At first a boat trip on Lake Windermere did not thrill me. I was not looking forward to being squashed and pushed around on an overcrowded boat with other tourists. So I was feeling very grumpy about the whole idea of a boat tip from Ambleside to Bowness. When we arrived at the boat terminal, I relented as I was the only one of the family who would be left behind and I did not know what I would do for the next few hours. Sandy bought the tickets and then went back and obtained a separate one for me. My grandchildren found it so funny that I was being such a grumpy Grandfather especially as they were the ones who generally were told off for having a strop. We waited at the ferry terminal for the boat to arrive.
The Ferry terminal at Lakehead, Ambleside.Entrance to the pier.Passengers on the boat.A view from the boat.
Whilst standing at the entrance, I met Doug who worked for the Windermere Lake cruises. We had a lively conversation and my mood started to lift. We boarded the Swan Cruise boat, found some great seats for photographs and off we went. The scenery was stunning and both little and large boats passed us by. The grandchildren loved it.
Passing Low Wood Bay.Sandy with the fells behind her.Watching the boats go by.Chloe and Sian.
We disembarked at Bowness and were completely engulfed by crowds of people moving around the Lakeside. Luckily just before my mood started to return, Rob, my son in law, spotted a good place for a drink. The Lake View Bar happened to have excellent views of the lake and provided super photograph opportunities. Why had I been so grumpy about this trip?
Arriving at Bowness Pier.Fun at the harbour.Watching the boats come in.Calling all boats, your time is up.
Soon it was time to return to Ambleside, so we queued up and as we were at the front we were able to get seats right at the front of the boat. We set off from Bowness passing an armada of small boats darting around the bay. Once again, we saw the beauty of the lake and the shoreline although the clouds were covering the sun. As we reached Ambleside pier, the sun showed itself and I took a quick picture of the scene with the sailing boats lined up on the far shore. The picture was featured by Look North West tonight which was a nice surprise.
The return journey home to AmblesideMy picture featured on Look North West Tonight.
We had pre-booked dinner at the Wateredge hotel, a place I would recommend for visiting. The rain had arrived but the hotel had allowed us to use their tipi that was set up next to the lake shore. The hotel is excellent with good food, pleasant staff and excellent service. After a tasty fish and chips accompanied by a local beer, I had forgotten about the reason why I was so grumpy earlier in the day. The photographic record was a bonus and yes I do recommend taking a boat tip on Lake Windermere 🙂
The public pier at Lakehead Ambleside.
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Links to the complete series of my blogs around our visit to Little Langdale in the Lake District in August 2023.
Our holiday base was at Lowfield House in Little Langdale. Arguably, this spot is the heart of the Lake District and is the starting point for several walks. Slater’s bridge and Cathedral Cave are both accessible in a short 45 minute walk from Lowfield House. Setting off from the house we walked past the Three Shires Pub, down a country lane and then over the fields. We quickly reached Slater’s bridge which crosses over the river Brathay. Here the river is more peaceful than Colwith Force further downstream. This bridge is made entirely of slate and dates back to the 17th Century. With the back drop of the valley and the fells on either side, this packhorse bridge was built by miners to transport materials from the nearby mines. Several pictures were taken around the bridge before we headed off to the mines.
Slater’s bridge showing the walker’s path up to Little Langdale.Another view of this wonderful packhorse bridge.A picture apportunity on the bridge.
We approached the slate queries where Cathedral Cave is located and missed the accessible entrance. Instead we moved up to the higher ground finding the entrance to the top gallery that looks down on the large chamber. My daughters were not impressed with my photographer’s instinct to get the best view possible. I was not allowed near the edge which was a sheer drop down into the cave. However, I still managed some good pictures of the cave from the rock gallery.
Entering into the upper part of the cave.Jim shines a light in the top gallery with the larger cave behind.
Rob and Natasha with the beautiful view behind them.
We explored outside looking for the entrance to the chamber. There appeared to be a precarious entrance along the rim of the quarry but after watching some walkers finding the descent difficult in the damp conditions we decided not to follow. I was a little despondent as I would have loved to have found the cave. As Sian and I walked back in front of the others, we found the entrance to the Cave. I should correct myself and say that Sian found the entrance. The group was excited as we entered into the chamber.
People passing through the cave provide an estimation of scale.The central cylinder of slate with other rock deposits reflected in the water within the cave.
