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

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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.

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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.

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Reflections in Floodgate Street Poster with hangers

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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.

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Opening the door to a treasure trove of history – my visit to the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre

by Damien Walmsley 24/09/2023 24/09/2023

Birmingham Museums Collection Centre, Nechells, September 2023.

Birmingham Heritage week is an exciting time in the calendar year for photographers. During this week, buildings open their doors allowing access to areas which are not normally open to the public. Each year in September, I scan the list of venues that are opening their doors to the public and have a look at what is available. The one that looked the most interesting this year was the “History Unboxed” open day at the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre. Several people had visited the collection centre before and their Instagram posts gave a brief insight into what you could see in the Centre. Reading the Birmingham Museum website, they state that 80% of their collection is housed in the Centre.

The Collection Centre is on an industrial site in Nechells Birmingham near to the railway line and the HS2 works. The warehouse is set away from the street and when I arrived, volunteers were on hand to direct visitors. I had walked to the centre from Snow Hill and was pleased that I did not bring my car as the on street parking was limited. At the entrance, there was a queue to enter the building as the event was proving to be very popular. Pre-booking was essential. Reached the welcome desk, a friendly face welcomed me. Steve aka “Mullerbiker” from the BritishTechNetwork, works at the Museum and he filled me in with what happens at the centre. All visitors were given a map showing the four areas of the museum. The first room is the main warehouse which is best described as an IKEA store for museums. There were rows upon rows of items on display. The low light proved tricky for photography but with my Fujifilm x100v set at f/2 and 125s, I was able to get good detailed pictures. My use of the manual focusing at this aperture is critical and most pictures turned out well. The colour balance required constant adjustment as I moved through different levels of light.

I could post countless pictures of different items that I viewed. All were fascinating. The subjects ranged from Roman busts, fairground figures, fish and chip fryers, Chopper bikes and early computers. The diverse nature of the exhibits does keep the attention and I have highlighted my favourite items. The collections centre has an adjacent room that houses several cars and jet engines and other machinery. All of them have a connection to Birmingham.

I enjoyed seeing the Queen Victoria statues that were once part of a re-imagining of the Queen Victoria Statue by Guyanese-British artist Hew Locke. The five statues of Queen Victoria joined with the original statue on a boat were displayed in Victoria square during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Festival. The artist has donated the 5 mini statues to Birmingham Museum.

After looking through the main halls, there was a “meet the experts” room and the small objects collection hall. The former had table demonstrations and I was captured by their photographer talking about interesting items. The small objects collection held smaller items which were housed in rows of caged lockers. Behind the door of each locker there were items that once again were so varied that I can only begin to cover what was present. There were Cadbury’s chocolate bars from a closed down shop, old cameras, shoes, clothes, lamps and much more.

Returning to the main hall, I had another look at some of the items that I had missed. The picture of a dental chair is put after the picture of sweets as the dentist will have done a lot of work with patients who had eaten all those Fruit and Nut bars.

The Sir Henry Moor statue looked incongruous. The figure was displayed on its back and was missing a foot. Then again, there was something different seeing the statue displayed in this manner. There are many more pictures and these are as random as I found them in the museum. All with a wonderful history and also each providing a story to the City of Birmingham.

My final two objects are particularly interesting to me. The first is the statue of “Forward together” which was in Centenary Square and suffered an arsonist attack by a member of the public. I remember visiting the square not long after it was finished and viewing this artwork. The second is detail from the head armour of Ozzy the Bull from the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The armour was removed by women chain makers as a symbol of freeing themselves from enslavement. Written on the armour were words of enslavement. The head armour also contains the names of the 21 people killed when bombs were detonated in Birmingham pubs in 1974.

My reflections on my visit to the Collections Centre is that there was just too much to take in. The place is an excellent venue and will require several visits as it is so difficult to view all the items that are on view in one session. I just have to go back again!

Further information

Link to the Birmingham Museums Collections Centre with details of how to visit.

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Details from the West Midlands Police Museum – photos taken during an IgersbirminghamUK Instameet

by Damien Walmsley 20/09/2023 20/09/2023

West Midlands Police Museum, IgersbirminghamUK Instameet,Birmingham, September, 2023.

IgersbirminghamUK have been busy during the year organising a range of Instameets. Following on from our visit to St Chad’s Cathedral, we were contacted by Alexander Beard, the Heritage Officer of the West Midlands Police Museum. Alexander offered us two Instameets at the former Lock up in Steelhouse Lane thus giving the photographers of IgersbirminghamUK a chance to see inside a popular museum venue. Having visited the WMPM on a previous occasion, I decided to focus on the details of the prison. Here are different views of doors, ceilings and the metal structures. I converted all the pictures to black and white. This gave some consistency to the pictures but also overcame the difficulties with managing the low light in the lock up. The museum is a must visit attraction and can be seen at many different levels as my pictures attempt to show.

A full account in colour of my last visit to the WMP museum is included below. I also made a study of the light in the museum on my Instagram pages. The WMPM pages are also fun to visit.

Photographing the West Midlands Police Museum

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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

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Ozzy the Bull is unveiled and has pride of place in New Street station.

