A few bits and pieces

Recent work at WME has seen me working my way back through my photo archive trying to extract a few extra photos with which to add a bit more substance to my existing gallery collections. This process is ongoing, but I am pleased with how things are progressing, especially as I have unearthed some really useful pictures already.

This background work has meant things have been quiet on the updates front, and will be for some time to come. However, I have taken the opportunity to put a few archive discoveries into their new homes on the full WME galleries, so...

• On WME Birmingham, two extra photos of Edgbaston Tunnel have been added to the Worcester and Birmingham Canal collection
• On WME Dudley, I've added a photo of the 299 at Stourbridge to accompany the one already in Dudley by Bus
• On WME Coventry, two photos of route 34 are added to Coventry by Bus. The first is another Tile Hill South shot, similar to that already online but from a different angle. The second is particularly useful in capturing the other end of the route up at Walsgrave Hospital, adding a new location to the collection and presenting more Coventry memories in the process. I've also started up a Coventry Station collection with a couple of train photos - another important development that now means a major Midlands station is represented whilst giving WME Coventry its first new collection in ages
• On WME Telford, a couple of additions. A look at the stands at Wellington Bus Station adds substance to Stops & Stations, whilst a second platform view shot provides a bit more flesh to the Oakengates Station section. Both pictures were good bonuses to find amongst the archive, allowing me to make tiny but significant progress with one of my least developed galleries

Things are slow and painstaking at the moment, but it is important for me to try and extract everything I possibly can from my photo archive in order to present my explorations, experiences and memories as fully as possible. Its proving quite rewarding going back through my photos and finding extra photos to use that I missed or ignored the first time round - photos that just add that little bit extra to the overall jigsaw.

In setting up the galleries I wanted to cover as much ground as quickly as possible, with the result that WME has now become quite established. My priority has thus changed from providing a few launch collections and a handful of starter photos to now building on those foundations so that there is much more depth to WME as a whole. The photos added this weekend are part of that, and its particularly pleasing to see WME Coventry and WME Telford get some new additions after such a long time. I envisage this bits and pieces approach continuing for some time, so keep an eye on WME1 to see what other forgotten gems emerge...

Trip Log - Saturday 22nd July

A classic Rog outing that took us into Worcestershire to visit Kidderminster, Bewdley, Stourport and Redditch

• Meeting point - Stourbridge Bus Station at 8:45
• Catch the Dodger to Stourbridge Junction
• No trains towards Worcester - instead we have a Rail Replacement coach taking us direct to Kidderminster, a nice ride through Norton and Broadwaters
• At Kidderminster we find the station is locked, so not much opportunity for photos there :( The Severn Valley Station is open as usual though, so we have a look along the platforms and explore the station shop. I was really impressed by the whole operation, lots of hard work and effort must have gone into creating and maintaining the traditional railway atmosphere and infrastructure
• Next up, a walk around Kidderminster town centre taking in Weavers Walk, the bus station and the library. Some construction work has blocked off part of the bus station, so local services are temporarily based at the stops outside the town hall.
• Catch the 3 to Stourport - a frequent local route, taking us on a tour of a local estate before dropping us on York Street in Stourport. Route continues to the Walshes and Areley Kings
• Stourport: A walk along the river and a look around the canal basins, brought back a few memories there. We stay on the canal for a walk up to the top end of Stourport, rounded off with a much needed drink sat in the beer patio of the Rising Sun pub (a traditional local boozer). Then its down to the bus stop for the 3 back to Kidderminster
• The 292 was next, taking us across to Bewdley. The route links Kiddy and Ludlow via Cleobury Mortimer, although we only sampled the small section into Bewdley past the hospital and safari park
• Bewdley: Start off with a look around the Bewdley Museum, where Rog found his rightful place (in the cells!!) Then it was time for lunch, fish and chips sitting next to the river watching the regatta. The essence of an English summertime.
• Lunch finished, we explore Bewdley's Severn Valley Station. The railway sets very high standards, and Bewdley was another immaculately presented station facility complete with old station signs and advertisements providing plenty of photo potential.
• Photos taken, it was time for another pub visit. The Great Western did the trick, I needed that cider.
• Thirst quenched, we catch the 2 back into Kidderminster, alighting outside the rail stations only to find that the main station was still closed off. We decide to catch the X33 to Redditch, but had enough time for a quick visit to the Railway Bell whilst Rog started kissing old ladies for no apparent reason - worrying...
• X33 - a good county route linking Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and Redditch with useful connections to local hospitals. The ride gave Rog a chance to tell me about bike rides to local villages such as Chaddesley Corbett and Belbroughton as we planned a possible Rail Rover week
• Redditch: hmm, not particularly impressed. It had started raining heavily, the bus station was underground and the train station was a modern outpost without much character. We stood on the single platform trying unsuccessfully to stay dry as we waited for a train to photo, and to top things off I slipped over on the way into the pub. Rog will never let me live that down...
• After nursing my bruised pride, we return to the rail station for a few more photos with the sun coming back out. Rog introduced me to Redditch bus garage, then we waited in the gloom of the bus station for the return X33 back towards Kiddy
• Quick change of plan - the 318 is in at Bromsgrove so we change onto that for a ride back into Stourbridge. Great route, through Catshill, Belbroughton and Hagley - plus some bloke called Steve was driving with hair slightly less dodgy than Rog's!
• Back in Stourbridge and time for the usual end of outing pub crawl. We start off by heading up to Norton so I could get a few local photos (including the Broadway pub and shops) before munching Pringles as we wove our way through the estate to The Greyhound
• The Greyhound - modern style local estate pub, open plan and no traditional atmosphere as such. Here we meet Mr Wood who joins us for the final few pub legs as we visit The Plough and Harrow near Mary Stevens Park and finish off in that old friend, The Bell.
• Suddenly its 9:30 pm and I have to make a hasty exit to catch my 256 home, and the curtain comes down on a cracking adventure

