal horses that pulled the boats and has been renovated as a historical place of interest. There is even one of the horse stables on view.
Birmingham Canal Network outside the Roundhouse
Roundhouse archway
Roundhouse buildings
Annatomix wall mural of a canal horse
A view of the Roundhouse
This was a day taking pictures of historical buildings that have been brought up to date in a city that is rediscovering its roots and moving forward. Thank you to the team at IgersBirminghamUK for organising the tour and The University of Birmingham for opening the Exchange for this Instameet.
I have also included a blending of the old and new photographs in two of the rooms to show how the building has been modernised between my two visits.
Before and After – the main lecture room.
Before and after – the Board Room
Pictures taken with iPhone 11 and 13, camera Fujifilm x100v
I have been to several art installations which reflect on the Covid19 pandemic. I have covered “In Memoriam” Luke Jerram’s flag creation that visited Aston Hall. The flags were blue and white and made from hospital bed sheets. They were stunningly arranged in a medical symbol. “This is Gratitude” is an Art installation of 51 sculptures championed by Dame Zandra Rhodes. The figures visited Chamberlain square in central Birmingham and were painted by several artists. These two installations were colourful, moving and told stories about different aspects of the Pandemic.
The front and ….The grounds of Coombe Abbey make a superb setting for the installationThe backs of the figures with the messages of thanks and hope.
Would I go and visit a third installation by the “Standing with Giants” organisation? This post tells the story of my visit to the installation. I nearly missed it and only picked up on the tour via a photographer I follow on social media. The beautiful grounds of Coombe Abbey were the setting for the visit. Standing with Giants consists of 300 figures cut out of industrial recyclable materials. On one side, there are colourful paintings of key NHS workers. When you first encounter the figures, you are struck by how many of them there are. Already there are emotional touches to the installation as bouquets of flowers have been left at the feet of some of the figures.
Playing hide and seek amongst the figuresHaving funSandy writing her message
Chloë, my grand daughter, started playing hide and seek amongst the figures and I followed her deep into the art display. As I turned around, there was a surprised waiting for me. The backs of all the figures were black and there were messages written in white. The sight of all the black figures wearing white face masks is extraordinary. It was different to the colourful front facing view. The messages were a mixture of thanks, hope and remembrance. The were both moving and a joy to read. Clive, one of the volunteers, came over to us and handed us one of the white writing pens. Sandy is an ex nurse and she penned a message on back of one of the figures. We spent a good 15 to 20 minutes taking in the messages and the sights. It was a different approach and I am fortunate to have seen three different installations that make you think, challenge and also help in reflection about many of the individual tragedies that happened during the pandemic.
More of Coombe Abbey
The backs of the figures with the messages of thanks and hope.
More of the NHS key workers
Finally…..We just want to say thank you to Clive who was one of the volunteers on the day we visited ‘Standing with Giants’. Clive explained what to do with writing the messages and showed us where the white marker pens were kept. A friendly face to the installation. Thank you.
Clive an enthusiastic volunteer assisting at the Installation.
Whilst I was researching our family walk around Kingsbury Water Park in October, I was reminded that there was a fully working model railway track. During Covid restrictions it was not working and therefore I had not looked at the Echills Railway site for a while. I tend to read too quickly. Being able to speed read is a gift but it can cause you problems as some of your information gets lost and your mind fills in the gaps. Whilst I saw it was open, I missed the fact that it was only working on Sundays and not Saturdays!
Hoping to get a ride on the trainsAll aboard and ready to goAre you ready for the train journey?
I had to break the news gently to the Grandchildren who were upset about not going on the trains. However when we arrived on the Saturday morning, there were shouts from the children that it was open. We soon discovered that it was not open and the Railway team were running through rehearsals for their Halloween and Christmas extravaganzas. More disappointment. But wait a minute! Katie, my oldest daughter, is not shy about tackling difficult situations and asked one of the railway team whether a ride was possible.
Back in the train yardApproaching the tunnelsJust wavingWaiting at the stationTunnel coming up!