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

Ozzy the Bull, New Street Station, August, 2023

Ozzy the bull is in his new home and his been revealed to his public. The journey has been long and eventful from the Opening Ceremony Success at the Commonwealth games to being moved to a car park while the City decided what to do with him. There was talk of Ozzy being dismantled after the games had finished. Now he sits in splendour welcoming passengers to New Street station and there will be many more years of Ozzy representing the City of Birmingham. These pictures show Ozzy in his new home. The interaction that Ozzy creates depends on whether you have time between trains to view him. Many people are in a rush to get to their train or just passing through the station to meet friends or go shopping. Whatever is happening around him, Ozzy will be a welcoming attraction for people visiting Birmingham for many years in the future.

Ozzy was unveiled on 26th July 2023 and there is a BBC story on the official opening.

My blog and these pictures bring to an end my commentary on Ozzy and you may wish to follow the journey with the links below.

The Birmingham Bull

The Fate of the Bull

Ozzy on the final road to a new home, the bull is back

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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

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St Chad’s Cathedral welcomes IgersbirminghamUK

by Damien Walmsley 06/08/2023 07/08/2023

St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham IgersbirminghamUK instameet, 2023

St Chad’s Cathedral was the setting for an IgersbirminghamUK Instameet on a wet Saturday morning. Storm Antoni was passing through and the rain was non-stop. I joked with the photographers that we had made the decision to go for the inside walkabout rather than taking pictures outside. The interior of the building is beautiful, and we had also arranged to view the extensive crypt below.

Our two guides were Marie Louise and Angela and as soon as the introductions were done, we were provided with the background information to the Cathedral. The Roman Catholic cathedral was designed by Pugin and is a fine example of the Gothic architecture revival in England. We were shown around both the crypt and the main interior of the Cathedral. Both Marie Louise and Angela were informative and provided historical and contemporary information about the Cathedral. They were also very welcoming and tolerant of 20 photographers taking pictures.

Here are a few of the interesting facts supplied by our guides. Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin was the architect at the forefront of the Gothic revival style in architecture. Pugin was hired to assist in the Gothic design of the House of Commons and Big Ben. John Hardman, was a close friend of Pugin, and the Hardman family are buried in the crypt. The son of a button making family, John Hardman turned his skills to metal work and stained glass windows. He designed the clock face and manufactured the hands of Big Ben. There are many more interesting facts about St Chad’s and both Marie Louise and Angela were happy to inform us of all the details. I have taken their photograph with the backdrop of the Cathedral Altar behind them.

One of the most interesting stories is that the Cathedral was earmarked to be demolished but was saved by one vote at the Birmingham City Council meeting. Many other Victorian buildings were demolished around the area to make way for the motor car. Luckily there is a sensible view prevailing these days, and the area is under improvement.

The Crypt of St Chad’s Cathedral

The crypt is a secret treasure trove with a layout of several rooms with interesting designs around the altars. Pugin collected various ornamental religious pieces on his travels, and these are held in the crypt. My favourites are the two wooden angels that have soulful expressions. The tiled design and ornamental altar in the Hardman family crypt is another standout feature of the extensive crypt. On display are the vestments worn by both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. I was also fascinated by the large wooden door which provides the entrance to the crypt. A selection of my photographs are shown. I have many more and it was difficult to select the best pictures. For interest to any photographer reading this account, the majority of my pictures are taken with the iPhone13 which excels in low light. I did have my travel tripod with me which allowed some pictures to be taken with my Fujifilm x100v.

Pope Benedict XVI visited Birmingham on Sunday, September 19, 2010 — Looking up at the details.

The main Cathedral floor

The Instagrammers then moved up to the main Cathedral area which provided more photographic opportunities. There is so much to take in and the Apse of St Chad’s Cathedral with the high altar is impressive to view. There are colourful stained-glass windows flanking the high altar. The apse was designed by Pugin and was part of his grand plan to emphasise the Gothic revival architecture of the Cathedral. There were many small details to see and, on this visit, the guides pointed out to me the non-religious wood carvings on the rear seats in the Choir Stall. These were fun to photograph. You will see from my photographs the various parts of the cathedral and I know that I did not have time to view everything.

The cathedral has so many stories and this is another one that I find fascinating. In the diapered design of the transept ceiling, there is a tile that has the words Deo Gratias 22 Nov 1940. This translates to thanks be to God. During World War II, incendiary devices were dropped and caused significant damage to buildings. The old Coventry cathedral is an example of the devestating destruction. At St Chad’s Cathedral, an incendiary device fell through the ceiling and exploded within the central heating pipes and the water subsequently put the fire out. Hence the miracle of St Chad’s.

There are many more stories about the Cathedral. These involve St Chad, the patron saint and how his relics were transported from his shrine in Lichfield. Cardinal Newman who was such an influential figure in Birmingham, gave sermons from the pulpit. However, the best way to learn more about these stories and the Cathedral is to visit the building yourself. My pictures in this blog which catalogue my view from the Instameet only show a part of what is on view..

There are many more pictures taken by the talented photographers of Igersbirmingham UK and these may be found on Instagram by using the hashtag #igbUK_meet_stchads.

Thank you to St Chad’s Cathedral for hosting us. Thank you to my fellow IgersbirminghamUK organisers, @NickyWarwickshire and @James_never_Jim and all the photographers who came along and supported the event.

For more information about St Chad’s please vist the following webpage

Discover St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham

Welcome to St Chad’s Cathedral – Birmingham’s hidden jewel on the edge of the Jewellery Quarter

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