I was so pleased to visit the Cathedral Cave. The impressive chamber is very atmospheric with the open window in the wall allowing light into the cave. There is a large slate cylinder that appears to be supporting the ceiling. The pool of water to the back of the cave provides many reflections allowing one to appreciate the grand space of the cavern. Needless to say, I, like many photographers who visit this place, just wanted to take lots of pictures. I hope you enjoy the journey through the series of photographs that I have taken.
Jim stands at the entrance to the cave.
On the way back we passed by a ford which would be fun to drive through if you had the right type of vehicle. We followed the path home but took a quick stop at the Three Shires Inn where I enjoyed a pint of my favourite beer named after the Old Man of Coniston. The pub is not of the same character as the Sun in Coniston and the only saving feature is the beer.
The deep ford over the river Blathey
Postscript – We enjoyed the walk so much that we took the grandchildren along the same path. They so enjoyed the bridge and the visit to the cave. They will remember this visit for a long time in the future.
Walking towards Slater’s BridgeGroup photograph on the bridge.Performing in Cathedral Cave.
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Links to the complete series of my blogs around our visit to Little Langdale in the Lake District in August 2023.
We always plan for countryside walks or mountain climbs for our family holidays. Whilst in Scotland, we climbed Ben Lomond and when in Hereford we travelled to the Welsh border to climb the Cats Back. In the Lakes there are many fells to choose. Initially we thought of Scarfell Pike, but then chose the Old Man of Coniston due to its close proximity to our holiday home (Lowfield House, Little Langdale). This lakeland fell is an old favourite of mine and there are well marked climbing paths to the top. I have done the easier route twice that passes by Goat’s water. We decided to take the direct route that leaves Walna Scar car park taking walkers through Coppermines valley and past Low Water to the north of the mountain.
The early stages of the climb with Natasha and Rob. Lake Coniston is in the background. The weather was poor at the start but the sun is breaking through.Dramatic views start to appear as you ascend the mountain.
We set off in driving rain and were getting seriously wet when luckily the weather broke as we reached the Copper Mines. The industrial remnants of the slate quarries and copper mines are now a conversation area. The place is fascinating and lends itself to several photographic opportunities. There are large copper cables to climb over or duck under. The slate miners must have been very hardy workers. I found an article on what life must have been like living and working around Coniston. Whilst on a good day the views are impressive, I would not want to be here during inclement weather. The mines provided a great backdrop for photographs with the mountains in the background.
Tram tracks at the mine provide leading lines to the view.Remains of old industrial equipment.More industrial remnants.Pulleys used to put the tramsA welcome rest for Jim, Sian and Rob.Slates with a view
Our next stop was the picturesque tarn of Low Water where we saw the cloud line that we would be entering as we continued the climb. The final push to the top was gruelling with the rocks wet and slippery. The path became indistinct in places.
Jim poses at Low water tarn.
Despite the misty conditions, we reached the top and had a selfie picture by the slate tarn. I brought all my big camera equipment except for the remote release button. The wind was strong and kept knocking the camera and travel tripod over. Luckily a fellow walker was at hand to steady the camera and push the button. Visibility was poor and we decided the best course of action was to go down the way we came up. We quickly came out of the cloud and the views over Lake Coniston appeared before us.
We reached the summit. Congratulations.Return to the mines on the way down.One of the climbers we met on the route down.Mines and slates.
We did the Old Man in 3 hours 15 minutes which we considered a good time for our climb. We drove down into Coniston. The place to rest and catch up with food and drink is the well known Sun pub. The Sun “above” Coniston, as it is also known, is both warm and welcoming with excellent food and beer. The inside bar area has lots of character including a fireplace were we were able to dry out in front of the fire. Then we settled down to talk about the climb, look at the pictures and enjoy a hearty meal. A visit to the Lakes is not complete without climbing one of the fells and reminiscing on your adventures in the pub.
The Sun above Coniston.The cosy interior of the Sun.A ploughman’s lunch washed down with the local beer.
Many thanks for the company of my fellow family climbers Natasha, Sian, Rob and Jim.
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Links to the complete series of my blogs around our visit to Little Langdale in the Lake District in August 2023.
Our family holidays took place at Lowfield House in Little Langdale, the Lake District. I will cover several days out in the area and the first subject of my writing are my photographs of Colwith Force on the river Brathay. The waterfall is hidden in the woods behind the road leading to Little Langdale. There had been a lot of rain the night before and therefore the water was rushing down the river. In the morning, the family took a walk on the road side of the river and then in the afternoon, I crossed the road bridge to follow the woodland path where there were several good viewing points. Safety was the main issue and whilst these pictures look spectacular, I made sure that I was on firm ground and not putting myself or my camera into a dangerous position. These pictures are a mixture of long exposure with and without filters.
