Tag: interesting architecture

November 26th – Another day of beautiful light, but cold. Probably not cold for the time of year, but after recent mild weeks it seems to be positively arctic. 

I’d been doing a lot of mechanical work on the bike in recent days, and needed to test it with a shortish run with plenty of good hill action, so I went out early afternoon, over to Shenstone, Weeford, Hints, Hopwas, up the canal to Hademore and back in darkness through Wall and Chesterfield.

I took time to study the churches at Shenstone, Weeford and Hopwas – from the hideous but triumphant Gothic of Shenstone, to the farmhouse twee of Hopwas, all three are classics. All within a short distance.

Staffordshire is unusually blessed with a stunning and varied ecclesiastical architectural tradition.

November 15th – And back, so it was, to Shenstone, an altogether different type of late-night feeling. This is a beautiful building, in a lovely location, and a great place to leave, but even better to return to.

I love it at night, the way it’s lit, the overhead wires, the sense of an island in the darkness. A beacon, calling me toward home, just a few miles to go.

A haunting, gorgeous station. 

November 15th – Late in the day, I popped into Birmingham to meet a prospective new cwork colleague, and came back as I often used to frequently, through a somnambulant, night-time Birmingham New Street Station.

The renovations here seem to have finished – although they don’t look it and the Stephenson street footbridge looks like the work stopped abruptly halfway through. But then, there’s only so much polishing and sprinkling with cheap glitter that can mask this huge architectural turd.

The place was charming though in it’s own night-time way, and once again, that late-night feelings vibe started to hit me.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, see this post here. 

Why does that haunt me so?

November 4th – As is traditional on a weekend where bonfire night falls on a Sunday, the annual firework binge took place on Saturday. But as I crossed the motorway bridge on Mill Lane in Great Wyrley, I decided to experiment with long exposure photography, having totally forgotten the firework display about to take place.

This is an otherwise unremarkable spot in a semi-urban, inhuman scale landscape, which at night, comes alive. This evening, my companion and I found it very special indeed.

November 3rd – After a spring and summer of waiting for something to start, the 80s footbridge that links to two sides of Telford Station with the nearby retail park and town centre is finally being removed and replaced.

Some details seem off. There’s always been a ramp down to access the Staples store over the road, but now that will not apparently exist and a pedestrian crossing has been installed over the slip road. I’m also concerned about the ramp arrangement on the Shrewsbury-bound side of the station.

It has to be said though, replacement is desperately needed. The bridge, although appearing disabled-friendly is not; there are no braked in the inclines and negotiating it in a hand-propelled chair requires strength and skill. 

The bridge supports have now been fenced off and it’ll be interesting to see how this project develops.

October 31st – Lunchtime, and recrossing Kings Hill to the retail park I stopped and reflected on the change here, and then noted that whilst change is good, it’s also good that some things are apparently changeless – like the twin sisters, the two churches that top the hill in the centre of Wednesbury.

I love this view, now going golden in the shortening autumn days, it looks stunning particularly in the sun, but is still remarkable even on this grey, textureless day.

They saw the factories beneath them come and go – lesser, but more dramatic temples to hot metal, oil and graft, and they now witness silently the march of the warehouse, distribution centre and retail park.

I have a feeling they’ll be seeing those out too.

October 28th – There was another trip out though – with only moderate success. I wanted to photograph the Chasewater Railway halloween ghost train at Chasewater Heaths – this event for kids takes place every year and is great fun, and very challenging to photograph. This was the only usable picture, but it turned out well, I think.

This halloween spectacular – they turn the lights out, actors dress as ghouls and ghosts, and ghost tales are told on the train – is really popular and always fully booked.

Trying to capture the essence of it, like the event itself – is a bit of a tradition now.

October 25th – I popped into Darlaston on an errand from work at noon, on a lovely sunny late autumn day, and took time to appreciate the architecture of this lovely town. Across the hedges and careful topiary of the gardens of Rectory Avenue, the twin historic fascinations of the Columbarium and St Lawrence’s Church; just around the corner Pardoes Cottage, a curiosity in it’s own, handsome right.

My inly frustration is the inability ti get a good angle on that lovely church, although it’s one positive aspect of autumn – in summer one can barely see the church at all!

October 13th – Chester is always a delight from the cormorants loafing on the Dee like old men on a park bench to the chimneys and remarkably diverse architectural threads, and in autumn, it’s amplified, particularly on a day with such dramatic skies.

I love the central shopping area with the ‘rows’ – upper tier walkways, bridges and balconies that weave and dodge, reminding you of Pratchet’s Ankh Morpork.

A great afternoon.

October 13th – I had a morning meeting near Middlewich, Cheshire and after the customary John Wyndham/Cuckoo jokes, drove up with a colleague with my bike in the car. Finished at Lunchtime, I rode to Chester for an afternoon exploring. 

I used to come here a lot when I was younger, but hadn’t been for years. It’s still a fantastic place – the walled central city with the mixed architecture and the amazingly intact wall linking everything together.

I took time to go see a house I’d admired for years. Just look at the details here – even the open balconies between bays,

A fabulous afternoon.