And thats that - one of the best outings in 2006. So many good memories, even Redditch was fun come to think of it. Looking forward to the next one already, providing Rog doesn't start kissing the elderly again

Sandwell Stuff

A belated note to say that I finally got round to updating WME Sandwell last week...

• To begin with, a platform view was added to Tipton Station - good to add a little variety as the other photos in the collection are three very similar shots of the station entrance
• Dudley Port also benefits from a couple of photos focusing on the path between Park Lane East and the station car park. Whilst I always try to get photos of main station entrances and platforms, it is worth exploring the periphery of stations for extra photo material, these two shots being a good example.
• Additions also to Smethwick West, showing a couple more platform views. These are useful inclusions showing more of the derelict station, although I doubt whether it will be possible to add much more to the collection with the railway infrastructure at the site starting to disappear.
• Also on the subject of changing scenes, I've included a photo each for Bearwood and Cradley Heath bus stations showing the locations before they received makeovers. I still lament the loss of the chunky blue shelters at Bearwood
• And finally, a new collection - Smethwick Galton Bridge take a bow. I finally sorted out some photos from my earliest visits to the station to act as a launch pad, hence a platform view and a couple of train shots. Its an important station in terms of my rail exploration exploits, so its good to get it online.

I have to say I'm quite pleased with the update, some good collection development there. On a general note, things are moving very slowly at WME - I need to get back into the archive and extract more of my older photos, but its becoming a bit frustrating as I can't get the photos to click in a way that means I can include them permanently. The lack of test material means updates to the local galleries have dried up too, but I'm working on it. At least Sandwell got its first update in ages though >>> http://wme6.fotopic.net

WME Gallery Updates

Another little sprinkling of updates this morning

• WME Wolverhampton - a photo of a City Way 334 at Bilston joins Wolverhampton by Bus, useful to get another operator in the mix
• WME Dudley - the next installment of what looks like being quite a series of Stourbridge Junction train photos has been added. Keep them coming I say, the station is always a pleasure to visit.
• WME Staffordshire - a Cross City train photo joins the Lichfield City collection. A very useful inclusion, the photo shows the value in trawling the archive and unearthing shots I might have missed first time round.
• WME Birmingham - a couple of changes here. Firstly, a couple more signs join the Worcester and Birmingham Canal collection - I might get photos of them all eventually. Secondly, a couple of Kings Norton Station additions focusing on the ramp connecting the Birmingham platform to the ticket office - very much fillers but they help provide a more complete view of the station, plus they bring back memories of university and student tutoring days. Finally, I've started off a collection for Duddeston Station with a platform view and a train shot. Its hardly my favourite station but it merits inclusion as a place I have explored, so another stitch in the tapestry falls into place.

Nothing too exciting then, but solid inclusions as I slowly start to add substance to my galleries, putting some flesh onto the intial bare bones. Its taking time, but I am encouraged by the way the galleries are developing, both as a personal memory bank and as a snapshot of the local area.