BBC Television Centre

Favourite shots of 2013: Part I

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The first full year of taking photographs and sharing them with you has almost passed. 2013 has been eventful and I’ve been to numerous places around London and beyond, seeking inspiration.

It’s been tough to choose 10 shots that have really stayed with me, proved a lasting joy and pleasure – and evoke memories of the past 12 months. Click to enlarge the photographs or view them as a gallery here or at the foot of the post.

WHITE CITY

White CityThis hazy, sepia-tinged image of the rooftops of west London’s White City estate sums up the severe winter weather we experienced at the beginning of 2013. I took it from the top of BBC Television Centre, a workplace I would leave for good in March as a broadcast era came to a close.

DESSICATED BEAUTY

Dessicated beautyThis shot of a flower at the end of its life pleased me with the amount of detail and fresh, dappled bokeh. After moving house in May, I came to Ravenscourt Park’s walled garden for two seasonal sessions. Such a small space but so much beautiful natural material for the camera.

HAMMERSMITH AND CITY GOLD

Hammersmith & City goldThis night image of a London Tube train hurtling past the back of my old house reminds me of a warm Spring evening with the window wide open and a tripod set up. This gold abstract has become the emblem of my online presence and sparked off an interest in creating digital art through photography in 2013.

TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN

Towards the mountainI love the drama of this photograph, with the rugged mountain in the shadow of the sun and the lone figure moving over the sand. My only trip overseas in 2013 was to the holiday island of Fuerteventura, which was a revelation with its bristling light, fantastic sunsets and vibrant colours.

BEACH HUT INFINITY

Beach hut infinityA trip to the lovely seaside resort of Whitstable in Kent yielded this slice of endless colour, which I noticed but could easily have missed. It might be less vibrant than the beach huts in Bournemouth, but is a reminder of a memorable day trip to the ever-giving British coast.

Click first image to launch the gallery

White City portrait

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White City in west London is not the most glamorous or sought-after address, but it plays a huge role in my life as part of the neighbourhood.

The area began life as an exhibition mecca in the early 20th century, and was the venue for the 1908 Olympics. More than a century later, times have changed. Its era as the hub of BBC Television and news has been and gone. But the relatively new Westfield shopping complex has transformed White City.

It’s a place where people live and work. Enjoy this series of snapshots from an urban slice of west London.

Click first image for the full gallery experience
The White City housing estate under a wintry blanket
The Westfield shopping complex brings architectural modernity to White City
Boris bikes have found their way this far west
The former BBC Television Centre is an iconic White City landmark
Wood Lane Tube station opened in 2008
Westfield began trading in 2008
Hammersmith Park is an oasis of green in White City
The park was blanketed in snow this winter
The Ugli office block lives up to its name
Outdoor escalators help shoppers to clamber up to Westfield
The BBC formally exited the Television Centre buildings on 31 March
This urban area is rich in street furniture

Goodbye Television Centre

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Television Centre view

So that’s the end of an era. A chapter has closed for good.

I have worked my last day at BBC Television Centre. It was an odd experience, for a building that has been winding down for months was suddenly brimming with life because of the Comic Relief charity fundraiser – the last live studio-based show to come from TVC.

I’ve worked in the building since 2004 and it’s become part of my life’s fabric, full of familiar sights which are now being consigned to memory. This set of photographs captures just some of Television Centre’s corners that I’ve encountered so many times, and the essence of this iconic building.

Television Centre’s doors will close for good in two weeks before the site is handed over to its new owners. A major and lengthy refurbishment will follow. Life goes on, doesn’t it?…

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Click first image for the full gallery experience

The circular heart of Television Centre, better known as The Doughnut – and a welcome sun trap.
It’s a building full of corridors. This 2nd floor example leads to the famous BBC canteen.
TVC is a place of star talent. They need places to get ready.
The modern ‘front end’ of the building houses the BBC’s newsroom.
The newsroom has become very quiet as services move to New Broadcasting House in central London.
Signs direct confused visitors around the building. In recent weeks they’ve been mysteriously disappearing (the signs, not the visitors).
Television Centre’s Stage Door is decorated with a sumptuous mosaic.
The now derelict BBC canteen, which has been the butt of many jokes over the years.
The entrance to one of TVC’s numerous studios. These signs have been going missing too.
A maze of lights but nothing’s happening in this television studio.
BBC talent – Strictly Come Dancing hosts Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly – displayed on the 4th floor, where you can find the hallowed BBC bar.
The lifts in TVC frequently need repair…
… but it’s better than clambering up and down the numerous staircases.
A statue of Helios is the centrepiece of TVC’s rotund heart.
Television Centre’s clock which has ground to a halt several times.
The lights that illuminate the Stage Door area, where you would often spot famous people and the less well known reciting their lines before an audition.
A derelict office on the 7th floor which used to be the News Online newsroom – my base for many years.
BBC Television Centre’s sign, which has been seen around the world.

Way out

See these other posts related to BBC Television Centre:

Vertigo

Vacated

Upstairs Downstairs

Vertigo

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Working at BBC Television Centre as it winds down for closure gives me time to explore its many corridors and take photographs of this unique piece of architecture and west London heritage.

Recently I photographed a staircase which is well-known to BBC staff. But it’s just one of many which grace the building, several of which lurk behind closed doors and are designed as emergency escapes. Their shapes and styles – especially on a sunny day – can produce some good shots. Peering up and down any big stairwell is not a good idea if you’re prone to vertigo.

Click first image to launch gallery

For more about the end of BBC Television Centre, see Vacated

Vacated

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Vacated

This office – Room 7540 – has been empty for months. The doors are locked and I have to take a photograph through the glass doors. It used to be a bustling place, filled with desks, journalists and everyday life. In the glass office on the right, editorial meetings took place every weekday morning. All that’s left now are a couple of abandoned printers in this shell.

I worked in this place for many years. The other occupants have moved to new showpiece premises in the centre of London, while my work keeps me close to the old office. It’s an empty, eerie experience walking past. BBC Television Centre is gradually winding down before closure next month. My place there enables me to capture abandonment and memories.

7540

See Upstairs Downstairs, about a well-known staircase at BBC Television Centre