Colwith Force waterfall after the heavy rain.The water flow slowed down by long exposure.
Settings with camera body Canon 5D Mark IV Cover Picture – lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L, f/16, 2secs, ISO100 Picture 2 – lens EFLens EF 16-35mm, f/11, 20secs, ISO100 – Lees Little Stopper Picture 3 – lens EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, f/11, 120secs, ISO100 – Lees Big Stopper
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Links to the complete series of my blogs around our visit to Little Langdale in the Lake District in August 2023.
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.
Street Art by Sioux_UKStreet Art by Tempo33Street Caravan for the Festival.Checking out the art work. (*)The streetart style of Titlegrafitti Pink is this year’s colour. (*)Street Art toolsStreet conversations in colour.
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.
Amazing dance moves.High kicks The end of a battle.HS2?LARGE (*)High Vis logo
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.
Wall painting. (*)Tempo33 in the yard.The PrintworksInside the YardHi Vis Festival 50 years
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.
People and Ozzy in New Street Station.People are fascinated with OzzyClose up to Ozzy who moves his head, eyes and tails during the day.Ozzy makes a wonderful addition to the station.Ozzy towers above the passengers.
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.
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.
Caution IgersbirminghamUK photographers at work.
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.
Marie Louise and Angela our guides for the IgersbirminghamUK Instameet.
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.
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.
The large studded entrance door.Details from the Hardman family crypt.The tiled walls and ceiling with a relief of Christ on the cross with the two thieves.Angels Close up view of the angel’s face.Colourful details of the paintwork.In this part of the crypt, the Cathedral Choir practice due to the excellent acoustics.
Vestments worn by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Birmingham in 1982Vestments worn by Pope Benedict XVI who visited Birmingham in September 2010Looking up at the details.Chairs and a picture of Christ on the cross.Some beautiful work that is propped up against the crypt wall. There are so many treasures to see.Glass table reflections.More examples of pictures and artefacts each with a story.
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 view towards the entrance and the organ.One of the detailed 3D depictions of the stations of the cross.The Bishop’s chair on the Altar.Wood carving next to the Bishop’s chair.Wood carvings on the Choir stall.CandlesCloser view of the organ and the loft behind.Details.
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.
Can you see the tile with the words Deo Gratias?The roof of the Cathedral in Black and white. For an extra point can you see the tile with the words Deo Gratias?
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
Welcome to St Chad’s Cathedral – Birmingham’s hidden jewel on the edge of the Jewellery QuarterReflecting on a great IgersbirminghamUK Instameet.A different view of St Chad’s Cathedral.
Cheltenham Paint Festival 2023 was on my radar when it was first announced earlier this year. Having photographed the street art in Digbeth, I have ventured further afield to Bristol and Leamington Spa to look at their street art. The Paint Festival in Cheltenham has a reputation of being well organised and attracting some of the top street artists from home and abroad. The festival director and artist Andy Dice Davies (aka dice67) had produced an audio map for the phone. I downloaded the interactive map and whilst there was a bit of a learning element on how to use the software, I found it very useful. I would love it if there was a narrative that I could listen to as a continuous streaming or even a podcast of the event. Still the interactive map was very good and I have used the app for reference for this blog.
Admiring the Street Art by @n_4_t_4
North Place Car Park
Not knowing the geography of Cheltenham, I did my homework. I found on arriving that the town has NCP car parks and I needed their app to get a good rate of parking. I parked centrally and made my way to North Place Car Park. Many street artists were painting on the surrounding walls and the place was a hive of activity. There were many photographic opportunities as I walked around the walls. I struck up a conversation with one of the artists @mycutecreatures. Her work was only just being started but it was possible to see the design that was planned. I find it fascinating how the artwork develops as the artist is painting during the day. I moved down along the walls where other artists were working away. The murals were on different themes, with different images and most of all differed in colours and content. Certainly a feast for the eyes.
Painting the walls of the car park (AjaxPiper)Reflections in the glasses (@Jenksart)Street art has wings (Demoisellemm)Decisions and discussions. (Guts dc and Jimmer Willmott)Alphabet and number soup (@DFTE)Work in progress (daub.jg)
Holiday Inn
Next stop was the Holiday Inn to see both last year’s mural and the progress on this year’s wall. Last year’s mural is amazing whilst the present mural is facing towards the town. When taking pictures of the street murals, I always look to take a different picture and seeing the mural, I lined up the traffic lights with the face. This made for an interesting picture. Curtis Hylton painted the pea hen for a previous festival whilst the uncompleted work in my picture is by Epod3000. Check his Insta account to see the finished painting.
