Autumnal colours at Birmingham Botanical Gardens lights up IgersbirminghamUK Instameet

by Damien Walmsley 15/11/2023 21/11/2023

Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Birmingham, November 2023

Birmingham Botanical Gardens have been an important part of my life in Birmingham. I have attended many student balls and other celebratory events at the Hospitality suites. When I was President of the BSSPD Dental society I held my annual dinner at the Botanical Gardens during Spring 2013. The after dinner speaker that evening was Birmingham’s very own Don Maclean. We held our pre-dinner drinks on the London Terrace. Other memories include attending the Luminate night time light show during a previous Instameet. However I have not taken the opportunity to view the gardens in more detail. Therefore, I was so pleased that IgersbirminghamUK approached the Botanical Gardens to arrange a photographic Instameet. The Gardens were very enthusiastic about the idea and we agreed to visit in the Autumn when the leaves would be turning colour.

We arranged to meet on a glorious Saturday Remembrance Day morning. There was a good number of IgersbirminghamUK photographers attending the meeting and our first duty of the day was to observe a minute’s silence at 11 o’clock. We then entered the gardens and met Sara the CEO. Sara was so welcoming and enthusiastic about the Botanical Gardens. She gave us an introduction to the charity and then outlined the future vision for the Gardens. There are exciting and ambitious plans to remodel the site. Sara showed maps and plans of what would be done over the coming two to three years.

IgersbirminghamUK instameets begin with an introduction and a group photograph. Once this is completed then we are free to go out and explore the gardens. I always get caught up with talking with other Igers photographers and forget to take the photographs. Catching up with people is part of the social activity of an Instameet. The glasshouses is the first area that you encounter when entering the gardens. I spent time photographing the beautiful Koi carp in the fountain area. The narrow corridors and the layout of the plants make this area very attractive and bring you close to the plants. I forgot to capture the beautiful circular window onto the gardens but many others did not. This is one of many reasons why I will return as there are so many different features to see and photograph. Leaving the glasshouses, I had an audience with the residents of the Terrace aviary. The birds were very talkative. You get pulled along when visiting the gardens and the London Terrace naturally guides you along with its wide embracing veranda and views. Here you have to stop and take in the beauty of the scene. The rolling bank of the lawn leads your gaze out to the Lawn Aviary and the Band stand. The sunlight was bright and lit up several trees whose leaves were turning a golden brown. The light captured and intensified the colours. I found myself stuck in the area around the bandstand just taking photographs of the scene unfolding before me.

I looked at my watch and realised that I had only seen a small part of the Gardens. I needed to move on. The Lawn Aviary is one of the buildings that will receive a major make over and the architectural design is captivating. I look forward to when it is receives an upgrade. Walking thought the Aviary, I dropped down the bank to Wilson Walk and came across the Urban garden area. Whilst this area requires renovation, for a photographer the place was full of strong shadows and light. There is some neglect and overgrowth of the plants and this appeals to my photographic eye. Another area where I found time slowed down for me was the Rock Garden and Memory pool. Water always creates reflections and the Rock pool offered many different views. Walking back via the colourful Acer trees was a treat and I slowly realised that I had done a full circle as I arrived back at the London Terrace. After browsing through the shop and stopping to say thank yous, my final pictures were of the entrance arches. I am unsure whether these will still be around after the renovation and I took several pictures of them against the sun to create diffraction effects with the light.

Time to go back home and process all the pictures that I had taken. A big thank you to Birmingham Botanical Gardens for allowing us to visit. These are my pictures of the event and there were some fantastic photographs from other members on the Instameet. The way to find these photographs is to follow the hashtag #igbuk_meet_botanical on Instagram. You may need to delve into individual photographers’ accounts to see more pictures due to the nature of the dreaded Instagram algorithm. You will be rewarded with some beautiful views of the gardens.

The IgersbirminghamUK team have visited other sites and places and you may wish to follow the links below to see what takes place during our meetings. You are most welcome to attend our Instameets.

These are some of my blogs on our visits to other sites around Birmingham with the IgersbirminghamUK team.

IgersbirminghamUK invited by Friends of Edgbaston Reservoir to hold an Instameet.