Much to the joy of the family the person we talked to said we could travel with him. We had three very excited children once again. We sat in the carriages and off we went. The railway track is landscaped and has much to see. First off there were many gnomes next to the track waving us on and secondly there were lots of trains moving around. We discovered that the Echills team are getting ready for their Halloween and Christmas Extravaganzas and checking out their movements around the track. The trains are miniature in size but they can pull a load. We passed through several stations with ‘Picnic’ in their name. We enjoyed going through the tunnels and stopping at the main turnaround station. The enthusiasts who run Echills are friendly people, with hand waving to everyone and smiles and shouts as the trains passed one another.
Trains queuing up for the station.So the story goes (part 1)So the story goes Part 2
The railway is a fun experience and entertaining for children and adults. I enjoyed the attention to detail of the scale models of engines and trains. When we arrived back at the main station, there were several trains parked and much discussion amongst the staff about the engines and carriages. We carefully negotiated the platform thanking our driver. I took many pictures and hope they convey the friendliness and enthusiasm of the Echills Wood members. Reflecting on the day, we were very fortunate to get a ride on one of the trains. Thank you to Echills Wood railway for an enjoyable day out to Kingsbury Water Park and we look forward to travelling again.
Letting off steamThe beautiful surroundings of Kingsbury Water Park
The breakfast table conversation went like this, “Why are you going out to take picture of buildings?” “It is a photo meeting organised by the West Midlands Photo collective and Space.play“, I replied. “We will be taking pictures of concrete buildings on and around the Hagley road in Birmingham”. Stunned silence followed by “Well good Luck to that venture.”
Luckily I knew it was going to be great Sunday. The meeting point was in the centre of Five Ways roundabout. Already a large number of photographers were there and several familiar faces. The West Midlands Photocollective organisers, Jim and Sarah and Dave from Space.play got everyone together. They set about explaining the game we were taking part in. A game? LOL No one said anything about a game when I signed up. As it unfolded everyone realised, It was a well thought out idea for a photo walk. I was really looking forward to taking the pictures along the route. An added bonus was the networking with new people. Seeing people I had not seen for some time was also good as well. Time has certainly raced onwards since the year of the pandemic.
Explaining how the day will work.
The game instructions
How did the game work? We were asked to take pictures on our photographic walk. Each participant received a pack with 4 cards. One contained the details of the game and what we were expected to do. The other three cards were set out as playing cards. The name of the building and a map of how to get there from the last building was on each card. They went from Ace to 10 with the Jack, Queen and King. We had to work out with the help of other players how to find all the buildings and as a team work our way through the course. For example my cards were Ace of spades, 5 of spades and the 10 of clubs. These represented the following buildings, Tricorn House, Chamber of Commerce and the Central Travelodge. I needed to find the other 10 buildings. Immediately, a group of us came together and we had all the cards except a number 7. We surmised we would find that on the route, so off we went. Looking back I wish I had concentrated more and looked at what other people’s cards were. There was a good number of people, all in groups as we made our way to the first concrete building.
My three cards
1 – Tricorn House
This three pointed building is a very large concrete building with one side facing the Hagley Road. I had a card for this one and I used it with both the West Midlands bicycle hire rack and also with my lensball. It is a concrete delight but difficult to photograph as there is so much of it. I swapped my only good card the Ace of Spades for the 2 of Diamonds, Cobalt Square. Guess someone was going to get lucky with their Poker scoring game. I just wanted to see another card!
My first card and Tricorn HouseNot sure if this worked but there is concrete about!The front of the houseThis makes it look so important
2 – Cobalt Square
I did feel sorry for this building as it was not wearing well. The steps leading up the building were breaking down and it did not really have any unique features to make it memorable. The name is interesting but it did not lead to any any thing Cobalt related in the architectural design. Looking on social media, I saw that I missed the car park and that had an amazing ceiling. Must remember to look around more.
