railway station

Inside Manchester’s history

/ mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

One of my summer highlights was the chance to see inside an iconic Manchester building.

Manchester Central – now an exhibition and conference centre – started life in 1880 as a grand railway station until its closure in 1969.

The building, with its lofty arched roof and station clock, was empty for visitors to marvel at its scale and the prowess of Victorian engineering.

It’s part of a complex which has hosted everything from rock concerts to the Nightingale Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic and is a Mancunian landmark.

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An interior view of Manchester's former Central Station, a feat of Victorian engineering.

The historic Midland Hotel can be seen through Manchester Central’s vast window

Manchester's ornate Tower of Light rising above the roof of Central Station.

The Tower of Light is a more recent Manchester landmark next to the former rail station

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Commuters’ canopy

/ mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

Even if you’re hurrying to catch your train, you can’t fail to notice this sight. A pristine latticed roof and ceiling, a contemporary take on the Victorian canopies that shelter London’s main railway stations.

This is King’s Cross, a place that until recently was shabby, seedy and dodgy after dark. The train station now has a modern, sleek concourse, while the location is being transformed almost beyond recognition.

As for the roof space, it’s even subtly bathed in a lilting pattern of coloured light. I’m glad I came to look and wasn’t rushing to a platform…

Commuters' canopy

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Railway abstract

/ mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

A visit to one of London’s vast train stations, and it’s the smaller detail that shifted my gaze through the lens. On a sunny day, St Pancras, with its huge canopy and long concourse is full of colours, shapes and reflections of every hue.

The image above is a jaunty angle on a glass partition and has some fascinating reflections right next to the dark yet illuminated polished metal of a light fixture. And below is  a favourite view of mine – a lengthy, covered arcade stretching into the distance. Maybe a modern version of this image?

Tomorrow (Sunday) I’ll return with a full gallery of shots from St Pancras.

See also:

Curves and colonnades

Olympic colours

Department store