Dudley is well known for attractions such as Dudley Zoo and Castle and the Black Country Living Museum, so I was keen to explore the town further. An opportunity came when a street photography walk led by Matt Murray and organised by Igers Birmingham UK took place.
Starting off at Cousins Furniture Store, Matt led us around the streets of Dudley. He is an excellent host for a photographic walk. His distinctive appearance of grey beard, baseball cap, and reflective glasses lets you know he is a man of the streets. After introductions by the Igers Birmingham UK team, we set off.
The first stop was a boarded-up pub that provided a great focus for our photography. This was followed by the distinctive iron bridge over Duncan Edwards Way. Following the newly laid tram tracks along Castle Hill, we passed the zoo and headed up towards the High Street. All the while, we could see Dudley Castle looking down on us.
A group of photographers always looks conspicuous, and I attracted interest from people in Sofi’s Plaice, a local fish and chip shop. The owner, Kikis, beckoned me over and we chatted. He kindly allowed me to take his portrait and then proudly informed me that his was the best fish and chip shop in the West Midlands. We enjoyed the banter that followed, and I promised to return.
Matt guided us around Dudley town centre, which is quietly impressive, with old buildings mixed amongst the new. There were many architectural highlights. Some buildings had been thoughtfully repurposed, while others had unfortunately been left empty. Nevertheless, the town has real character. Matt kept us on our toes, sharing interesting facts and pointing out photographic opportunities as we made a large circle around the town.
We eventually reached the High Street, where Matt surprised us with a special visit to Prospect House, formerly the Cooperative Emporium. Opened in 1939 by the Midlands Cooperative Society, it was once their flagship department store. After decades of decline and closure during the 1980s, the building is now a community support centre with ambitions to restore it to its former glory. The exterior has already been beautifully restored in its original Art Deco style, although there is still much work to do inside.
Matt is clearly a man with good contacts, and we were met by the building manager, who led us through the store and up a grand staircase onto the roof. Photographers love a rooftop viewpoint, and this one was superb. Earlier rain had left puddles across the surface, creating wonderful reflections. We spent a happy hour photographing the Black Country skyline, experimenting with puddle reflections, and capturing closer views of Dudley Parish Church.
Everyone enjoyed themselves, and the rooftop visit became one of the highlights of the walk. Like any good film, however, there was still more to come. At the end of the High Street, Matt let us loose to photograph the Saturday market. Standing prominently above the street is the imposing statue of Duncan Edwards, dressed in England colours and poised to kick a football. His commanding figure overlooks the town below.
Duncan Edwards was a hero to both my father and grandfather during his time at Manchester United, before his life was tragically cut short in the Munich air disaster. Standing there, I found myself reminiscing about all the stories I had heard as a child about this remarkable footballer.
I later returned to Sofi’s Plaice fish and chip shop, where Kakis served me a cone of his special orange chips. They were delicious. I wandered past the new tram terminal alongside Birdcage Walk, chips in one hand and camera in the other, before eventually finding myself back at Cousins Furniture Store. We had a short debrief, reflected on what an enjoyable walk it had been, and then said our goodbyes before heading home.
I stayed a little longer because I had spotted a spiral footbridge that I wanted to photograph. I liked the strong angles, circular shapes, and the way pedestrians interacted with the concrete structure and metal railings.
Over the following days, I posted my photographs online. As everyone shared their pictures, I realised that I had unintentionally become a subject myself. My Aussie hat and black clothing had apparently made me a distinctive figure amongst the crowd, and several photographers had captured portraits of me during the walk. It was great fun seeing everyone’s different interpretations and the one below by Nadia Malik is my favourite one.
My thanks go to Matt for leading such an excellent photo walk and also to the Igers Birmingham UK team for organising the day.
The last blog post on my Photographing series was focussed on my visit to Winchester.
