Tag: Leicester Street

#365daysofbiking Explorations

October 3rd – I drove to work and rode home – sadly I chose a really, really unpleasant evening to do so. Again, drizzle and a punishing headwind – but at least the town looked beautiful in the glistening, dripping night.

I decided to quickly try the camera and the phone for a comparison.

Top, the iPhone 11 Pro Max in night mode, which since a beta firmware upgrade on Wednesday evening seems a whole bunch better. It’s not as hyperreal, but is still very strange, but beautiful I think.

My preference is still to the warmth of the Canon G5X, below, which is altogether mellower without losing detail.

Further explorations to come, I think.

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#365daysofbiking Oddly empty

March 19th – Returning from work late, around 8pm I sailed through the Civic Quarter in Walsall and found it oddly bereft of people and even the roads were quiet.

Glad to see someone has finally painted over the horrid spots on Hatherton House which although painted by the tenant, were nothing short of an act of vandalism to a historic building.

This place is always odd at night: I love the interrelation of the light, trees and built environment but will always hate those streetlights. Awful design.

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#365daysofbiking Wet stone:

November 27th – Returning home just as the rain stopped, the streets and buildings of Walsall glistened beautifully in the soft evening light.

Leicester Street always makes for a fine night photo but when wet, even better.

This area is not just the beurocratic heart of Walsall with it’s Town Hall, Council House and Civic Centre, but also the centre of the night-time economy too, with large pubs that seemed quiet tonight. 

And, despite the total absences of any Christmas decorations, it felt rather, dare I say it – Christmassy.

January 24th – The morning commute had be a sodden, wind-battling, dreadful affair; the evening one was dry, clear, warm and quieter.

This gave me a good chance with the Civic Quarter in Walsall. Sorry, I’ll stop with the night shots soon.

The odd camber of the paving here and colliding angles still annoy me even time I look at it…

October 19th – A day marked by a ludicrously early start and thoroughly wet, rain-sodden homeward darkness commute. The weather really isn’t being kind to me this week.

The riding wasn’t bad, really – they do say drowning is quite pleasurable once you stop fighting it, and I flowed like the rainwater through the streets from Darlaston with an occasionally startling crosswind. Reaching the town centre, I took a short cut past the civic centre. With nobody about and beautifully glistening surfaces, it made for a good night shot.

If the weather-gods are reading this, can I please have some dry, non-windy weather for a short while please? I’d be ever so grateful…

December 1st – Coming through Walsall early evening was oddly festive. Although I loathe the striped paving and out of place lighting columns, I love the ‘Civic Quarter’ at night.

Such a combination of architecture, surface, artificial light and mature urbanness. A very photogenic, under appreciated corner of Walsall.

October 2nd – The skies were dark and dusk was settling on Walsall when I came from work, tired and finding it hard to keep any speed up. I was loaded with shopping, and unwell, so it was a real drag; but as soon as I looked around me, I realised that I was entering the autumn dusk, and actually, it’s a thing of beauty.

I’m glad to note either my hands are steadier this year, or the camera is better in low light than previous ones, as none of these images was taken with a tripod.

The darkness isn’t all bad.

February 28th – I mentioned last week (at least, I think it was last week…) that Walsall has some really interesting architecture above street level. Making it back to Walsall in the daylight, I took a quick scoot around. Chineys, on Park Street – when did they last see smoke? The mosaics, still on the front of the former Priory Hotel. Crests, cupolas and cornices. The Edwars Moore building is beautiful from the front, in Leicester Street (look at the upstairs windows), but equally so from the rear. There’s fantastic detail in those chimneys. Yet the building is scarcely noticed.

Walsall still has some gems.