Martineau Gardens Instameet – IgersbirminghamUK

blog

Is it Christmas yet? Birmingham thinks it is!

by Damien Walmsley 12/11/2023 21/11/2023

German Christmas Market, Birmingham, Nov 2023

Amazingly, I have not written a blog about the German Christmas market in Birmingham. I have taken pictures of the Christmas markets but many of them are single photos on my social streams. My first observation is that the markets are set up way too early. The present one opened up on the 2nd November 2023. This is crazy yet when I visited the city centre a week after the opening, there were many visitors enjoying the early experience of Christmas. Over the years there is a pattern as the markets extend more and more. However, there was a grand reset in Christmas 2020 with the Pandemic but now the markets are back to their former self.

In Centenary square, there is the Big wheel, an ice skating rink and other spinning attractions. The pedestrian link to Victoria square is more subdued as it is private land although the restaurants in and around Chamberlain square are doing well.

The real noise and excitement starts in Victoria square and this is with you all the way down to the Bull Ring. Shops selling food and drink. The prices are very high considering there is standing room only. The shops also sell other items such as candles, jewellery and gifts you never knew you wanted. I expect most of these gifts will be put away or recycled after Christmas.

My purpose for going to the early Christmas market was to take pictures. Every photographer in Birmingham has to post a picture of the market on their Instagram account. I did not want to be left out so armed with my iPhone and x100v, I braved the crowds on a Thursday night. Taking pictures with the iPhone is straightforward although I hold onto it firmly as I do not want it snatched away from me. Taking a camera out and then putting it on a tripod does generate some attention so I used the tripod sparingly and looked for convenient surfaces to rest the camera.

My plan for photographs including taking pictures of spinning things including the beautiful carousel in Victoria Square. I was also keen to capture some of the atmosphere and fun that people were having by being around the market. Taking pictures is not easy as people get in the way and are not posing for you. Therefore at different places in the market, I grabbed what opportunity that I could and moved on. I also walked back from the Bull Ring via Gas Street basin which was less crowded and therefore easier for photographing.

When I got home, I was initially disappointed with my pictures. I am always like this as I want every picture to be a winner. I know that is never the case and I was just hoping that I had captured some good ones. I am always surprised by the pictures that look good and were opportunistic rather than the ones that I had planned in my mind.

So this is a snapshot of the Christmas market in Birmingham 2023. I am sure that I will look back on these in a few years time and cringe at them. There is still another Christmas market to open around the Birmingham Cathedral which happens to be more picturesque. Maybe some photographs of this market will feature in my future blog postings.

Walking back along the canal to Gas Street Basin, there was the opportunity to take some long exposure pictures. I liked this one of Stop Lock Bridge on the Old Birmingham Canal.

Looking back in the archives I found that I have Christmas in 2018 and also what Christmas Trees looked like in 2020, the year of the Pandemic. They make for interesting comparisons.

blog

Featured in the book – my reflections on Landscape Photographer of the Year 2023

by Damien Walmsley 26/10/2023 21/11/2023

Such great news. My picture “Reflections in Floodgate Street” was highly commended in the 2003 UK Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. This year I had two pictures and I was also commended for my picture “Fog in Gas Street Basin“. Both pictures feature in the Cityscapes section of the competition. This is the second year running that I have made the UKLPOTY book and I am very pleased with my achievement. I have written a fuller account of the background of both pictures together with some photographic tips and reflections on entering Landscape Photography of the Year.

Reflections in Floodgate Street

A classic picture of early morning on Floodgate Street in Digbeth. Not many people are stirring at this time and the lights do not turn off until 15 mins before sunrise. These old industrial buildings are a mixture of small businesses during the day and lively nighttime venues at night. The area is also well known for its street art and many artists have put up murals on the walls. The street got its name from the use of two “floodgates” that were used to stop any flooding from the nearby river Rea. This area of Birmingham was known for its wells and springs hence the street name.

This early morning picture was taken during a chance visit to Digbeth, Birmingham. I took advantage of the rainswept streets which provided reflections of the old industrial buildings and street art. I love the warm streetlights contrasting against the blue hour sky.

Post production notes – Straightened, contrast, highlights and shadows adjusted: texture, vignette and unsharp mask filter applied, levels lifted

Taking pictures of Urban landscapes

Go low for the picture is always great advice, a smaller camera or phone allows you to do this. The low viewpoint with a slight upwards angle provides a different view of an everyday scene and gets the viewer’s attention. I will sit down or kneel to see the viewfinder, as phones and some older cameras do not have a tilt screen.