Artwork in progress @Epod3000Work on the Holiday Inn wall by Curtis Hylton
Previous Festivals Artwork
There are so many murals to visit, and I went to several places to find street art that had been completed during previous festivals. As you see from the set of pictures each mural tells a story. I visited on the Saturday and several works are incomplete. This just means that I will have to revisit at a later date! This blog provides a real time account of how the festival was taking place.
An open window. Detail of Killing Joke by Dice67.Beautiful face in the Car Park (Jim Vision)An evocative piece of street art jointly painted by Rocket01 and Faunagraphic.
Whilst I was in the area around the Holiday Inn, I met Stephen Gledhill, a street art blogger, who runs the Natural Adventures blog. This covers street art up and down the UK. Stephen was looking at the stencil done by the Street Artist Pogo Stencils UK. Stephen explained that this artwork was a wonderful example of complex multi-layer stencils. There is good attention to detail, and it is possible on close inspection to identify the layers. I love the explanations to paintings in art galleries and was indebted to Stephen for taking me through the Street art. I took a picture of Stephen next to the street art that was painted at a previous Cheltenham Art Festival.
Stephen Gledhill, Street Art blogger with picture by Pogo Stencils
Frog and Fiddle
Stephen recommended visiting the Frog and Fiddle which turned out to be a real gem of a pub. Ordering myself a drink, the bartender gave me some of the background to the place and gave me permission to wander around. I went upstairs where there is another example of the stencil work of Pogo. The positioning of the partial face against the windows adds a haunting feel to the pool tables. At the back of the pub, @Dice67 has painted a portrait of Jet Black, the Strangler’s drummer who is sadly no longer with us. There were other street artists at work in this area and were happy to chat about their work. This festival does provide a buzz to the town.
Frog and Fiddle PubPool table and light (Pogo Stencils)Jet Black of the Stranglers painted by Dice 67.Artist at work (@phasechan)Paint cans at the ready.
Leaving the Frog and Fiddle, I walked up the high street taking some detours to see previous festival work by @Zabouartist and work in progress on a new mural by @liambononi. The latter artwork was above an entrance to a factory. The artist was painting on a motorised platform with air filter protection. The tools of the trade. Having marvelled at the artwork I returned to the path down the high street and came into the Church yard of Cheltenham Minster, St Mary’s. My destination was the Two Pigs pub, the HQ of the Cheltenham Paint Festival.
To be or not to be – by @Zabouartist High rise street art by @liambononi
The Two Pigs
The pub was busy and had many artists working both in the back yard of the pub and inside. Many of the painters took time out to chat about their work and most were happy to have their photograph taken for my blog.
The entrance to the back yard of the Two PigsThe sun did show and brought out the colours of the artwork (@sophytuttle)Showing attention to detail by @wolfskulljace_art.More artists at work (Sould_ art on the left)Artwork on show (Roo art)Sign painting by Dawn and Dario Santos inside the Two Pigs
More Street Art
The festival experience is remarkable in that the murals have become an interlinked feature of the town. I passed beautiful streets filled with examples of Regency architecture. I walked around the Royal Crescent and then into the streets behind. Here tucked away in a car park are the Bayshill walls where there were examples of artwork from previous festivals.
Street Photography and artwork by Inkie who also did the Festival logo.The Royal Crescent, Cheltenham.TaxiWalking past the artwork by Beau Stanton in Bayshill car park.Work by Duo Sink at Bayshill walls
Agg Pavillion
Using Andy’s interactive map on my phone, I retraced my steps through an alley way to the Bottle of Sauce pub and Dodo establishments. I walked through the St Paul’s area, where the houses are predominantly white with some splashes of colour. My aim was to view an iconic piece of work by the street artist @whoamIrony. However, I went too far and found myself in Pittville Park. Here I discovered street artists painting on the Agg Pavilion. There were 5 artists at work, and I was pleased to meet @Titlegraffiti. I recognised his work at once having come across his work in Digbeth, Birmingham. My personal favourite was the intricate work being done by @faye.rai who explained that she was painting in a similar manner to a watercolour. Other street art at the pavilion included the painting of a Barbie doll on its side by @katiescott_creative. There were others there and I am hoping readers will fill in the artist blanks for me.
The distinctive artwork by Birmingham street artist @TitlegraffitiA lovely mural taken shape which is being painted by @faye.rai I’m a Barbie Girl (@katiescott_creative)An intricate fish mural (@PeteSheridanArtist )Aerosol paint cans at the ready,
I did get to see the iconic wolf moon mural by Irony on the way back.
