The Fate of the Bull

by Damien Walmsley 08/10/2022 11/10/2022

The Bull in the Car Park, Ladywood, Birmingham, October 2022

The Bull enjoyed an intense period of adulation during the Commonwealth Games as the Birmingham Public took the Bull to their hearts. Standing tall next to the Central Library, the Bull became the main attraction in Centenary Square. I visited the square several times with the family. Whether you were young or old everyone loved the Bull. However, rumblings about its future began to surface as we learnt that it was not going to be a permanent fixture. There was an open debate what would happen after the Commonwealth Games were over. My blog account of that first day when the bull was moved to Centenary Square after that amazing opening ceremony, shows how much it was loved. There was much discussion about the future and the decision was to keep the Bull on show till the end of September.

The Bull at the peak of its powers during the Commonwealth Games

On the hour during the games, there was an amazing display from the Bull. The animatronics included leg movement, shaking of the head and smoke coming out of the nostrils. All this ceased as the team who operated the internal levers and controls moved onto other contract work in the UK. The Bull remained standing proud and was admired by the many visitors who came to Birmingham. Then not quite at the end of September, the Bull was moved from the square. It quickly transpired that its new home was a piece of waste ground in Ladywood near to the Birmingham canal navigations. There were coverings over the structure to protect it from the elements. Protection is needed as the Bull is of mixed construction with a metal outer skin, but internal organs made of foam and electronics. Within its centre was a telehandler, a type of tractor that enabled the bull to be moved around.

So how is the Bull these days? My pictures reveal life as a Bull in Birmingham after the Commonwealth games. The Bull stands alone by the canal behind barbed wire, covered with a tarpaulin. There is a single security guard on duty. My pictures show it is lonely and that people do not know it is around. My picture of the lonely bull with the couple passing by captured the imagination of Instagram and it was featured by BirminghamLive bringing its plight to the attention of the whole of Birmingham.

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

blog

Whistling a Birmingham success

by Damien Walmsley 02/10/2022 04/10/2022

ACME Whistles, Key to the City, Birmingham, 2022

This was one venue that I was not able to book onto during the #keytothecitybrum project and therefore my visit was a few weeks after the Commonwealth Games.

Simon Topman, managing director of 150-year-old ACME Whistles greeted our small group with the words “You are part of the leftovers”. No, this is not a reference to a meal or a restaurant, rather Simon was referring to the “Key to the City”. During the festival, the Whislte tour only took place on Wednesdays, and as I was soon to realise, only small groups could be taken around the factory premises. Therefore, I was one of many that could not get on a tour during the Key to the City dates. I was determined to complete the full set of venues with my key and so I was more than happy to attend and proud to be one of the “leftovers”.

Whilst we waited for Simon to appear for the tour, we had coffee and biscuits in the upper meeting room. The place reminded me of my grandmother’s sitting room with so many fascinating memorabilia on display. There were items from the two wars, recent links to the England football team and the late Queen’s Jubilees. The furniture was wonderfully luxurious, and the focus was all about whistles.

There are several accounts on the Internet about the ACME whistle tours led by Simon, and these have elevated the experience to a legendary status. What does this account add to a thoroughly entertaining 2 hour tour of the factory? To start with, Simon is a first-class raconteur and a master of storytelling. We learnt about the history of the whistle and how the business started. It all began with Joseph Hudson and his invention of the police whistle in the 1870s and the company have not looked back since.

For a photographer, the tour was a delight and I had fun taking pictures of the various factory scenes that unfolded. At the start of the tour we surveyed the bomb damage in the ceiling from WWII. Then we entered the working factory. Each area provided an interesting viewpoint of the making of whistles. What was intriguing was how the light changed throughout the grand Victorian building. The shiny surfaces of numerous whistles resulted in a host of pictures. There were several macro-opportunities of the whistles themselves. The people who worked at the factory were the stars and I hope they did not mind being photographed as their contributions to the manufacture of the whistles was interesting. I took pictures of the different processes that took place in the production of both the metal and plastic ACME whistles. I took the opportunity of photographing Simon and was taken aback when he informed me that not that many people ask to take his photograph during the tours. But like a professional actor, he quickly posed with both whistles and rackets. I would love to spend the day photographing all the people working in the factory. There is so much that is happening that deserves to be recorded.

