WME Flickr Focus - July 2018

After weeks and weeks of seemingly endless sunshine, the summer of 2018 may well be one that people talk about for many years to come (in the same way that 1976 is still recalled now). The heatwave may not be over yet but the soaring temperatures have encouraged some WME photostream action with the updates net being cast both near and far...

Starting with the far and our principal heat-seeker in July was Exploration Extra, representing past family holidays and cricketing adventures. The suitcase was initially packed with some Edinburgh essentials, namely the Lothian Buses depot (Annandale Street) and a little bit of Leith Waterfront. Musselburgh muscled in with a Promenade street sign whereas Prestonpans gave us the Gothenburg with its reminders of the former Fowlers Brewery. 

Sticking with Exploration Extra, we lazed around in Leicestershire courtesy of Quorn and Woodhouse station on the Great Central Railway - two bits of vintage advertising made the cut there. Suffolk provided some sightseeing most notably in Ipswich where Sir Alf Ramsay's statue, the Fat Cut pub and the County Hotel all joined the fun, then Leeds lingered with the Packhorse pub and some terrific tiling at Whitelock's Ale House.

And now for the near whereby WME Wolverhampton has been monitoring the mercury most of all. The old Acropolis Fish Bar on Rayleigh Road stepped out of the shade awhile but the hottest of the arrivals was undoubtedly Banks's Brewery; I've enjoyed photographing examples of their 'Tells It Like It Is' marketing campaign recently, amusingly acerbic street art that includes the emoji and Big Brother creations that find themselves on photostream parade. 

My other galleries have taken it easy really, the heat making them too lethargic to muster much together. WME Warwickshire breezed into Baddesley Clinton (finding the Ferrers Family tomb) whereas WME Telford made it to Madeley for a further glimpse of the All Nations, always a great place for a summertime pint. A brief bus interlude came care of WME Dudley (a 247A at Stourbridge) but the final word went to WME Walsall and a certain Spongebob Squarepants, star of the Illuminations back in 2007 (sadly this previously annual event at the Arboreutum no longer takes place). With that I'm off to try to keep cool, and we'll see what August can contribute by way of its own summer sizzlers...