Love Charlie

  Photography is obviously a passion of mine and if you have looked through my blog you will we see how useful it has been combining it with my love of old architecture, in fact the two came together quite early on. For many years I had an account on Flickr, a photo sharing site which helped increase my interest in both subjects, it's always helpful to discuss and comment with others on a shared interest. Buildings in theory should be easy to photograph, as long as the light is right and you can find a good angle then it should be plain sailing, my tip is to try and find an unusual angle or something unique about the architecture to help create an interesting composition.  My passion for photography expanded to include items around the home, everyday objects that when viewed differently become interesting and with the English weather being what it is, it was also handy when it was dull outside. Many of the photographs I have taken at home are shot in my bedroom using a mirror ...

  The Grand Hotel in Scarborough is an iconic building overlooking the town's South Bay, when it first opened in 1867 it was not only the largest brick hotel in Europe but also the largest brick building on the continent. Built in the shape of a V to honour reigning monarch of the time Queen Victoria it's design is based around the theme of time with four domes representing the four seasons, twelve floors, one for each month of the year, fifty two chimneys to represent the weeks of the year and 365 rooms one for each day of the year. It's facade is influenced by the French architecture of the time known as French Second Empire  that was popular throughout Napoleon III's reign between 1851 and 1870 the characteristics of which include elaborate detail, mansard roofs and low domes. Built on an elevated stretch of land that runs just behind the seafront the sea facing facade has three extra floors than it's St. Nicholas Cliff (street) facing front.   Scarborough is kno...

Leeds Town Hall is an excellent example of Victorian Architecture and the civic pride that ensured their public buildings were as grand and as decorative as they could afford. Similar to how a company's internet or website today is their public image, the architecture of towns and cities displayed not only to it's population but to the rest of the country that their town was something to be proud of. In 1850 Leeds Council decided that with their town's growing population (Leeds became a city in 1893) and success in the area that they needed and deserved a new town hall, this combined with the desire to compete with the nearby town of Bradford which was also experiencing growth meant Leeds required something grand, something lavish, something that would indicate to the rest of the country just how important the town had become. Leeds Town Hall A Pillar Of The Community In 1852 a competition was held to design this new symbol of Leeds civic pride, the winner a Mr Cuthbert Bro...