Pre April 2020, the Mailbox was full of energy with office workers streaming through in the morning. Last Christmas it was full of shacks from the German Christmas market and there was so much activity. Roll on a year and the pandemic has reduced it to a quiet solitary existence. Single people are drifting along the streets. At least there is a Christmas tree to brighten the proceedings. The pictures tell a story and whilst they are a stark reminder of the city under Lockdown#2, the beautiful architecture of the Mailbox wins through.
The inside of the Mailbox, early morning during Lockdown#2One person where there used to be many.Lovely Christmas treeThe Mailbox interior entranceSingle commuterNo Christmas market stalls this yearNot many people coming to work in the CityThe MailboxWhere is everyone? Lockdown #2
The British Tech Network is run by Ewen Rankin and started out mainly as a discussion network for computer enthusiasts. https://britishtechnetwork.com It is lovingly termed the BTN and the members discuss topics via the BTN Slack room. The network runs a weekly Mac Show and Big Show which is very popular with well over 20,000 subscribers. “The Photo Show” is also part of the British Tech Network. We cover news, kit and then discuss a topic. We have had guests on who have discussed subjects from wedding photography to portrait photography.
The Photo Show in full swing with Sarah Longes
The Photoshow is also popular and has around 6,000 views. Whilst Ewen started off the Photoshow he has now entrusted the project to small team of 4 people who are all enthusiasts when it comes to photography.
Martin who is an amateur photographer and a brilliant pub quiz organiser. His pub quizzes kept Sandy and I going through the first Lockdown in April 2020 and we are still doing them in the 2nd Lockdown. Then there is Ian Lewis who is an amateur photographer from Cornwall and lives amongst the most amazing scenery. There is Doddsie (Neil Dodds) who lives in Nyon, Switzerland who also has beautiful scenery to photograph. Finally there is me who enjoys a picture or two.
The BTN website with Tubemapper – Luke Agbaimoni – featured guest
We started off by ourselves and as we got more proficient, we invited guests. You will see in the recordings that both Luke Agbaimoni (@Tubemapper) and Sarah Longes have been on the show. Both were very entertaining, and Sarah has so much to talk about that we have made it into two shows. She covered such diverse topics especially mindfulness and dealing with adversity in your life. Even though she was shielded during the Lockdown, she still managed some amazing pictures.
The show is released as a podcast on a regular 2 weekly basis and is already receiving rave reviews for its content.
Thursday 5th November was the start of Lockdown #2. As I pass via town on my way to work, I took the opportunity of getting my camera out to record events on this particular day. I was near to the Bull Ring and as luck would have it the sunrise was spectacular with a pinky orange tint to the clouds. I was never in Birmingham for the last lockdown so I wanted to capture the atmosphere of this event. First there were people around, not many but I suspect more that there were in March/April. There were more pigeons than people and i am not sure if it was my imagination but there was a feeling of acceptance to the new restrictions. It was quiet and people moved briskly through the area.
Sunrise over SelfridgesPeople going to work oblivious of the sunrise.The Bull is still thereSingle Figures move through the empty passageways
My pictures were around the Christmas tree outside St Martin’s Church, up to Selfridges and then past the Bull and down onto New Street. I myself did not linger very much as I was very conspicuous with my Canon D5 camera. Whilst I love my IPhone camera, the time is coming to invest in a new compact camera that does not draw attention.
Empty platforms at New StreetReflections in the passagewaysCatching the tramOn their way to work
On my way back I saw two young people by Selfridges. The pictures show some form of tension between them and the surroundings, especially the picture that is looking upwards towards them. Finally I also saw that the scaffolding is going up around Selfridges and there will be some new photographic opportunities of the specially designed covering going up.
Waiting and watching (buy a copy)Waiting and watching
Back on a cold Wednesday morning in late January 2020, I decided to visit Floodgate Street before starting work in the City centre. I took the early train into Birmingham Moor Street and then hopped onto a bus to take me down to Digbeth. I was particularly keen to photograph Floodgate Street and the lights that criss cross above the street. They always look so pretty from the train as you make your way into the station. The lights stay on during the night and are turned off when the sun rises. Wasting little time, I made my way down the street. I had some form of photograph in my mind and I knew I wanted it to show the splendour of the lights which give Floodgate St a magical look. It had been raining the night before and there were puddles yes lots of puddles around. It could only mean one thing there may be the opportunity of a reflection photograph! As I got towards the end of Floodgate street, I saw the puddle I needed but I would have to bend down low. Ewen a friend and a professional photographer had drilled into me that getting down low provides impact to a picture. Even though I had my ‘grown up’ camera I reached for my iPhone and dipped it into the puddle. I could see a couple in the distance and they must have thought I was mad bending down for the picture. When I looked at the picture I was pleasantly surprised and posted it on Instagram. It was well received with over 100 views which for me is a lot but it was also the start of an Instagram recognition and since that photograph I have received a lot more attention.
