Tag: Station

January 9th – Waiting at New Street early in the day it seemed people were not yet about – I saw very few as I loafed idly, waiting for my train. Despite continual work here, little has changed in the last 12 months – the grim 80s exit bridge has had one end tarted up but it remains ugly and badly conceived; likewise the shiny tinfoil covering to the upper floors, covering only the bits that can be seen from outside the station. 

Despite the continual aesthetic tweaks – panelling here, lights there, the odd new bench or seating area – little really changes in this urban, brutalist bunker. It’s a fleeting place, transitory for most. But stand here for any length of time and you’ll realise how little;e has been done to actually improve it.

New Street Station is not new. It’s just now got a retail opportunity on top. The station itself remains as dysfunctional as ever.

January 5th – First trip to Telford of the new year and on a very cold morning indeed – but at least I was prepared for it unlike the night before. I was on a bike with decent tyres for the conditions, but thankfully the black ice was minimal anyway.

I stopped on the old footbridge by the station to record the sunlight thing down the track below – it was dawn-like and harsh, but had a beautiful quality that sunrises alone have, a sort of sharpness, unlike the mellow glow of a sunset. 

I must make an effort to record this bridge more – now planning is going ahead, it won’t be long until this curious, red steel structure is replaced by something more practical. Whilst it’s awfully dystopian – particularly at night, it does have a lovely photogenic quality about it.

December 30th – Middleton Hall for tea and cake on a very grey, damp afternoon was unexpectedly rewarding: the tea and cake were as excellent as ever, but I also discovered that RSPB Middleton has a feeding station with an excellent viewing platform.

A constant stream of birds visit for food. I can’t wait to get there in decent light – these were taken just before sunset. I loved the thoughtful-looking woodpecker.

December 14th – Having arrived at work, I discovered I was needed in Telford, so nothing for it, I headed for the train. At New Street, there were delays and confusion and the usual busy, frenetic chaos.

I stood at the end of the platform, wandering what I was doing there. Every signal light I could see was red.

Some days wear you out before you start.

December 13th – Returning late again from Birmingham, this time to Shenstone, back to my beloved rural station. The weather was damp, but warm again and the riding was easy, which is just as well as I was exhausted.

This is the busiest pre-Christmas I’ve had in a long, long time: normally about now I’m winding down and getting stuff ready for the new year. This year I’m doing none of that yet.

I’ll be so glad when I finish work.

December 12th – I can’t lie, it was an absolutely foul day for commuting; in the morning the temperature hovered around zero degrees and there was a surprising damp chill to the air. By my return in the evening, the temperature had risen and if felt warm again, but there was a constant foggy, misty drizzle. 

It was bad cycling weather. I’d had to nip into Brum as I often do at this time of year to drop a bottle off. The trains were bad on the way back, so I ended up getting a train to Four Oaks and riding back from there.

Only 7 more working days before a holiday. I think they’re going to be long ones. Hope the weather settles in time for Christmas.

December 8th – In Telford briefly, I tried a different route to Hortonwood and the cycleway led me from a lower path up to an elevated road.

Telford is crisscrossed by cycleways and paths, many totally undocumented and unknown to casual visitors, but once discovered, they’re lovely. Note these steps have a ‘wheeling channel’ up the right hand side so you can walk up them whilst wheeling your steed.

November 24th – I’ve been starting early and working late a lot lately, and the tiredness is showing, so apologies for limited subject matter. Things should improve next week.

I found myself returning from a meeting late with time to kill at New Street, and the air of quiet, almost reverent dislocation that sets in there at about 8pm continues to enthral and captivate me. This station swallows large numbers of people and hides them from each other, so even when quite busy, the station appears deserted in places.

This was really feeding my Late Night Feelings vibe: the forced perspective of platforms, the train waiting for the red light to turn green. The solitary lady, perfectly framed by the identifier for platform 8, her face lit in the gloom by the light of her phone.

And then, 45 weary minutes on, Walsall, desolate and beautiful in the same way.

What is it about me and stations at night?

November 22nd – Sorry, another night picture… I’m trying to avoid posting too many but life at the moment means I’m mostly cycling in the dark!

I had to take some documents into Birmingham late in the day, and returned on the train on a dry, warm-seeming evening, which was a welcome relief from the washout of the day before. Unusually, I alighted at Black Street for a change, and as I watched my train roll off into the dark, I realised what a great station this is at night.

Not as beautiful as Shenstone, or as dramatic as others, but I do like the lights, their interaction with the overhead lines and signals. All contribute to my my Late Night Feelings thing I have a bout rail stations at night.

November 14th – I came through my beloved Shenstone station late, expecting to see the match vaunted ‘supermoon’ – sadly, when I alighted, it was too cloudy to see. 

I consoled myself with the atmosphere of this lonely but beautiful place in the darkness. I love the white light on the steps, and the curious pool of light the car is bathed in.