The alarm went at 3.30am and it was time to haul myself out of bed. I was going on a journey of 50 minutes to a field in Bewdley, Worcestershire. There were reports of poppies in the field near to Blackstone nature reserve. Sunrise was at 4:54am so I needed to get there promptly. I met up with an old friend and work colleague who I had not seen for several years. He was there armed with his camera ready to take pictures. The place was very quiet and the weather was on the chilly side. There was more cloud cover than my app “Clear Outside” was indicating. Will there be a good sunrise? Time to find out as we crossed the road and set off for the poppy field.
Social Media had left instructions of how to get to the field. This was from the Poppy and Flower finder Facebook page.
“Park at the (Blackstone) picnic site, walk across the road as there is no vehicular access. Follow the path to just under the old railway bridge and take the path on the right by the bridge and it’s there.”
The poppies were there in their glory and I spent the next two hours taking pictures in the field. The sunrise was fleeting although I was able to get a starburst as the rays broke through the treeline.
Poppy panorama.Poppy landscape.
I took many pictures with one or two more memorable ones. Blue cornflowers added a blue dash to the red sea of poppies. There were some pops of white from cow parsley who were unsuccessfully trying to compete with the poppies.
Red poppy, blue cornflowerA dash of white in the red.
I was starting to get cold standing out in the field and the cloud cover had smothered the sunshine. It was time to say good byes to the field and to my friend and head home to process the pictures. The early start to the day was memorable and I hope you enjoy the pictures that I selected.
Red on GreenPoppy flowersPoppy flower ridge.
Postscript – I learnt on social media that the farmer was out on his tractor and mowed the field that evening. Presumably he was fed up with all the photographers and other sightseers. The action set social media into meltdown as people vented their frustrations as they realised that would not be able to experience the field. I am not here to judge the action of the farmer who owned the land, I was just pleased that I had seen the poppy field in its prime.
The red sea.
I have been fortunate over the last few years to see several fields. In 2020, I visited the fields in Minworth, near Sutton Coldfield. The next year I was pleased that a poppy field turned up in Leamington Spa which was close to me. Last year, the field was in Churchill, Kidderminster and again was a beautiful summer experience. I have documented my poppy field travels below.
This was my first Birmingham Pride parade. I am not sure why I had not been before, and I suspect that I thought that it would be somewhat predictable. Far from it. The whole parade was a wonderful colourful spectacle with so many happy people around. These happy people were not worried about having their photograph taken either, which makes the event a photographer’s dream. Birmingham at the weekend has become a busy place. More so for the weekend of Birmingham Pride as there were many Coventry City supporters around making their way to Wembley. From Moor Street to Centenary square, there were street events starting up connected to the Pride Festival. The atmosphere was electric.
Pride car.Welcome to Birmingham Pride.Birmingham Hospice.Paul and his VW camper.Pink is the word.Colourful.
The day was going to be a warm one and already the sun was strong with no clouds in the sky. I had brought along my polarising lens as I was anticipating strong shadows with the bright light. In Centenary square, people were already congregating and the Exchange which is now part of the University of Birmingham was one of several meeting points. There were several colleagues from both the University and the dental hospital and people were looking forward to marching in the parade. The police and the fire service were taking part and both vehicles and people were already decorated with rainbows and colourful signs. Birmingham Hospice had a float and they said this was the first time they had taken part. Many other well-known companies and institutions were lining up their vehicles. Some of the decorations were very imaginative. I met Paul who was taking part by driving his prized possession. His VW camper was adorned with rainbow decorations, and he was happy to pose in front of the vehicle. As you see, I crouched down to get a dramatic picture. There were several other colourful people that I took portraits of in the square. As it was getting close to the start of the parade, I made my way down to the Town Hall to get a good vantage point of the parade as it headed towards New Street.
The head and heart of the procession.These tapestries tell a story.Detail of the Pride tapestries It’s a sin.The pride possession.There were so many colourful flags.Everyone was very keen to have their photograph taken with the flag.Rainbow umbrella.Passing by Victoria Square.
The next hour consisted of picture taking in one location and then moving swiftly forward to take more pictures further along the route. I was told by a friend that the turning point at the end of New Street at Waterstones Book shop was a good place for pictures. When I got there, I cheekily went into Waterstones and made my way up to the second floor. It was relatively quiet and so I placed myself behind the lift, where you could look out over the New Street junction. I got some good pictures of the parade from this vantage point.
Going down New Street.The view of the flag from Waterstones Bookshop.The Pride DrumsThe lead bus.