Then the tour was over. I looked at my watch 2 hours had sped by. The fee for the tours goes directly to charity and the factory has strong links with a local school for children with special educational needs. I brought one of their silent dog whistles and three of their authentic Titanic whistles which is another story that Simon tells so well. It is worth just booking on the tour to hear about how the original whistle was used on the Titanic and its reprise in the successful film.

I left by the front door, admiring the beautiful tiling and other tokens of a long successful business in the world of whistles. Outside the Victorian building looks resplendent and has seen many events during its lifetime. Simon informed me that the front street was to feature in the new ITV series written by Lenny Henry called “Three little birds”. I forgot to mention to Simon that this was an opportunity to market a new whistle to commemorate the Influx of immigrants from Jamaica. Such a whistle would prove to be very popular at carnivals and other celebrations!

There are many accounts on the Internet about the legendary Whistle Tour led by Simon Topman and I have put some of the links below.

Acme Whistle Company Tour with Simon Topman
A trip to remember a detailed account by Ajay from Queen Mary’s Grammar School
Lichfield Science and Engineering Society

Please follow my blog with all the entries to the “Key to the City” start with my Key ceremony. Please follow further links to view the other venues.

Key to the City Brum
Three keys in Birmingham
Key to the trains and the football
My key opens another three locks
Keys to the Blyden’s Garden and the Legacy centre
Time to reflect with my key
Key to Green Lane Mosque
Route 61 and two more keys
The popular key – 103 Colmore Row
Open all hours with my key
No Ghosts were harmed by my Key
The key opens a special meal
Whistling a Birmingham success (This article)

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

blog

No Ghosts were harmed by my Key

by Damien Walmsley 02/10/2022 04/10/2022

Key to the City, Aston Hall Birmingham 2022

Aston Hall is a beautiful Grade 1 listed building near to the Aston Villa football ground and is considered to be a leading example of a building from the Jacobean era. When I arrived at the Hall, a wedding party was setting up. Two Lamborghinis drove up and parked outside the hall. They provided great photographic opportunities.

I went into the house and as it was an early Sunday morning I found that I had the place all to myself. I have been to the Hall several times and always find it fascinating. So many highlights including the room where King Charles 1 stayed during the Civil War. The staircase where there are the remains of cannon ball damage in the wood which have not been repaired. The Long Hall always takes your breath away with its simple magnificence. I made my way to the staircase which leads up Dick Garretts room. Dick Garret was a servant accused of stealing food and then took his life in the Attic room named after him.

Just before Dick Garretts room there is a grandfather clock and to the left a door followed by another door which has a lock. My key opened this door which opened quickly and noisily. Once through the door, there are several rooms that you are able to access. You enter the first two which are unfurnished and then the last one that is furnished with bed, mirror and writing desk. I realised that I was all by myself in this secret area. Aston Hall is supposed to be the most haunted place in Britain. Not only is there the ghost of Dick Garret but a Grey Lady that is seen around the Hall. Fortunately, I did not encounter them or any other ghosts.

Or was the ghost already there, I will never know?

What I did capture is a series of pictures and a fun visit to Aston Hall. If you enjoyed this blog then follow up with an account of an instameet that was held at the Hall.

My Journey with the Key
If you wish to review my journey then I have published all my visits on my blog as follows.

Key to the City Brum
Three keys in Birmingham
Key to the trains and the football
My key opens another three locks
Keys to the Blyden’s Garden and the Legacy centre
Time to reflect with my key
Key to Green Lane Mosque
Route 61 and two more keys
The popular key – 103 Colmore Row
Open all hours with my key
No Ghosts were harmed by my Key (This article)
The key opens a special meal
Whistling a Birmingham success

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

blog

High Vis Festival 2022

by Damien Walmsley 27/09/2022 16/08/2023

The High Vis festival this year was at the Tea Works on Canal street. The wide open setting allowed for a range of Graffiti artists to ply their trade on the surrounding walls. I went to the festival with my family on the Saturday afternoon.

The street art painters were in good form as well, with many ready to chat with you and let you know what they were painting. All the walls were in action and several artists were already working when we arrived. Seeing Annatomix painting was a bonus. The family were keen to get back to the shops and I only discovered her working on her scorpion design on the way out. There were many different art works on display but due to timing, most of them were works in progress. I will go back later in the week to check out the finished artwork. Stay tuned. The queues for the children’s art painting were slow moving and we did not get a chance for the grandchildren to try out some painting. There was just a high demand in that area and we will be ready for next year.