Howling Moon by Irony
There were also some other artwork on the streets which were fun to photograph. I went back to the car park and came across @ n_4_t_4 with his colourful mural of a bird. I introduced myself to Nathan and he took time out to talk to me about his work. He is a well-respected street artist and this was one of my highlights in my travels around the festival. Around the corner @mycutecreatures was finishing her mural and several others were nearing completion. Members of the public were admiring the street art.
A second painting by @n_4_t_4 Nearly at the finish for @mycutepicturesDiscussing the Festival (@sophielongart)
Homeward bound
By now I was ready for home, I realised looking through Andy’s map that I had missed several other large projects such as buildings and carparks. Therefore, I will have to come back to Cheltenham and see the street art that I had missed and take pictures of those that were in progress. I did pick up on Instagram what was happening elsewhere and there is a good record on many Insta micro-blogging sites.
Thoughts are not facts – @DFTE with the nearly finished mural.
If you want to follow some excellent street art photography, then Max Johnson @Moxsblag is a must. Her documentation of the artists is first class and very detailed. Another insta blogger is @Streetartuk2023. Again, nice photography and documentation.
Many thanks both to Andy for organising the festival and all those artists that allowed me to take photographs of their work. I hope that I have got all the credits right and apologise if there are mistakes. I am happy to amend when I have the necessary information. Please contact me via this website or @dammodammo if there is anything that I need to correct. The featured image at beginning of this blog was by @sam_art_34. BBC Gloucestershire did a feature on the return of the event prior to the festival.
Camera use for all pictures was with my Fujifilm x100v except for a couple of iPhone pics. The x100v was on aperture control and colour balance daylight. For the artists out there, I was the guy in the hat wandering around with the silver retro camera.
If you enjoyed this blog then here are my Street art walks around Digbeth, Leamington Spa and Bristol.
I have loved the Black Country ever since I worked at Wordsley General Hospital in the late eighties. Arriving in the West Midlands from Manchester, I was amazed to find the Black Country full of warm, kindhearted people that reminded me of home. Sadly Wordsley hospital is no longer there but I still retain a deep-rooted love for the Black Country and its people.
Enjoying the excellent music at the Festival.
The Black Country Folk Festival took place over two days. I attended the Sunday show and on arrival, I learnt that Saturday was a success and the sun had been seen. The weather forecast for Sunday was not good but in true British spirit the music played on regardless. I met Festival co-organiser Steve Edwards who was very enthusiastic about the day’s music. Steve runs the Black Country Hub and is also founder of the Black Country Day.
Steve Edwards, Festival co-organiser.
The music had started when I arrived and the first artist I saw was Susy Wall. Her songs resonated with me bringing back memories of visiting the Black Country. The next band Shotgun Marmalade injected a furious mix of Ska and Punk to the proceedings. They were followed by Sam Draisey who is an amazing musician making good use of a partial left arm for strumming his guitar. Sam played songs from his extensive back catalogue.
Susy Wall performing on stage.Shotgun Marmalade There is some marmalade in those colours.Sam Draisey with his unique style of guitar playing. Alongside Sam is Ewan Stevens.A sought after selfie with Sam.
James Stevens and Rachel Slater from The Empty Can played an entertaining set and even their dog howled in unison with them. I enjoyed the energetic Atilla the Stockbroker. You must read the Wikipedia pages on this remarkable punk poet and musician. He has been influential in music, football and politics. I found his set really tuned you into the present problems besetting the world.
James Stevens and Rachel Slater from The Empty Can.Attila the Stockbroker, punk poet, musician and activist.
I was left wondering how you could beat all these performances and as the Jess Silk trio took to the stage expectations were high. Jess has been likened to a new Billy Bragg. I met Jess prior to her performance finding her to be an engaging individual. On stage she was full of fire and enthusiasm. Her songs strike a chord with you as they cover social topics that need to be heard. I loved the band and they produced a super performance to end the festival.
Jess Silk on stage
A comment on the rain. It hardly stopped but it failed to dampen the spirits and the fun of the Festival. The beer was supplied by the Fixed Wheel brewery, the Black Country flags were proudly displayed and Himley Hall, the former home of the Earls of Dudley provided a striking backdrop to the stage.
Picnic in the rain.A chat under the umbrella.Making friends at the Festival.Black Country Merchandise for sale.The Festival site at Himley Hall, Dudley.
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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.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