Reflections are always fascinating for the viewer and so look for windows, puddles or shiny surfaces. The time after a spell of rain is a good time for mirrored views. However, combining both the low viewpoint and water puddles may be challenging for the photographer and camera!

Fog in Gas Street Basin

On a foggy day in January, I was lucky to find myself at Gas street canal basin in Birmingham City Centre which is a popular place for photography. The fog had created a ghostly backdrop around the area. The water was very still providing a perfect reflection. The old buildings stood out and the flash of yellow strips on the canal boats provided some welcome colour in the fog. The modern hotel in the background is faded providing an interesting background canvas. The eyes are drawn to the trees in the centre of the photograph and their reflections in the water. If you look carefully, there is a lone person in the picture admiring the view. This was an opportunistic photograph as the fog rolled in changed the nature of the scene.

Post production notes. This was taken on my iPhone and there was adjustment of the highlights and shadows and small minor changes of contrast. Some dodging of the colours on the boats was done to lift them out of the fog.

More reflections on UKLPOTY 2023

My second successful year in the LPOTY competition and I realise which of my photographs are getting the love and why this is the case. I dream of being successful in the classic view category. Pictures of beautiful mountains, gorgeous light and a lead in that takes your eye into the picture and beyond. However it looks as if my skill set is photographing the city. I love nothing more than wandering around the streets with my Fujifilm x100v and my iPhone. Also the best time to be out and about is at daybreak or sunset. Why is this? The light is magical at these times of day. The trouble is that cities are very quiet in the morning and staying safe is important. At night they are crowded but the quieter spots are where the light dwells. Again staying safe at night is key.

Try to be different in your picture taking. Even just thinking of taking a different picture starts you thinking on how to photograph an urban scene. Often this may not work out and you can go home frustrated. It is easily said but do not despair as that next picture is just around the corner. Be ready for it and when you see the scene, grab the opportunity.

I also enjoy looking at other people’s pictures and also where possible watch how they take their photographs. Learning from others is important. Any advice helps and I always listen to what people say. I have two photography friends, who have taught me the following. First, exercise patience and wait for those opportunities to arrive as they will. Secondly always look out for the small things as they matter and you have to be ready for them.

My entry to LPOTY 2022 “Regency Wharf” is highlighted in this blog and you will see that Gas Street Basin features again.

This is the Amateur Photographer news item where they select their favourite images and ask the photographer to provide two tips.

Latest products

Fog in Gas street basin mug

Whether you’re drinking your morning coffee, evening tea, or something in between—this mug’s for you! It’s sturdy and glossy with…

Order today

Reflections in Floodgate Street Poster with hangers

Feel the force Postcard

blog

The Ringway Centre and the legacy of brutalist Birmingham

by Damien Walmsley 06/10/2023 07/10/2023

The Ringway Centre, Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham October 2023

Carchitecture is the architectural term where buildings and cars influence each other on the design of a city. Birmingham is a prime example of this form of architecture planning. The city suffered extensive bombing during the war and there were opportunities to plan a new streetmap. The car was correctly predicted to be the vehicle of the future and construction techniques such as reinforced concrete allowed for new approaches to building design. First off, I am not an architect and secondly I only arrived in Birmingham with my family in 1985. My first impressions were not favourable as car journeys into the city centre were stressful. Walking around the city was a challenge as you were faced with many pedestrian underpasses designed to allow the car priority.

Over the years Birmingham has improved greatly and I love many of the new buildings especially the Library of Birmingham and Selfridges. However, there are still remnants of brutalist architecture and one of these is the Ringway Centre on Smallbrook Queensway which connects Bristol Road with the Bull Ring and New Street. Birmingham is always undergoing change and there is a Facebook page titled. “Birmingham, so good when it is finished”. This change has now involved the Ringway Centre which has been the focus of local news. The city council has narrowly decided to demolish the building and replace it with several residential towers not made from concrete but with glass and steel.

The intense debate gave me an idea for a personal photographic project. I would go along and photograph the building and area over a couple of hours early in the morning. I looked back through my photographs and realised that I have few pictures of the Ringway Centre. This was a complete surprise especially as I have travelled through there many times.