So the reason for posting this blog? I went into the “Love Birmingham Charity” competition. It is a great charity and does so much good work. I made my donations and entered several photos including this one. I was pleased to learn that it has been selected as a winner and will be featured in a charity calendar by the charity. So that is the story and on reflection, there has been so much that has happened in the world since the picture was taken. It is my memory of what the world was like pre-Covid19.
These are surreal days on the University Campus as a term is in full swing but many of the students are sitting in their halls of residence. I work on a Tuesday and Thursday based at the Dental School and have only ventured onto campus once or twice. I took a hunch that it was going to be a nice sunset. You never know if it will or not but the clouds were lingering and at about 5pm I drove up to the campus. My swipe card did not let me on the campus but it is now so quiet that I found a space near the main ornamental gates at the North entrance.
Autumn on CampusOld Joe in Golden Hour
I saw that the clouds were still around and the sun was low. Campus was quiet. A few pictures on the way down to the Aston Webb building and taking in some nice pictures of Old Joe. I then positioned myself on the steps by the University Crests and waited for the sun to go down. I was not disappointed as the colours of pink came out in the clouds. I go for symmetry and I enjoyed the pictures that I obtained with Old Joe framed by red clouds.
Sunset and red clouds around Old Joe
After nearly half an hour the clouds darkened and I made my way back to the car. As I looked back through the gates, I saw that the clock face was illuminated pink for breast cancer month. I caught my final picture through the gates looking back at Old Joe.
It was a beautiful Autumn day when I visited Coventry for a photowalk. I chose Coventry as I had not been there for a while and I wanted to see the old and new cathedrals. The other monument that I wanted to see was the steel structure that was dedicated to Frank Whittle the inventor of the jet engine. Coventry was severely bombed during the second world war and unfortunately the town planners have made a mess of the ring road. The entry and exits happen too fast and you need to be alert for the traffic even on a Sunday.
Ruins of the old Coventry CathedralAround the old Cathedral, Bayley LaneLooking up at the old CathedralEntrance to the old cathedralLychgate Cottages on Priory Row
The cathedrals are situated around the University area and therefore I parked on the roads around the campus and made my way to Cathedral Square. The old cathedral ruins stand out against the sky and provide lots of details for photography. I wandered by Bayley lane and then the quadrangle boarded by St Michael’s Avenue and Cockoo Lane. Then I went into the Cathedral ruins. As you will see from my photographs, there is much to take in and there is the old versus the new Cathedral with its distinctive modern architecture.
Classic view of the statue of St Micheal, the archangel over LuciferDetail of Coventry CathedralThe stained glass windowSocially distanced arrangements
Moving away from the square to the sixties shopping area and the Frank Whittle monument, the mood changes. I moved on from the square and passed by the Britannia Inn. The sixties architecture strikes you straightaway especially as you make you way past the bus station down to the square where the Motor museum is situated.
Frank Whittle blows clouds onto the monumentLooking past the Britannia Hotel to the Frank Whittle monument
The city is a mixture of vibrant activity around the University with the students to a feeling of listlessness as people move around the other parts of the city in an aimless way. Hales street which is the centre of the statue and monument is outside the transport museum. After a few pictures here, I then walked through the shopping area and I eventually came to Fords Hospital Alms House which is an old 500 year building. It is a lodging place for retired women in the City. A place to come back to and explore especially when it is open during Heritage week. I enjoyed my visit to Coventry.
Fords Hospital Alms HouseCourtyard, Fords Hospital Alms House
Many of the pictures are a mixture of iPhone and Canon 5D. I took a low down picture of the cathedrals from behind a fountain on the University Square. The picture featured on the next day weather forecast as shown.
Shefali Oza with my weather photograph
Finally I found some Graffiti artwork by Lucy McLaughlan around Cathedral Square. I find her monochrome style fascinating.
I love the area around St Paul’s Church and in Autumn it starts to look colourful with the leaves on the ground. It was one of my stops on my way to walk. The sky was also very colourful with the sunrise and rain clouds making pretty patterns.
Livery Street and it is only “A matter of opinion”
I took a picture down Livery street which is a very long street/road. There is a Brummie saying that you look like you have “a face as long as Livery street”. There are some good sign posting on the buildings in the area. A matter of opinion has been up for a while and is shown on Livery Street.
Compared tp what….
I noticed at one of the corners of St Paul’s Square that there was more signposting with the words “Compared to what…” They add a fun element to the streets of Birmingham.
St Paul’s Church in the Jewellery Quarter
A picture of St Paul’s Church was well received on social media. It is a a very photogenic church. Taking a picture of both the spire of St Paul’s and the BT Tower is another photo opportunity. The area is very pretty and it was after discussion on social media that I realised that there are more hidden squares around the Jewellery Quarter. It is a place to return to time and time again.