I swapped my Ace for 2 of Diamonds – probably not a good idea 🙂
Looked up at Concrete
Cobalt Square
Concrete problems
3 – 54 Hagley Road
Now I am guessing the next two buildings as I was just following the people on the route. 54, Hagley Road is big and looks a monster concrete building. The security guard was very confused about what was happening. As we were taking pictures, he came out to see what we were doing. I explained about the nature of the event and what we were aiming to achieve. Even with the explanation, he was none the wiser but just said OK. I gave this one a bit of the once over in black and white. It does have a bit of character about it.
Taken just before being questioned by securityFrontal Attack Camera Attack
4 – Lyndon House
You would be excused if you missed this building which is in the shadows of 54, Hagley Road. Sharp edges, tall, glass and rectangular in shape. Moving on swiftly…
Sharp and pointy
5 – Chamber of Commerce
Now this is a place I know and visit on a regular basis. I also had the card for it so it was great to be able to photograph this building. I do know from inside that it is a dated building so my photographs probably reflect this aspect. Someone had left a window open and it made a nice contrast to the regular arrangement of the design.
5 of Spades for the ChamberSomeone left a window openToo much glass is good for you
Following pictures of the Chamber of Commerce, the group I was with walked down Greenfield Crescent. This a street that I don’t normally walk or drive down. It looked neatly swept and could have been a film set it was so pretty in appearance. The owner of Lux Gallery which is newly opened, came out to met us and invited us into the gallery and his photographic study at No 13. Many of us went in and were impressed with what we saw. An unexpected bonus of the walk.
Walking down the Crescent
6 – 12 Calthorpe Road
This is the old HBSC banking offices. It is sadly neglected being made ready for redevelopment. I was fascinated about the Blue Plaque for Washington Irvine the American essayist who lived on the road between 1819 and 1824. It would be lovely to have a time machine and look backwards and forwards to what happens to all these areas over time. Sadly the machine is stuck on today and we just see decay of a brutalist concrete building.
The Blue Plaque remembersTimes are difficult
8 – Five Ways House
This building was out of sync and I blame myself for following everyone else! This is such a big concrete building and it is so long. This is the home of Department for Work and Pensions and I tried a panorama shot but failed attempting it. I just had to try and show the sheer enormity of the building with my regular picture. It is so faceless yet stands there, taking up a commanding position on Islington Row Middleway. The building wants to make an impression but one can debate what form this takes.
That is a long building wish I had brought my wide angled lens
7 – MAKE UK – the Manufacturers organisation
It was decision time and I split up from the group that I was with as I wanted to go back and check out this concrete building. I am glad that I did as I loved the place and would have been most upset if I had missed it. Just to the side of the entrance there is a wall of diamond holes that makes it very intriguing. So many photo opportunities as well. I got my lensball out here and had a field day. Enjoy the pictures.
Eye in the WallFace in the WallNature and Concrete
9 – Hampton Inn
I am really struggling now as I have become isolated on route but I had an idea from seeing other people’s cards where we should be going. The next few concrete buildings are hotels on Broad Street starting with the Hampton Inn which I hope is on the list. Just a functional hotel on Broad street. It looks after all the partygoers at the weekend and business people during the week. The building reflects this no nonsense approach.
Hampton concrete
Entrance to Hampton
10 – Central Travelodge
Next up is the Travelodge and I know this one is correct as I have the card. The Travelodge is starting to show its age and the facade is crumbling. I remember when it was built. there was excitement on Broad street about the hotels and nightlife. The Travelodge was part of the new beginning. Over the years there has been a shift in the Birmingham scene from Broad Street to the Eastside and Digbeth. The hotel reflects this shift. Maybe the tram will bring about a new lease of life to this side of town. We wait and see.
Travelodge – 10 of SpadesMoody Concrete
Jack – Jury’s Inn
Behind the Travelodge is the Jury’s Inn which must have asked for a double helping of Concrete when it was built as it has spilled over to the car park. There is such a repetitive feel to the outside structure which I hope my black and white picture captures. I have not stayed in any of these hotels but I have been into the foyer of Jury’s and even been to a Christmas party here. My memories were that it was comfortable and inviting. In contrast, the outside is not that inviting.