We loved the skate boarding and the energy around the place. The skate boarders were excellent and there was the opportunity to get up close and see them in action. There was a gap which the skaters jumped over before turning around on the ramp. All the skaters negotiated the RedBull Road gap successfully and there was also a rail to skate along as well. The boarders are very skilful and also fun to photograph.The High Vis event is organised by Graffiti Artist and I am already looking forward to the next event in 2023.

If you want to see my report on the High Vis festival 2021 then please take a look. All of my Birmingham Street art posts are popular and I love to support the artists’ work and the High Vis festival.

Birmingham locked down – Poster

£10.50 – £11.00

Select options
Birmingham in lockdown – Poster

£12.00

Add to basket
Birmingham in black and white – Poster

£10.50 – £11.50

Select options
Birmingham – In reflection Photo paper poster

£10.00 – £24.00

Select options
Birmingham canal boats Framed photo paper poster

£26.00 – £104.00

Select options
Birmingham canal boats mug

£9.99 – £13.99

Select options

blog

㉔ hours project

by Damien Walmsley 23/09/2022 26/09/2022

24 Hours Project, Knowle and Birmingham, 10th September 2022

Taking part in the @24hoursproject did challenge me in my photography. I learnt about it from a fellow photographer who also happened to be the UK ambassador for the project. When Anu told me about the project then I just had to get involved. After registering and donating to the designated charity, I got ready for the day. The charity chosen by the 24 hour team was supporting the work of Yonton Te which means “heart of the tree”. The donations will go to a local community in Chapas Mexico and the website provides more information on this worthwhile cause.

The theme of the 24 hours was to document the general human condition with emotions of love, humour, sadness, joy, fulfilment, pain, loneliness). As you will see from my photographs, I strayed away from the brief. This was not my intention but I was so focussed on getting a picture done once an hour that I forgot about the theme. Reviewing the photo feed of the project, many people went into their local cities, whilst I decided to base my 24 hours around my life at home. You will see that my first 8 hours evolved around sleeping and my breakfast. Also there were not many people stirring in Knowle village early on a Saturday morning.

At 10:00 am I went into Birmingham. By chance, my train driver was Yo Naysan, a fellow photographer. As the train pulled in he stuck his head out of the driver’s window and said hello. On arriving into Birmingham, I met up with Anu and her partner Kate and wandered around the city. I photographed the PoliNations display in Victoria Square, the Library of Birmingham, Gas Street Basin and the University of Birmingham, Exchange. There were people queuing for the book of remembrance for the Queen.

Many of these are linked to tackling climate change and foolishly I did not take pictures of people. However in my outtakes I did and you will see many of these were fun pictures. Driving back home I pondered my contribution to the 24 hour project and took several pictures in the village at night. To recap, the main aim for this project was to experience 24 hours of pictures and see if I was able to complete the task. I succeeded in this task next year will be able to tackle the project in a different way as I know what to expect.

And just for fun here are my outtakes of the day.

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

blog

Keys to the Blyden’s Garden and the Legacy Centre

by Damien Walmsley 15/08/2022 03/10/2022

Key to the City Brum, Fierce Festival, 2022, Blyden's Garden

My next two venues for #keytothecitybrum were close to each other and both were intriguing. They took me to a part of Birmingham that I have rarely visited. I have had no previous reason to visit the area and I have only passed through on the dual carriage way onto Perry Barr. The north west part of the City is relatively unknown to me and I was about to find out that I had missed some hidden gems.

The Blyden’s Garden

This was a delightful place to visit. A private garden in the middle of Birmingham. When the #keystothecitybrum were released, this place was the most intriguing. A small plot of land was going to be shared with the larger Birmingham community. I did not know what to expect and headed out to the garden. Finding Brooklyn Avenue, I went along to the end of the cul-de-sac and located the road that went behind house 63. The place did not look inviting and one of the houses on the street had a stack of rubbish on the front lawn. I turned the corner and at first did not register anything except an open gate. As I took in my surroundings, I saw a shocking pink door with a welcome sign.

This was nothing like the picture in the booklet! My key fitted the lock. The door needed a good pull as it opened towards me and once inside I discovered a quiet oasis. The place was set out with herb plants including strawberries. There were motivational words hung up on the surrounding fences. There was a large bench where you could sit down and survey your surroundings.