Now I am back in a work routine, I take the opportunity to park in the city around 7am and stay until 8am just before the car parking charging begins. I set myself an area to walk around and aim to come away with 4 to 5 pictures that I can use over the coming days. These may be for my 365 project or pictures that I can post onto Twitter and Instagram. Gas street basin is a changing place and there is always something to photography during a walk on the tow paths. On this visit, it was very still and quiet and there was a hint of mist. The water in the canal was so still that it provided perfect reflections for my photography. I had my trusty Canon 5D mark VI and my ‘go to’ lens EF24-70mm with me. Initially I did not think I would get particularly good photographs but then as I got down low I started to see the photographic possibilities.
The still waters reflect the buildings of Gas Street Basin.Showing the new versus the old in BirminghamGolden buildings in the sunrise
With the reflections of the buildings, I saw that there were many different views. I took around 20 to 30 pictures and then carefully selected around 6 photographs. A selection of 4 posted on Twitter took off with many likes. At the last count it was over 20 thousand views. I see so many excellent pictures of Birmingham and I am not here to say that mine are any better. These pictures are my own personal view of the area and I am pleased that they make people happy.
Venturing into Brindley Place for the reflections of the canal waters
The village of Kardamena was not far from the hotel where we stayed for Natasha and Rob’s wedding. It is a small resort with an attractive harbour and a big heart. I was very impressed with the place. It has many backstreets which are pleasant to stroll through and are relatively cool in the midday sun. The harbour front contains many bars and restaurants which come alive in the evening. Every morning, I ran into Kardamena and took many iPhone pictures which often included the sunrise. This did depend on whether I got up in time.
A breakfast table in the sunA small Church on the Road that I ran past every morning.Church and seaBoat in the harbour
The light on the Island is best in the early morning when the first rays break though over the waters. At night the sun sets behind a small mountain ridge but some of the last rays of the day still make for a pleasant picture. In the town we ate at several restaurants and the food was always tasty and delicious. It was also good to drink Retsina again which I know is an acquired taste but it brings back memories of my time Greek island hoping when I was a student. These are some of the pictures that I took which are all on my iPhone. It was not practical to bring the grown up camera out on either a run or in the evening when alcohol was flowing. However I know that I will visit Kos again taking my cameras to catch the beautiful light.
Sunrise at Malibu BeachQuiet streets of KardamenaBike in the sunMain ChurchGreek MezeBoats lined up in the harbourThat boat again on the final day of the holiday
The final picture is not in Kos but taken at the Sunset Taverna in Zia on the mountains. It was an adventurous journey in the mini bus up and down the steep mountain roads from Kardamena to Zia but as the picture shows is was worth it for the sunset. This was taken with my Canon 5D with two pictures stitched together.
The corona virus almost scuppered Natasha my daughter’s wedding plans. She and Rob wished to tie the knot on the Island of Kos in August. The planning started at the end of last year and everything was in place, hotel booked and plane tickets all sorted. What could go wrong? The rest of 2020 does not need an explanation but it did cause the family much stress and anguish. The government were opening and closing travel corridors to different countries. Luckily Greece had a low infection rate and the wedding was on. It was touch and go and there were causalities as some of the family were unable to come due to work restrictions.
Proud Mum and Dad with NatashaNatasha with her Bridesmaids Kirsty and Sian
Kos is a beautiful island and we were booked into the Akti Beach hotel complex on the south near to the village of Kardamena. It was very safe on the Island as most hotels and restaurants were lightly booked and there was not a large number of tourists present. The weather was glorious and every day, it was on the right side of 30oC.
The wedding took place on the beachNatasha and RobUndying love on the beaches of Kos
Natasha and Rob’s Wedding took place on the beach. There was a small secluded part of the beach that was set up with chairs and a horseshoe decoration. The scenery could not have been more idyllic. Following the simple but moving ceremony, there was a short walk up to the reception. This took place in the Malibu Beach Bar. There were only 14 close family that attended the wedding and we had the Beach bar to ourselves. The setting was very tropical with bar and swimming pool. Following the cutting of the cake there was the bridal meal consisting of tasty BBQ food. There were the speeches and a video collage of well wishers of people who could not get to the wedding. This had been put together by Kirsty, Rob’s sister and there were some surprise guests included. Following some fleeting fireworks, most people took a dip in the swimming pool and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Natasha was so happy as she finally had her wish come true.
Natasha and Rob on their wedding dayMalibu Beach BarIn front of the cakeThe first dance being recorded
After the wedding? I went banana boat surfing on the sea which is an exhilarating white knuckle ride. We also made it to the Sunset tavern restaurant in Zia on top of one of the highest mountains in Kos.
Moon, Saturn and Jupiter over the sea
As for the travel. It was a weird experience wearing facemasks on the flight there and back plus all the quarantine form filling that had to be done. Everyone got there and back safely without any infection from the corona virus. On reflection it was a highlight of 2020 and we were so pleased that we could be there to celebrate Natasha and Rob’s big day. I was pleased that I was able to take my cameras out to the event and was happy with my unofficial photographs.
If you enjoyed this post then you can view the wedding of my youngest daughter Sian who was married in Solihull with a reception at Tanworth in Arden a few years ago.
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