In what seems like no time at all, the first month of 2010 is almost over and its time for my customary trawl through my recent updates. December's sudden flurry of site activity generated some much-needed momentum for the galleries, with my challenge for January therefore being to maintain the pace if possible. Let's see how I got on...
The answer in a nutshell is "not too badly actually". For starters, there are a couple of landmarks to celebrate courtesy of WME Birmingham and Exploration Extra. Birmingham has barged its way through the 300 photos barrier, cementing its place (behind WME Wolverhampton) as my second largest gallery, with new stuff now nestling on Exploring Hall Green (Fox Hollies Road and the Maggies pub sign), Hall Green Station (two more station entrance views) and Exploring Hawkesley (the Square shops and the Tunnel pub). This is all very laudable, especially as the latter two collections had effectively been dormant with barely a sniff of new content for what seems like years.
Whilst Birmingham bashed 300, Exploration Extra has now serenely reached half that total with a neat charge through the 150 photo mark. The key development here has been the arrival of a new Rail Rover 2008 collection, currently comprising a variety of views from Chirk and Moreton-in-Marsh, although its also worth noting that Clacton Seafront Gardens and Harwich Maritime Museum have muscled their way in on Essex 2008. Looking at the gallery as a whole, those 150 pictures now cover quite a spread of geographical locations that hopefully give the site an appeal outside of the immediate West Midlands area.
Elsewhere, WME Staffordshire has been busy. There's a new Exploring Bishops Wood collection to report, featuring the Royal Oak pub and the local church, whilst additions have also been made to Exploring Kinver (the Vine and Old White Harte pubs), the Trent and Mersey Canal (various shots from my Potteries walk) and a look at the old Green Bus depot on Bus Stops & Stations. Things have been comparatively quieter on WME Worcestershire, where the inclusion of Exploring Wolverley offers some long awaited extra local content as the Lock and Queens Head pubs make their debut - oh, and the Kidderminster to Spennells number 10 bus has squeaked in as well.
Talking of number 10 bus routes, Coventry's equivalent makes its latest appearance thanks to a couple of Metrobus pics at Eastern Green terminus, washed down with a bonus view of the entrance to Pool Meadow Bus Station. Also like Worcestershire, WME Telford habitually suffers from a lack of local content, so an important development here is Exploring Dawley - this offers two views of the Lord Hill pub, a local landmark that was sadly closed down when Rog and I visited last November.
Another closed pub seen in happier times is the Knave of Hearts, now showing on Exploring Bloxwich along with a shot of the local marketplace. WME Walsall can also boast the fledgling Exploring Palfrey with its views of the local park, and there's a quick sighting of Aldridge Wharf Bridge on the Daw End Canal. WMEs Dudley and Sandwell offer one new picture a piece - the Commercial pub at Brockmoor for Dudley, and the 406H bus at West Bromwich for Sandwell - whilst bringing up the rear for once is WME Wolverhampton, where Broad Street Lock Cottages (Birmingham Main Line Canal) and the White Rose at Loxdale (Exploring Bilston) at least ensure that the gallery has clocked in for the new year.
That then I think covers everything, and its a case of so far so good as far as 2010 is concerned. I've started as I mean to go on but, as ever, there is still much work to be done and many more photos are waiting in line to take their turn in the limelight. It'll be interesting to see exactly which particular pictures get their curtain call in February...
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