After several more pictures, I then moved to the walkway that overlooked Moor Street Station. This was a good lookout on the parade as it went under the tunnel towards New Street. I moved around the road between the Primark store and Moor Street station taking many more pictures. I caught up with the University of Birmingham participants. There were also many dancers, free chocolate from the Cadburys float and people who were just happy to be photographed. The Drag Queens were very interactive with the crowd and very entertaining.
The University of Birmingham.The Guild of Students of the University of Birmingham.The NHS and pride.IKEA were there.The sign says it all.It was a hot day, I am just saying this as you look at this colourful dress.Just look at me.Pride people with Selfridges in the background.
By now I was getting tired and I was needed back home. All the pictures that I had taken had to be processed and as I found out later, I had taken quite a lot. The time had been well spent. Sorry about the large number of photographs and you will be saturated with colour but that was the story of the Birmingham Pride Parade.
Reflections – the colourful parade is a great celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in the City of Birmingham. I was so pleased to experience the atmosphere and see all the people who took part. A big thank you for those who let me take their photographs for this blog.
The Pride flag in the Underpass leading to New Street.Being interviewed.Everyone wanted to be photographed.Everyone was getting into the spirit.Proud.
More details of Birmingham Pride Festival can be found here.
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
The classic view of the Edwardian house from the Nut walk.The Japanese garden bridge in Black and White.A place to rest and admire the garden.The bluebell walk adjacent to Winterbourne.
Glass Houses and Alpine Garden
Flowers in the glasshouse. (Trailing ice plant)Golden Barrel cactus.Thread agaveCacti symmetry (Old Lady Cactus)Cacti Shapes (Euphorbia)Spiny pincushion Cactus.Old Man Cactus
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.
View from a window.Edwardian ToysThe maids roomA mirrored viewThe main room in the house.Top of the stairs
More views around the Gardens
ColoursColoursColoursRhododendronsColours in the water of the sandstone rock pools.Detail in the greenhousePathway 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.
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.
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.
Crowds on the High Street.Market Stalls.Take a look at this flavour.The Mayor of Solihull learning that King Charles may have arrived.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.
Are you ready for “God save the King”?The stage is the big draw for the crowds.The Church grounds are being put to good use.We have toilets and we have balls. What games shall we play?My aim is true.Let’s do some stargazing.Which way?Stamps in a shop window.Time for a cuppa.This cup of tea is most welcome.If there are no cars, then let’s sail a boat down the High Street.Someone in the picture is not happy!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?
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.
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.
A typical woodland scene with bluebells.Bluebell carpet running up the hill.Bluebells gather around a fallen tree.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.
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.
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.
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.
A boy and his dog.A portrait in the bluebell forest.
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.
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.
The edge of the Alpha Tower.Clustering of building lines.HSBC between the buildings No touchingLooking down Beak St to the Raddison BluThe Radisson Blu in Black and White!Surreal reflections of the Library of Birmingham.Tram stop in front of the Town Hall.Tram passing by the Snow Hill Buildings.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.
A conversation outside Birmingham Town hall.
If you enjoyed this blog then how about a splash of colour with your architecture.
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.
Close up of a wild Daffodil.Wild DaffodilsHellebores.
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.
Daffodils and HyacinthsCommon Hyacinth.Grape hyacinth.Forget me not (Siberian bugloss)
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.
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.
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.
The opening of the catacombs.Deep into the catacombs with light at the end of the tunnel.The entrance door at the catacombsThe view from the catacomb entrance.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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
No bluebells as yet but blue grape hyacinths make up the colour.
If you like this post then you may like the following blog.
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.
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.
IgersbirminghamUk at Martineau GardensJenni Fryer CEO Martineau Gardens
– 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.
Peaceful sceneCacti in the greenhouse.Butterflies and Robins.Apple orchardShipwreckedSaucy Nancy
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.
Tree trunkBees at work.The PondThe Woodland Path
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Blossom in the woodland.Getting ready.
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.
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.
Wheel barrow.Can the can.
– 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
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.
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.
The cosy interior of St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth. Note the piano player on the right of the picture.Upwards view showing the intricate features of the brick work.St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth.The interesting addition to the front of the church.A view from the church towards the Warwickshire countryside.
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.
The Victorian St Thomas’s church.Church detailsThe front door.More details
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.
The British School House front view.The door to the school house with the teachers names on the door.The Church cuts an imposing figure against the trees.A view of the front face of the Church
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.
The daffodils are still out in Packwood.The side view of the Church.The beautiful interior of the Church.Beautiful light.The view of the entrance.
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.
