Last Monday, I got into town, and just didn't know what to do with myself, then I thought Bolton, as I wanted to photograph some pampas grass I'd seen next to some flats, and backed by autumn leaves, I took several shots, but this was the only one I was happy with.
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So from their, Leigh beconed with some cheese flan out of Waterfields bakery for lunch. The bus went all round the houses, I thought it would and went through a little town of Tyldsley, now I know why they have travel agents in Tyldsley, if the Jehovah's Witnesses can turn Tyldsley into a paradise earth, then they stand a very good chance with doing the same with hell, to say its something of a dump is an underestimation. Decided to give the rest of Leigh a miss today and caught the bus out to St Helens. I haven't been there for years and never been into town center, the only time I've ever been to St Helens, was to see the Pilkingtons glass museum, well worth a visit, but not today. By the time I got there it was late in the afternoon and beginning to go dark. The bus came in past the the station, and decided that, that was going to be my first shoot of the afternoon.
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Used the railings on the bridge to support the camera. The architecture of the station made for some attractive shapes, the glass awning looked like a sphere, but no it wasn't. The station looked a very attractive place to be, it seemed to have a sense of place, the tiling on the platform gave it a warm cosiness, and both an attractive place to arrive and depart from.
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Try as I might I just couldn't find a support for my camera with which to photograph the bus station. Its brilliant yellow signs were a beconing sight, so I eventually went across to the bus station and took a shot by placing the camera on a railing and included the yellow paint for effect.
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Well St Helens seems to be a massive shopping center, with several malls dotted round a central open piazza, tried a shot of some men in what was once Woolworths, but it was none too sharp, looks like the closed Woolworths are being taken over and utilised at last. There seemed to be hundreds of youngsters congregating in the center of town, it was quite warm for this time of year, perhaps it was just the laid back sense of place that the center of St Helens exhuded.
No I took no pictures here, all I have is a shot of the St Helens spire, this was curious as a steel staircase spirals round it, it has the same symbolism as the Washington monument surrounded by all those star spangled banners, i.e. the Masonic point within a circle, and curioser still is the reflection in the spire, looks like the all seeing eye in the pyramid, like I say it was close on darkness when I got there, get a better shot next time I hope, I wonder.
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Finally I got round to the town hall on my way back to the bus, what a serene atmosphere exhuded from this lovely building, and yet right outside that huge shopping center, to get this I had to clamp the camera to a post in the street.
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Time to make my way home, got one last shot of the town hall just as a bus pulled up and into shot, so then back to the bus station, then a bus ride to Wigan, from there into Preston, via Leyland, back to Blackburn, and home again, my knees felt like they were coming out of joint, but then a memorable day, must go back someday soon. Enjoyed your day out?
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Summicron, I just love your travel tales and the wonderful pictures that accompany them. Thanks for sharing.
Great series Summicron! I feel like I spent part of the afternoon with you.
Don
I love to see pictures from other places and your's are so clear and informative.
Becky
Micahael I love that first one. It is absolutely beautiful. Thjat second one looks like it could be one of our subway stations in Toronto, except the station isn't quite so "ornate"!
I too love the pictoral travels you go on!
Quote from: LakeLady on October 31, 2009, 12:42:33 PM
I love to see pictures from other places and your's are so clear and informative.
Becky
My sentiments also!!!