A blackboard was set up near to the door and someone had written in chalk a question of the day.

“If you could go back in time and meet your 10-year-old self. What advice would you give yourself?”

I am not sure that my answer was profound enough for the board, but it was fun to participate. I took a few pictures and then sat down. I took some time out to reflect and soak in the ambiance of the garden. Then I took some pictures and before long (around 10 minutes later), I decided it was time to move onto the next venue on my #keytothecitybrum quest.

Thank you to the Daniel and Rebecca Blyden for making this happen. A lovely experience and one to treasure. I found this link about their garden and gives more insight into their vision

Legacy Centre of Excellence

The Legacy Centre of Excellence is on Potters Lane, Birmingham. Upon arrival, I was made welcome by Sarah who showed me what my key unlocked in the building. The room I entered had pictures made from card cut-outs hanging on the wall. These were drawn by Dr Martin Glynn, lecturer in Criminology at Birmingham City University. The collection of pictures was called “Moments and Memories” and were inspired by the Covid19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.

Key to the City Brum, Fierce Festival, 2022, the Legacy Centre — Moments and Memories

Dr Glynn investigated the themes of reflection and during his journey wished to immerse his audience into his work. Dr Glynn’s pictures resonated with my own reflections. I have done a series of articles of life during and after the pandemic. In a similar way, I have been on a part of Dr Glynn’s journey. His cut-outs provided very powerful imagery.

Sarah gave me details of the Legacy centre and showed me the main stage that was set up for a B2022 Commonwealth Games Community Engagement event: A journey through Windrush. Sarah agreed to having her picture taken and I discovered that she is an artist in her own right and examples of her work are on her Instagram site @whitecanaryillustration. Another fascinating place on my Journey with the Key.

My Journey with the Key
If you wish to review my journey then I have published all my visits on my blog as follows.

Key to the City Brum
Three keys in Birmingham
Key to the trains and the football
My key opens another three locks
Keys to the Blyden’s Garden and the Legacy centre
Time to reflect with my key
Key to Green Lane Mosque
Route 61 and two more keys
The popular key – 103 Colmore Row
Open all hours with my key
No Ghosts were harmed by my Key
The key opens a special meal
Whistling a Birmingham success

Link to the Legacy Centre

https://legacycoe.co.uk

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

blog

The Birmingham Bull

by Damien Walmsley 31/07/2022 01/08/2022

The star of the commonwealth games is the mechanical bull that was revealed at the opening ceremony. It stands 10 metres tall and sits atop a motorised vehicle that allows it to be manoeuvred. Both the head and the legs move and there are numerous working clogs and gears. When viewed close up, the details are astounding.

The Bull wowed the world at the opening ceremony and then immediately afterwards was escorted to centenary square in the City Centre. The public response has been amazing and as soon as news leaked out that it would be dismantled after the games, there have been a multitude of calls for it to stay. A petition has been set up and Birmingham City Council is being lobbied to keep the bull. The difficulty is that it is not easy to find a place to display a 10 metre high mechanical bull but a lot of thought is being given on how to achieve this. Meanwhile the Bull is attracting large crowds and everyone wants to have a selfie taking in the backdrop of Birmingham. Here are some pictures including intricate details of the bull for you to enjoy.

At the start of the week, the plan was to dismantle the bull at the end of the games. Now the City Council are planning to keep it due to the popularity of the structure. Fingers crossed people far and wide will be able to enjoy seeing this remarkable metallic puppet for many years to come.

Read these articles from the BBC to find out more.
Commonwealth Bull” A tourist attraction
Birmingham Commonwealth Games: Council considers keeping bull in the city

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

blog

Birmingham, Perry and the Commonwealth Games

by Damien Walmsley 27/07/2022 28/07/2022

Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022 City Centre

The Commonwealth games are coming to Birmingham and the City council has gone overboard to make sure that the streets and roads are looking their very best. There are new pieces of artwork, refurbishing of old artwork and the enhancement of buildings. All guaranteed to make a Brummie proud. The following pictures provide a flavour of what is taking place across the City. Birmingham is making a statement to the Commonwealth and the World that it is a vibrant and exciting place to visit.