My project started with a sunny morning and this helped as the low sun reflected off buildings onto the Ringway. The buildings are covered in a purple wrapping celebrating Birmingham and the Commonwealth games in 2022. Parts of this covering are starting to become torn and peeling away from the building. My journey started at the top of Smallbrook Queensway near to the Bullring and I walked down towards Southside onto Holloway Circus also known as “Pagoda Island”.

Along the way there is some amazing street art with much of the painting completed during Lockdown. This artwork is on boarded up shop windows and I remember some fine guitar shops being housed here in the past. The western part of the Ringway Centre is populated with convenience shops, barber salons and other food outlets. The building is named Scala house and on ground level there is the Birmingham LGBT centre and finally the Eden bar. One assumes all these businesses will vacate the buildings in the near future.

urban contemporary artwork painted By Lucy McLauchlan — Convenience store.

When we reached Pagoda Island, I took pictures back down Smallbrook Queensway.

There were several places where you can photograph behind the Ringway Centre, these include local car parks which back onto Southside and the China town area of the city. One picture that I had to take was of the circular fire escapes at the rear of the building. They have a unique design and are a favourite subject for local photographers.

On reflection the Ringway Centre has not featured prominently in my photographic journey until I decided upon this series of pictures. During my working days in the city, the dental school was based over by Aston. When the school moved to Pebble Mill, the 61/63 and the 45/47 buses went down Smallbrook Queensway but I have few pictures of the details of the place.

Other regrets include seeing the inside the building but I guess that will not be possible as it is set for demolition. There was an Odeon cinema in the building and there are pictures of the abandoned area in a feature on the BirminghamLive website

Further information

Other activities that have taken place inside the Ringway Centre over the years include a large gym overlooking the cross ways at the end of Hurst Street. The original tenants of the offices were connected with the railway industry but the spaces have long been vacated. If you are after a history of the Ringway Centre then Wikipedia is a great starting point.

The aim of this blog is to show a photographic record of the building after the Council voted to demolish the building.

Finally if you wish to buy a concrete model of the building then head over to the Space.Play site that has a concrete model of the Ringway Centre plus many other brutalist icons of Birmingham.

Camera Settings – Except for a couple of iPhone pictures, the majority of the pictures were taken with my Canon D5 mk4 and my EF24-70mm f/2 lens. I always have it on manual setting which is a throwback to my father’s tuition. I was taught manual and use priority settings sparingly. I have a polariser filter on my camera that stops it down and this sometimes catches me out hence the blur on the pink taxi picture. My big camera is fun to use but is a magnet for people staring at you when taking pictures in an urban setting. Post processing is a case of increasing contrast and upping the shadows. This is a trick I learnt from reading Scott Kelby photographic books as it brings out the colours. A few other minor adjustments are done as I try to keep the feel of how the picture was taken. As with many of my pictures, I love the stories associated with the photography and one of the reasons that I enjoy writing this blog.

blog

High Vis 2023 celebrating 50 years of HipHop

by Damien Walmsley 13/08/2023 16/08/2023

HiVis 2023 celebrating 50 years of HipHop, The Paintwork's, Digbeth.

The Printworks on Fazeley street was the venue for this year’s High Vis festival. The event celebrated 50 years of HipHop bringing together Birmingham’s street artists and dancers. I went along on the Saturday afternoon and many of the street artists were nearing the completion of their street art. Printworks is on the other side of the railway bridge to HS2 and several artists were working underneath the bridge at the junction of New Canal street and Fazeley street. Security personnel from HS2 were present and a little bemused by what was taking place. The festival people were friendly and in good form chatting about the artwork and catching up with friends, some of whom were heading off to Birmingham City’s first home match of the season. The street outside the Printworks was traffic free thanks to the HS2 works although many of the signs were caught up in paint spray.

As with any street art, the colours are vibrant and the artwork eye catching. Inside the yard there was a large grinning face of Tempo33 looking down on the street art. Centre place was a caravan that was getting the Spray-paint treatment. The walls inside the yard were taken up with different artwork. Inside the building there was constant supply of HipHop music with dancers displaying their different skills. If there are any credits missing then please let me know via my socials. I have added (*) where I am unsure of artists.