Concrete repetitionPlease be quiet for the concrete
Queen – Quayside Tower
Rosies nightclub and those pretend concrete designs. Not sure what they are tying to say but they are Ugly – hold on the pub/restaurant is called Cayote Ugly do they know something already. The concrete designs seem to be telling a story or are designed about something deep and meaningful. It would be interesting to know their history. Meanwhile here are a few pictures of them.
Concrete designsUgly – surely not
King – The Rep
I got this totally wrong and wished I had stayed with someone in the group to check what I was doing. After the Queen stop, I looked up and thought that the concrete King was the International Convention Centre – Wrong – very wrong it was the Rep. So I missed this photo opportunity but i did get a lot of good pictures of the ICC! I could look in my back catalogue and find a picture of the Rep! I am annoyed as I realise that this means I miss out on the Spaceplay prize.
No the King was not the ICC it was the Birmingham Rep. Its behind you!
BUT I just want to say to all those reading this that I had a fantastic time in spite of getting one totally wrong (there may even be others in the blog but not to worry). These photo-meetings are a great opportunity to improve your photography, meet new people and get involved in projects that you would never have thought about doing. So thank you to WestMidlandsPhotoCollective and Space.Play for your organisation. Everyone who goes on these walkabouts are friendly and helpful as well. Sorry I could not meet you all in the pub after the event but I was needed back home. I am so looking forward to the next meeting that gets organised.
Finally reflections on the day. Concrete is King ! (and so is Queen, Jack, 10 to Ace).
I am sure there are some word puns on Diamonds, Clubs, Spades and Hearts. Here goes! There is always money in concrete (Diamonds) and then a building gets built from the ground upwards (Spades). What was once loved (Hearts) falls out of favour with time and there are fights amongst developers (Clubs) to build bigger better concrete buildings to replace what has gone before.
Concrete is King!
***** All pictures taken either with my FijiFilm x100v or the iPhone13
Epilogue Here is a picture of the final Love of Concrete building taken after the event. This is now a complete set of playing cards for the Blog.
Our last visit to Kenilworth castle was in 2019 when the grandchildren were much younger. A revisit was needed now that they were in a “run about mode”. The weather was kind and ideal for outside activities. We arrived and the children were very excited. I brought my x100v with me plus I activated the flash on the camera at around 1/64. I knew that I would be taking lots of pictures often in dark areas of the castle. The children ran to the far end of the castle and we were led straight to the Elizabethan garden. This was immediately followed by the Norman keep. It was difficult keeping up with them. However it made for some interesting photography as you are constantly trying to adapt and keep up with their sudden movement! The ruins have many nooks and crannies which are ideal hiding places for children. Sometimes we really thought we had lost them. There was a path that went upwards to the battlements. No sooner had we reached the top when it was back down into the Great Hall. After all this expended energy, it was time for lunch. Near to the Tudor stables where the tearoom is situated there are the ruins of the chapel. These make great stepping stones for the children.
Warwickshire BearLeicester’s building
After lunch it was to Leicester’s building and English Heritage have constructed an internal staircase which allows you to climb to the top of the tower. As we were looking out onto the adjacent fields, we saw a wedding party moving through the footpath. This is where I would love to have the telephoto lens attachment. It was great to see a local celebration happening around the castle.
View of the Castle
Natasha and Lily at the top of the Gatehouse
What is happening here?
Lunch!
Framed!
Noah
on top of the battlements
Holding hands
Chloe
Hiding
Grandchildren antics
The pictures show the fun that we had at the castle and with the grandchildren growing up it is so much more enjoyable visiting such places. You can compare this to my last blog about the castle in 2019. We loved it so much that we joined English Heritage and now have them alongside the National Trust for places to visit.
The gardens with Leicester’s Gatehouse in the backgroundStatue in the GardensLight on the bricksWedding party at the walls of the Castle
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