England in Winter

[vale_surfer]

Hi,

 

I'll be traveling to Birmingham and Manchester for two weeks in

January next year.

 

Any places worth taking my camera to? I suspect it will be dark and

gloomy but I could be wrong.

 

Thanks.

[jreades]

I'll be travelling to the North Pole and suspect it will be dark and gloomy... should I take my camera? Of course you should, you should always take your camera! ;^)

 

Yes, England at this time of year does tend towards the dark and gloomy side but that hardly means that there's nothing to photograph.

 

What you take depends largely on a) how much time you'll have to travel, and b) what type of photography you like doing. If it's nature you want, then it should be easy to get out of the city and into England's beautiful countryside, if it's the nightlife then Manchester is undergoing yet another renaissance from what I understand... Birmingham has a lot of canals and some interesting architecture if I remember correctly (it's been a while since I've been up that way). Do some online searches or pick up a guide book.

 

Given the time of year I *would* go with a fast lens if you have one since the daylight hours are pretty short. Down here in London it gets light around 8:15/8:30 and dark around 3:30/3:45. So a long slow lens is going to be of minimal value. Black and white film plays particularly well in England this time of year, but I'd bring some sensitive colour film too for the times (like this morning) when the sun peaks through and hits the frost in the park and everything gleams and steams.

[david_henderson]

Will you have a car?

[harry_edge]

Key in some of the following to give you a taste.

1)http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/home.htm (Wolverhampton)

2)Cannock Chase (National Park)

3)www.bclm.co.uk (Black Country Living Museum - Dudley)

4)Curiosities of Chester.

5)Birmingham City.

Have a great time.

Regards, Harry

[mark_houlder2]

in Manchester:

 

city centre has some architecture, but a lot of it isn't obvious. it's not a 'beautiful' city in the conventional sense, but if you look around you'll find some nice buildings. check out rylands library, urbis, the canal basin, and the city library.

 

there are a few formal gardens and country houses in and around manchester - try google for more info.

 

manchester is right next to the peak district, and only an hour or so away from the lake district (by car, coach or train). if you like your landscapes, head for one of those areas (though there are plenty of nice places closer to manchester, but the lakes in particular are worth an outing).

 

you could also easily 'do' liverpool and york day trips (or overnighters) from manchester - about an hour and an hour and a half, respectively, on the train. both are great cities for photography; york in particular is very photogenic - roman remains, narrow cobbled streets, huge minster etc.

 

 

birmingham:

 

i used to live just outside brum a few years ago, but haven't been back since so i'm a bit hazy on details (wasn't really into photography then, either). i do know there is some great modern architecture in the city centre now - check out the golf ball building (just ask when you get there, everyone knows it) and again, the canal.

 

as for day trips, you could try stratford-on-avon, shakespeare's home, and telford, with britain;s first metal bridge. the border with wales is also close by, with lots of nice countryside and some great towns like hereford. you're also half an hour from the malvern hills, which is pretty nice for landscapes (spooky - just as i typed that, malvern came on the TV!). further afield, there's tewkesbury and cheltenham, both of which would make good day trips.

 

have fun, and bring something waterproof :)

[vale_surfer]

Thanks a lot, guys.

 

I'll very likely have 3 weekends off and I suppose I can make short trips to the Peak District and York, though I wouldn't want to miss

Stratford-on-Avon (and Nottingham, maybe?)

 

I'll not forget to carry sensitive film and an umbrella!

 

David, I plan to rent a car but don't know much about one way rental drop offs in the UK.

[david_henderson]

OK, well clearly the point in asking was to ensure I orientated my comments towards things you can actually do. One way rental is available in the UK and if you go for one of the larger players - we have Hertz/Avis etc here, the charge may not be very big since we have effectively no state boundaries here.

 

In Birmingham there is as others have indicated a mix of canal scenes and decent modern architecture quite close to the centre. Looking at the former, Gas Street Basin is perhaps the best known/most colourful area but the canals are walkable and you can get still, a reasonable perspective of an industrialised city by walking along the towpaths -and see some decent modern buildings too. Theres a flight of locks just north of the City Centre- on the branch that runs up to Aston Junction I beleieve, that is quite interesting. In the city centre, Brindley Palce and the new Bullring (look st Selfridges in particular) are very modern and quite spectacular. Birmingham is also strong on 19th century Civic architecture. I'd second the suggestion of the Black Country Museum which is at Dudley, a few miles away.

 

Outside Birmingham ( not the easiest city to drive round/out of) I'd stick to the south-east area which will get you to Stratford on Avon, Warwick Castle and Leamington Spa. It will also get you into the northern Cotswolds if you want a touch of green.

 

Manchester is in my experience less interesting than Birmingham as a city. The best photography in town is possibly the modern area of Salford Quays which has some landmark structures. Outseide Manchester though it's different. South -East you have the Peak District ( get a map, and head for places like Hathersage, Buxton Buxton etc. Theres a lot of pleasant and rugged countryside there. Ninety minutes north of Manchester by car via the M6 motorway and you're in the Lake District- certainly one of the most attractive areas in Britain and which looks great in winter with no tourists to speak of. Be careful of snow and ice both there and in the Peak District though.

[blueisland]

Ok. Heres my 10 bobs worth.

I'm from the north

 

Cumbria/Lake District. For dramatic landscapes (forget about the Peak District)it can't be beaten. get up and out on the mountains with your camera.

 

yes the light can be poor in Jan/Feb, but remember britain is an island so weather changes fast, you can have those long grey days but also dark cloud underlit by the sun, great mornings and sunsets especially around the coast.

 

The worst light is probably around Manchester as it is built in a basin next to the Pennine Mountains (good for cloth making)

 

Personally I think Liverpool has really good photographic potential.

You mentioned York. Its very "nice" and full of tourists with cameras. Depends what you like shooting....

 

Some of the smaller Lancashire towns are interesting, lots of hills and stonework. But without a doubt to an outsider the North west has a fair share of bleakness about it.

[watermelon]

If you have ever had the slightest feeling for landscapes DO NOT forget the peak district! It is simply amazing scenery, with plenty of derlic pits and primary industrys scattered around. Oh, but it will rain for 90% of the time your on the moors. When the rain breaks however i've always found the light to be amazing.

 

Being somewhat hilly (PEAK district, remember) you get the extra bonus of a sense of achivment for your shots! Good place to start would be buxton. Lake district is too busy IMO.

[dens]

Try Old Trafford, there should lots of sad faces there as Chelsea will have won the league by then ....:)

 

Soccer!