Sunday 22 February 2009

How'd That Happen?

Photobucket
I got out for another walk this afternoon. We went over and walked through some woods ending up at Panshanger Aerodrome, or what remains at least. It was an interesting afternoon one way and another-more to follow on that soon........

This shot is not directly related to yesterday's but is along the same street and all part of a site acquired by Tesco (which if you don't know is a huge supermarket chain here in the UK). I photographed this building some while back whilst it's sign was still intact. This is also the project that Craig from id7 and I were denied entry to.

This site is part of what's being called regeneration of this area of town. I know that I'm a cynical old bugger but if the companies hadn't left (none have closed, just moved) it wouldn't need regenerating. This building is listed and some provisional ideas have been aired, if you're interested you can see them here. Again being cynical I'll believe it when I see it, you just get the feeling that they'll try and find a reason not to keep it, IE unsafe. I really hope that I'm wrong.

Anyway, as you can see the sign has gone. According to the local rag it was supposed to have stayed because it was historic. It was reported that there would be an inquiry to find out. My son works in the shopping centre opposite, he watched them take it down. It took three guys 8 hours in cherry pickers to smash them off of the wall. Can you understand why I'm cynical? Whoops, was it supposed to stay? No one told us guv, well too late now......you get the picture.

You can call me wrong, misinformed and an old stick in the mud for wanting things preserved and I guess only time will tell if I'm right or wrong.

Two teenagers walked by me as I was photographing, "wish they'd bulldoze that place" said one to the other. I wonder what they'd put there?

CM2009

6 comments:

Pere Chuliá said...

Otra imagen potente con una luz dura y contrastada. Buena foto de arquitectura industrial. Ya nos contarás si al final acaban derribando o regenerando la industria. Saludos.

Anonymous said...

I dont think I would call you Cynical, just aware I think, Awre of the most likely events and being realistic, if that makes you and me for that matter Cynical, then so be it I say
Wonderful capture though great tones

On my post tody wasnt selective coloring, just played around with the Hue saturation and Luminance a little to get what I remembered it looking like

Cheers

Unknown said...

Your right, I'm convinced that it will be torn down at some point. From what I remember it is only the storage towers that are listed, and I guess it will be easy to "damage" them when they remove the rest of the building. I can still smell the factory.

As to your comment about the teenagers, I bet we would have said the same, time makes you understand the worth of things ;)

Anyway nice pic, look forward to the panshanger ones. I keep meaning to go down and do some shots in the old hangers with light steaming through the holes in the roofs and broken windows. Must do that this year..

Anonymous said...

yeah, Canada is like that too.. i wish there were more cool old buildings around to give a sense of history instead of construction.. nice black and white, love the sky

Anonymous said...

Such a great text to accompany this shot. If and when it's raised to the ground, I would expect yet more homes to rise from the ashes, as we have over here, like a plague!

A fabulous photograph by the way, perfection

CraigM said...

Thanks for your comments everyone.

Neil thanks for you comments. If you do go down there might be best to seek permission, I was politely asked to leave whilst photographing an old hanger on the north side. I think they're ripe for HDR treatment and I intend to go back armed with my tripod and try it ;O)