All this activity was excellent for photography purposes and my Fujifilm x100v was put to good use. Outside the camera was on aperture priority with the colour balance set at daylight. For the hip hop dancing, I went for high ISO, f/5.6 and shutter speed 1/500. The dancers were fun to capture, with the freeze frame pictures. Their expressions tell so many stories.

This is my third documentation of the High Vis festival and I have included my blogs from the last two for further reading. Take a look at the two films made for the BBC by John Bray.
– Birmingham High-Vis Festival returns to celebrate street culture
– Street artists bring vibrant colours to Birmingham

High Vis Festival 2022

High Vis Festival 2021

blog

Pictures at an exhibition celebrating the beauty of photographs from Westside BID calendar

by Damien Walmsley 08/08/2023 12/08/2023

Winning photograph Westside BID calendar 2023

Westside BID organised a celebratory evening around the photography competition for the 2023 calendar. We all gathered at the Flapper Pub near Cambrian wharf where we met our fellow winners and local business people. There were councillors from Birmingham City Council present as well. The pictures were hung around the room and the MC interviewed each photographer in turn. Then the food was served and there was a chance to meetest people. The evening sun shone over the canal allowing us the chance to soak in the warmth. The last few weeks have been very wet, so the sun was welcome. There were interviews to be done and pictures to be taken. My picture was the overall winner and is shown above, although any of the other ones could have won as well. The two videos plus the story of the night provide a great memory of the event. Thanks to Westside BID for the support of photography through the calendar.

Two videos and multiple pictures from Westside BID’s 2023 calender exhibition

The Flapper Pub, Birmingham, 2023 — A beautiful evening for the WestsideBIDS celebration evening

Latest products

Fog in Gas street basin mug

Whether you’re drinking your morning coffee, evening tea, or something in between—this mug’s for you! It’s sturdy and glossy with…

Order today

Reflections in Floodgate Street Poster with hangers

Feel the force Postcard

blog

Memories of the Colmore Food Festival 2023

by Damien Walmsley 23/07/2023 24/07/2023

The Colmore Food Festival provides a great opportunity to sample food from some of the best restaurants in Birmingham. I was determined to visit and sample the food at the festival. There was one drawback, the rain. Waking up on Saturday, the forecast was not good with the prospect of a soggy day ahead. Motivating the family to go into Birmingham on such a wet day was not easy and the train strikes compounded the problem. Once I had convinced everyone, we set off for the city centre. Parking turned out to be straightforward and we made our way from New Street station to St Philips Cathedral. The area around the Cathedral is known as Pigeon Park and in the northern quarter nearest to Snow Hill station, the Colmore Food Festival was set up and in full flow.

So was it worth the effort to get there? The answer is Yes. We enjoyed the festival. There was so much to like. The choice of food outlets was excellent and for the family we were split between Asha’s and Purnell’s. We went for dishes from both and were not disappointed. The food was well cooked and so tasty. There was a chance to wash it down with a glass of Purity’s session IPA from Purecraft beer stall. Once the main course was finished, we browsed the other stalls and kept going back to Miss Macaroons for dessert. The brightly coloured meringue-based sandwich cookies were in many different flavours. Our choice included the following Pistachio, Rhubarb and orange, strawberry, and caramel. There were many more there. We all agree that the food stalls were excellent and I apologise that I cannot review more of what was on offer but there is only so much we could eat.

My grandson was spoilt rotten. He received a free spiderman face paint, free drawing materials, a book, and a balloon. He was very happy which also made mum and grandparents very pleased. This was the detail that made the food festival a success for the family. Not only was the food good but the children were well looked after. The music was good as well even though dancing on the wet ground was a challenge. Everyone was in a happy mood despite the rain. I am already looking forward to next year’s food festival and I don’t think it will be a problem motivating the family to go whatever the weather.

I hope you enjoy the pictures which were all taken on my Fujifilm x100v. The camera is weatherproofed which makes it ideal when the weather is wet. I even had someone come up to me to ask about the camera as he liked the look of it so much.

Finally a big thanks to Colmore Row Business District for organising the food festival. I have provided a link to CBD and the food festival so you can make a note of the event for next year.