Lots of pictures around the city and it has been so exciting to see it all. I just hope this leaves a lasting legacy on the City of Birmingham. John Bray of the BBC has put together a wonderful set of images of Birmingham and his photography is excellent.
Commonwealth Games: Bright colours transform Birmingham landmarks – BBC

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

blog

Made in Birmingham/Made in Sydney

by Damien Walmsley 25/07/2022 02/08/2022

Amongst all the excitement along the colourful streets of Birmingham, there is another success story of the city taking place during the Commonwealth Games. Wandering over to Oozells square and there is a public art display that has the power to match the other artistic events that are taking place. The IKON gallery features an exhibition of the work of three artists: Yhonnie Scarce, Salote Tawale and Osman Yousefzada. The work is diverse yet integrated and visual. They come together on subjects that cover different themes. Having my camera with me was a real bonus as each art installation offers opportunities for picture taking. The exhibits are on the first floor and all three have the necessary space which allows you to appreciate them. The first room I entered contained The Need Breeder (2002) by Australian Aboriginal Artist, Yhonnie Scarce. Suspended from the ceiling were 600 glass droplets each having different shades of opacity. The installation was mesmerising with the light falling on the different shapes allowing a range of interpretations. What they represent is the crystallisation of the Australia desert following British Nuclear tests in the fifties. Together the glass droplets represent a nuclear explosion. Each droplet represents the death from nuclear tests. Powerful, moving and relevant in this present political climate.

The next room had three video projections which spanned the room. The film that ran for around 9 minutes was put together by Osman Yousefyaza. Having met Osman at a Moseley Coffee house, I immediately felt a connection. Spaces of Transcendence (2022) is a film that was made in Pakistan and contains powerful moving images of rituals set against a captivating backdrop of the country. There were gestures and facial close ups that pulled me into the story without words. I found the throw of the cloth into the saucers containing colour water fascinating. The main characters in the film absorbed my intention. I can not work out if the film is on a loop as there was no introduction or end just a complete immersion in the imagery. I loved it.

It was nearly closing time at the IKON when I came into the room with the instillation by Salote Tamale called YOU, ME, ME, YOU. There were three TV screens as distinct to Osman’s work which was projected on much larger screens. A continuous video was playing that darted from one theme to another. There were underwater pictures and then scenes in a tropical jungle. It was a different but refreshing approach to the presentation by Osman in the previous room. Slowly my eyes took notice of the decoration of the room and the recurring pattern. After a while it was this that started to demand my attention. The repeating colourful pattern needed to be photographed as you will see.

The exhibition was excellent and I felt a sense of calm coming away from the IKON Gallery. The exhibition coincides the Birmingham 2022 games and there will be many people arriving into Birmingham from different places and cultures. The work of these three artists starts to unravel and re-ravel the different interactions of people around the world. Birmingham is privileged to be able to host this unique display of art at the IKON gallery.

My pictures of these artists work provide a simple snapshot of this moving visit and there is more information about each artist on the web.

Yhonnie Scarce
Osman Yousefzada
Salote Tawale

This links you to more information about the exhibition at the IKON.

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

blog

The discs are back in town

by Damien Walmsley 20/07/2022 25/07/2022

The Selfridges building is now back to its full glory after a period of renovation. The silver discs were causing problems by becoming detached and falling off the building. All this was happening prior to the pandemic. There were additional problems as the original manufacturer of the discs was no longer operating and a new supplier needed to be found. When the contractors were ready, they covered the building in a spectacular pink and black cover designed by Osman Yousefzada and underneath this “skin” replaced the discs. I liked the Infinity Pattern 1 design as it was a such a different take on the building.

The repair work continued during and after the pandemic. Finally, the scaffolding came down revealing the new replacement discs. I take part in a weekly photographic project and the week’s theme was geometry. The Selfridges building is perfect for this theme and I went out and about with my camera taking pictures to accentuate the amazing patterns. There was also the chance to get some interaction with reflections of people sitting next to the building. There was a good reaction to the pictures and I find that many people love the design. There are many people who dislike the building but everyone agrees it does put Birmingham on the map.

I have included some past posts which will provide details of my previous photographic blogs that have involved this iconic building.

Selfridges Study

The Changing Face of Selfridges

A Day in Bourton-on-the-Water coaster

£14.00

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light – Cork-back coaster

£14.50

Add to basket
Poppies in the Light Framed Poster

£33.50

Add to basket

Previous page 1 … 6 7 8 9 10 … 15 Next page

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Tag Archives: Birmingham