Blackpool blues

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It’s a glorious October day. I’m straight on the train and heading for seaside icon Blackpool to enjoy a long walk in the sunshine. CONTINUE READING BELOW

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My train from Manchester took me to Blackpool North station. The walk to the promenade takes you past the resort’s garish, seedier side – but the first view of the sea makes it all worthwhile.

For my long photo walk in sublime light I stayed close to the beach, kicking off with a first wander along the North Pier, which offered great views of Blackpool’s iconic tower.

Under piercing blue skies and sun that still radiated some warmth, I edged along the resort’s strikingly Brutalist sea defences and strolled along the sand.

The last time I came to Blackpool a winter storm was raging and the water was a very murky caramel colour, but this time it was like another place altogether.

A visit to a coastal town isn’t complete without going underneath the hulky struts of its pier – a box that was satisfyingly was ticked on this occasion.

After an obligatory fish and chip lunch at a place called Cod Father (yes really) I kept tracking south and moved away from Blackpool, catching famous rollercoaster The Big One in full throttle (from a safe distance!)

The broadening of the beach and deepening of the sand was a sign I was closing in on St Annes-on-the-Sea, near Blackpool but a real shift in style and substance. I really shrugged off city life and felt peaceful along this little stretch of the Fylde Coast.

As I made my way to the train station, the sun was still blazing away in an untroubled sky – the last time before moody Atlantic lows and Arctic freezes would dominate this island…

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Manchester’s new skyscraper estate

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My Manchester apartment sits on the second floor of a low rise building. But very close by a new skyscraper neighbourhood is making rapid progress.

Here are some photographs of the newest towers which I finally got close to recently. What do you think of living in the sky? READ MORE BELOW

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The New Jackson neighbourhood links together the four more recent skyscrapers – the slim Blade, rotund Three60, broad Elizabeth Tower and squat Victoria Residence – with the existing Deansgate Square towers.

This crop of four high rises have dominated the local skyline for a few years now and regularly feature in my photographs.

With thousands of new homes and people moving to this part of Manchester city centre, amenities including a primary school and medical centre are being placed on site.

But is this enough along with these sparkling, sky-touching new buildings? 

Life in the city centre can favour younger people, who in my own experience may be less likely to connect with neighbours and their local community. Apartment living makes it easier to close the door behind you and forget those around you.

One thing is clear – the local skyline has changed for good. Is it progress for the better?…

The skyscrapers of New Jackson, Manchester, as seen from a roof garden.

New Jackson (right) as seen from a Manchester roof garden

Birmingham: Architectural gem

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I recently visited Birmingham – the UK’s second city – on a quest to photograph some of its buildings.

And there’s a rich and varied seam of architecture to be found there. CONTINUE READING BELOW

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The vibrant city centre of Birmingham is a mix of building styles, from concrete leftovers of the 1960s and 70s to innovative recent additions including the Library of Birmingham.

Encased in an elegant gilded cage, this building was my first port of call and was truly impressive. Head upstairs to enjoy an elevated view over Birmingham city centre.

Another innovative must-see is the outlandishly tactile Selfridges building with its many voluptuous curves, while the silver-topped Grand Central complex also grabs the attention.

I took a bus ride to the University of Birmingham campus at Edgbaston, where I studied for a time.

Memories came cascading back, while the library I once inhabited has since been demolished and replaced with a sleek new gold-framed building.

Birmingham may have struggled with its reputation down the years, but my architectural tour showed there is a lot to see. Even if you’re not looking up at buildings like I did, it’s a city that has a lot to offer.

The Selfridges building inspires with its curves and textures

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Lancaster: City of the past

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My home city of Manchester is a heady mix of historical architecture and shiny new skyscrapers.

Travel north by train for an hour and you’ll reach Lancaster, a historic city that owes a great deal to its past… CONTINUE READING BELOW

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From Lancaster train station it’s just a short walk to the city’s imposing castle, which was also a prison until as late as 2011.

Dark walls and deep crenellations give way to charming old houses around Castle Hill, some of them quaintly crooked, others with vine-covered porches.

As I wandered around the city centre on a sunny day, the dark sandstone of historical buildings persisted. There wasn’t a whiff of any new architecture, let alone the lofty glass and steel we have here in Manchester.

Lancaster may have an old shell, but it’s a thriving place filled with coffee shops, food stalls and everything needed by modern city dwellers. There was a pleasant hum of life walking around its historic streets.

Lancaster is also blessed with an old waterway and it’s well worth a diversion to wander along its towpath and under some low-slung bridges – they’ve been there some time too!

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Wales by the sea

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The British summer has been a disappointment, with cool temperatures and a lot of rain.

So when a warm sunny day was forecast, I travelled by train to Colwyn Bay on the north Wales coast – a place I’d never visited.

What did I think? And did the weather hold up? FIND OUT MORE BELOW

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My first sight was this lovely stretch of coast under blue skies and warm sunshine. I wasn’t the only one who had decided to flock to the seaside, but there was room for everyone.

Colwyn Bay has a short but perfectly formed Victorian pier which was remodelled and restored in 2021 with swathes of pink ironwork which looked stunning against the sky.

I wandered north to Colywn’s smaller neighbour Rhos-on-Sea with its stone harbour and stretches of stony coastline less intended for human habitation.

After a hearty lunch the weather had closed in, with swathes of grey cloud masking the sun. But somehow this added atmosphere to the coastal landscape and day trippers carrying on regardless.

This part of north Wales coastline sits between the brash resorts of Rhyl and Prestatyn, with the eternally popular Llandudno further north.

I’m glad I decided to explore the area and make the most of a break in our dank northerly summer. Does it look good to you?

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