Colmore Food Festival

Latest products

Fog in Gas street basin mug

Whether you’re drinking your morning coffee, evening tea, or something in between—this mug’s for you! It’s sturdy and glossy with…

Order today

Reflections in Floodgate Street Poster with hangers

Feel the force Postcard

blog

Good morning from Eastside and Digbeth.

by Damien Walmsley 22/07/2023 23/07/2023

I enjoy a photographic walk with my Fujifilm x100v camera around the streets of Birmingham. The early hours are best when few people are around and about. This series of photographs begins at Eastside where the HS2 works are taking place. Digbeth was next and I returned to Birmingham along the canal exiting again near to the HS2 works.

What is there to tell you about my walk? No surprises, as building in Birmingham has not finished and HS2 is still digging and putting up barriers. I took a few pictures and was interested to see BBC midlands covering the HS2 disruption in the evening news. Why is HS2 taking so long and why is there so much disruption? I do get upset with the blasé way they are undertaking the HS2 works. I am sure it will look wonderful when finished but is it worth the upheaval and time taken.
The latest BBC item puts HS2 under the spotlight.

Digbeth was quiet for a Monday morning and since the pandemic there is less footfall during business hours. The nightlife is always busy but there is a definite change in activity during the day. My next observation is the encroachment of high rise living around Digbeth and the loss of character with the demolition and neglect of buildings.

There are several brownfield sites around the area that will become large skyscrapers. Other signs of change include the former Typhoo tea building which is starting to see activity around the relocation of the BBC to the building. Change may not always be positive and one of my pictures is outside what was the DigBrew entrance. Sadly this excellent brewery has ceased trading and artwork from the street artist Tempo33 marks the spot.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-66199790 — Don’t go there.

There is much chaotic colour around the streets of Digbeth and the morning sun brings out the light and shadows. The canalside is another area in Digbeth that is changing with several buildings undergoing renovation. How this change will progress will be interesting to document in future months.

My final picture was taken on my iPhone as I went past the Selfridges building. I went low and framed the iconic discs in the background. I was in luck as a woman walked past although she was confused by what I was doing. The picture turned out well but was also a reminder not to attract undue attention during my street photography.

Returning to the HS2 theme then there are more stories about the construction on my blog. I have been documenting 16 acre wood and the damage caused by HS2 around Balsall Common since 2020. Here is my account of this part of the HS2.

The damage to 16 acre wood

Latest products

Fog in Gas street basin mug

Whether you’re drinking your morning coffee, evening tea, or something in between—this mug’s for you! It’s sturdy and glossy with…

Order today

Reflections in Floodgate Street Poster with hangers

Feel the force Postcard

blog

Day out to the Confetti fields and Pershore old bridge

by Damien Walmsley 07/07/2023 09/07/2023

Visit to Confetti fields and Pershore, 2023

There is a rush of colour to the eyes when you first see the Confetti Fields in Wick near Pershore. The family have been going to the fields since 2018 and every time the colours of the flowers surprise me. The delphinium flowers are white, purple, pink, or lilac blue. They are set out in lines along the field in a regimented style. Nature has a few quirks as in each line of colour there is some cross contamination that adds a small local contrast of colour. One line is of mixed colour and then around the edges are wildflower displays which add another touch of contrast. The family enjoy the day out to the fields and on arrival we walk to the top of the field before slowly making our way back through the paths created in the lines of flowers. Along the way there are lengthy stops for photographs. The viewing platform provides an overall view of the whole field and my grandchildren enjoy the trip up the steps to see the colourful flowers up high.

This year I brought along my 85mm portrait lens, and it proved to be a big success in the family portraits. The lens gives a superb focus and a nice bokeh to the pictures. Having taken in the flower fields, we walk past the refreshments to the car. We learnt long ago that buying bunches of delphiniums cause problems. They look delightful to begin with but rapidly shed their petals when placed in a flower vase.

Every year we have a picnic ready for the park in Pershore which is near to the Abbey. However, this year our visit clashed with a brass band festival. Everywhere was busy and there were no parking places available. We were very disappointed. As we headed out of Pershore, my daughter and I remembered a small car park that we had driven past near to the old Pershore bridge. We pulled into the car park and found spaces. There were also picnic benches. A bonus included a viewing platform overlooking the river Avon. The platform was between the new and old bridge and allowed us to view people kayaking on the river. As several narrowboats passed by, the grandchildren were able to wave to the people on board. Whilst we were on the platform, I met Rob preparing his kayak for a paddle on the river Avon. My picture shows him setting up his kayak surrounded by the other equipment laid out on the viewing platform.

