Prescott Hill Climb in May
On May 10th a group of BCPG members travelled to Prescott Hill near Cheltenham to cheer on old and vintage cars tackling the hill inside the Bugatti club grounds. Such a range of vehicles! From sedate Bentleys, speedy Aston Martins, a 1925 3-wheeler Morgan, a range of Porsches, original Minis and classic Rileys to a wonderfully stylish Bugatti. There was the boisterous blast of old, powerful engines, accompanied by the atmospheric smell of exhaust fumes and burning oil. Great day.
Henley-in-Arden in April
On Thursday 9th April 12 intrepid photographers ventured to Henley in Arden for our monthly "Walking with my camera" visit. After a pleasant stop in Costa we set off armed with maps showing some of the more interesting buildings. Behind the main street we found the station building that is now used as a local community hub. Unfortunately, only modern trains were passing through whilst we were there so no reminiscing about the age of steam. On the other side of the village is St Nicholas Church which is well worth a diversion. For the more adventurous, further up The Mound are the remains of Beaudesert Castle. Carolyn de Chernatony
Hill Close Gardens in March
On Thursday March 12th the Balsall Common Photography Group visited Hill Close Gardens Trust in Warwick: a rare survival of Victorian Gardens created by the many shop keepers and businesses who lived above their business in the town of Warwick and had no garden space to enjoy.
The Trust’s website invites visitors to the gardens to “take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the season and walk in the footsteps of the Victorian”, which we did on a cold, blustery morning after watching a short informative video about the gardens and plots.
BCPG stroll along Birmingham’s Grand Union Canal in February.
A select group of 6 members braved the miserable weather and spent a most enjoyable few hours ambling along the canal, ending up in Gas Street basin and the malls beyond. The contrast between the cultural neglect of the canal and the gentrification of the basin was stark and informed our photography on the day.
On January 8th our visit took us to the Birmingham Markets
