Category Archives: architecture

May 13 2024
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Daily Post, architecture

Hudson Janisch’s memorial

Sunday 12th May 2024, 10.50am (day 4,644)

One wonders if the social and economic landscape of St Helena would be different had it been run more often in its history by St Helenians. In the centuries since it was formally colonised, only two of the many Governors have been born on the island, and it’s perhaps significant that one of these, Hudson Janisch gets himself by far the most impressive memorial of any Governor. On the lowest level of this three-tier stone (not pictured) is inscribed: “This monument is erected by the inhabitants to commemorate the high respect and esteem in which their late Governor was universally held.” As a memorial, that’s pretty good, I think.

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Mar 29 2024
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architecture, Daily Post

Richard Cobden and St. Ann’s Church

Thursday 28th March 2024, 9.40am (day 4,599)

St Ann's Church, 28/3/24

In Manchester, but not my usual parts of the city, so a chance to bring some different views to the blog. The statue of the Dead White Male is of Richard Cobden, and until just now I had no idea who this person was so I have read up about him. It sounds as if he was something of a radical dude, campaigning for years for the repeal of the Corn Laws (which kept the price of bread artificially high and impoverished the masses for the benefit of a few rich landowners), free trade and pacifism. So, go Richard. St Ann’s Church, behind, is a rather noble building as well.

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Feb 02 2024
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architecture, Daily Post

The CN Tower, attempt 1 (aborted)

Thursday 1st February 2024, 1.40pm (day 4,543)

CN Tower in cloud, 1/2/24

Not as exciting a photo as was planned for the day, and certainly a less extensive panorama, but the reasons for this can be gathered by inspection of the top of the picture. The observation decks of the CN Tower (still the tallest building in the world outside of Asia) were swathed in cloud, making the jaunt to the top, if not pointless, then rather less of an attraction than it might have been. But the woman on the gate did advise me that I could just reschedule my timed ticket for another day — which was very civilised of her (some major tourist attractions would have just said ‘tough shit, sucker, lump it’). So I shall return on Monday. And if it’s cloudy then?…. it will be what it will be.

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Jan 23 2024
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architecture, Daily Post

Moon over the North Campus

Monday 22nd January 2024, 3.25pm (day 4,533)

Moon, North Campus, 22/1/24

Students from a quarter-century or more ago will know the UoM’s ‘North Campus’ as ‘UMIST’ — but this institution has long been merged out of existence, and quite a few of its buildings, like this one beside the Mancunian Way, have stood derelict for years. But there’s still an aspirational feel to this shot — climb the ladder and jump over the moon? And let’s get some blue sky into things. It’s been altogether too grey lately.

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Jan 09 2024
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architecture, Daily Post, Landscape

The Midland Hotel, Morecambe

Tuesday 9th January 2024, 11.20am (day 4,520)

Midland Hotel, 9/1/24

The Midland’s second appearance on the blog, after this shot, 2,627 days ago– which is less vivid, and I prefer this one. It’s nice that we’re getting some sunshine, which in the last few weeks of 2023, was at a premium. 

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Dec 24 2023
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architecture, Daily Post

Coatbridge: a ‘most dismal’ town?

Saturday 23rd December 2023, 1.25pm (day 4,503)

Coatbridge tower block, 23/12/23

After a month where I felt I’d barely left the house, time to go a-travelling again, and this is Scotland’s first appearance on here since we came back from our holiday in July. Coatbridge, a few miles east of Glasgow, has had a bad rep down the years; notoriously polluted and run-down in the early 20th century, and arguably, in decline ever since, in 2007 it was apparently voted ‘Scotland’s Most Dismal Town’. But we passed through today and I thought it was OK. The Stalinist apartment-block architecture doesn’t give it glamour but it at least gives the photography some interest. Not to mention the stadium of Albion Rovers FC just down the road, but that’s another story, for a different social medium.

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Dec 09 2023
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architecture, Daily Post

Ex-cinema, Oldham

Saturday 9th December 2023, 1.45pm (day 4,489)

Oldham ex-cinema, 9/12/23

Spectacular urban decay. Oldham doesn’t look all that great at the best of times but on a dreich day in December it really comes into — or perhaps gets out of — its own. Bear in mind that not only is this clock wrong, but I suspect has been stopped for a couple of decades by now.

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Nov 26 2023
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architecture, Daily Post

On York Minster

Saturday 25th November 2023, 2.55pm (day 4,475)

York Minster, 25/11/23

On the tourist trail today, and boy were there a lot of them, or should I say us. People everywhere, cramming the narrow streets of York, maybe they were enjoying themselves or maybe they were just participating, robot-like in the early stages of the now-mandated 7-week Thou Shalt Shop And Wear Silly Jumpers period: a reminder to some, there’s a whole month yet before Christmas Day. Anyway, this included walking past the Minster, as one does in York, and taking pictures of the people taking pictures — surely I appear on the shots captured by the woman in the red hat and the guy two places to her left.

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Sep 19 2023
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architecture, Daily Post

The factory district, late

Monday 18th September 2023, 10.05pm (day 4,407)

Low Moor factory, 19/9/23

I would say that there is no reason to come through the factory districts of Bradford late at night, but this is not the first time I’ve found one: see 21st December 2021 for instance, a shot taken in much the same place as this one. Both were the result of going to an evening game at Bradford Park Avenue FC but that’s another story. I must admit that I like walking through this part of town, whether at night or not; the convolutions of the factories and their pipes and lights and ducts, clouds of steam, lights on but very rarely any people — all these make for interesting photography.

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Jul 29 2023
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architecture, Daily Post

Bromley-by-Bow

Saturday 29th July 2023, 11.40am (day 4,356)

Bromley-by-Bow, 29/7/23

After 19 different places in 23 days, London becomes the first location to make it on two days in a row since the beginning of July. This was actually the first photo I took today. While intending that my wanderings around parts of the East End of London would lead to some good photo opportunities — cobbled streets, urchins picking whelks out from mudbanks on the Thames, that kind of thing — most of it looks like this these days.

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