The historic Pershore bridge, which is now pedestrian only, has so much history attached to it. In 1413, the abbot of Pershore Abbey lost his life here on the old wooden bridge, The monks rebuilt it in stone. During the English Civil war, the King ordered the bridge to be destroyed to prevent the advancing Parliamentarian army from crossing it. The demolition, led by a Major Bridge, went disastrously wrong leading to the deaths by drowning of 40 Royalist soldiers. In World War 2 ,the bridge was fortified in the event of a German invasion.

Now the place is a picnic area and Rob can kayak peacefully beyond the bridge from Pershore to Evesham.

The family loved the day as can be seen from the photographs. If you want to learn more about our day out then I have provided some links below

The Real Confetti Flower company

HOME

Visit Pershore with details of all the activities in the area

I also recorded past visits to the Confetti fields in 2020, 2019, and 2018. Pictures from 2021 and 2022 were featured on my Flickr and Instagram accounts.

Home

Latest products

Fog in Gas street basin mug

Whether you’re drinking your morning coffee, evening tea, or something in between—this mug’s for you! It’s sturdy and glossy with…

Order today

Reflections in Floodgate Street Poster with hangers

Feel the force Postcard

blog

Visiting and photographing Maxstoke Castle

by Damien Walmsley 15/06/2023 24/06/2023

Maxstoke Castle, Near Coleshill, June 2023.

Maxstoke Castle is very distinctive built in red brick with all the requirements for being a castle on the checklist. There are walls and towers with a large moat circling the building. Inside there are living quarters and gardens. Maxstoke is said to be very unusual because the castle is still the same as when it was built in 1345. During the English Civil War the castle was used as a garrison by the Parliamentary troops and did not sustain any damage. Situated near to Coleshill in the green belt between Birmingham and Coventry, Maxstoke castle is now privately owned. I learnt that there is a strong connection between Maxstoke and Packwood house which happened when there was a marriage between the two families in the 18th Century. Most of the information about the castle can be gleaned from the internet. However what really fascinated me was the majestic appearance of the castle and I was very keen to photograph the place.

The castle opens up for one day a year for local charities which this year were the Coleshill Parish Church
restoration project and the National Gardens Scheme. The day was very hot and when we arrived, there were queues outside the entrance. We were advised to return in 20 minutes so we took time to stroll around nearby Shustoke reservoir. When we came back to the entrance, we were initially worried that we would not get in again but lucky the gates opened. The entrance to the castle is very photogenic as the trees lead you to the castle and the view opens up to show the grand architecture. I moved to the left and found a view which captured the reflections of the castle in the moat with the water lilies creating a foreground feature. Once we had stocked up with drinking water and cake, we began exploring. My grandson immediately noticed the damsel files and dragonflies darting around the edges of the moat. There was a lady painting the castle in watercolours and I am not sure how she kept her concentration with all the questions from passersby. Inside the castle, there was a chance to see the various treasures in the house but the queue was long and there will always be next year to prioritise this when visiting. Instead we wandered around the castle admiring the gardens and the views.

There were many people at the castle and there was an eye catching group of Seam Punks who were dressed in bright clothes. They just love having their photograph taken with the castle as a backdrop. I enjoyed the day even though the sun was strong creating difficult shadows for the camera.

They were more than happy to have their photographs taken with the castle as a backdrop. I enjoyed the day even though the sun was strong creating difficult shadows for the camera. — Queues for the house tours.

On the way out, there was a display of MG cars from a local owners club. The two yellow MGs looked amazing although the others did not disappoint.

If you like my pictures and blog then keep a look out for the open day next year. The castle is worth visiting and as mentioned the entrance fee helps several local charities. As a family, we enjoyed the day and my grandson loved seeing the damsel flies, pretending to live in the castle and seeing the sports cars. He even got to hold one of the Steampunk ogres!

You may wish to read my visit to Kenilworth Castle which is not so far away and owned by English Heritage.

Kenilworth Castle 2021

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: Colours

Latest products

Latest products

Latest products

Latest products

Latest products

Latest products