Modernist Delights

Decaying office building in Halifax, 2024

A three-story building with worn, peeling paint on the upper facade, large rectangular windows, and orange mosaic panels. One window is open, and the entrance has a black canopy reading TIMEFORM. The door is boarded up with plywood; some shrubs are in front.

Timeform House, a decaying office building in Halifax. All yours to lease for £3,333pcm. I’d happily have that shelving unit in my own house – picture courtesy of Rightmove.

A spacious, modern office with long desks lined with computers, chairs, and office supplies. Wooden cabinets and shelves cover one wall. The room is brightly lit by fluorescent ceiling lights and large windows. The office appears empty of people.

On chasing villains

If your film doesn’t have a scene where the protagonists are chased by the villains across a brightly lit bridge set against an otherwise dark background, Scooby-Doo style, what are you even doing?

Silhouettes of two people run along an elevated walkway inside a building with bright yellow lighting. The scene is viewed from outside at night, with a large brick wall and blue-lit window contrasting the yellow interior.

A person in uniform runs across an outdoor walkway, backlit by a yellow wall. The scene is framed by a dark building with brick texture and a window glowing with blue light on the right, contrasting with the warm yellow on the left.

Sign at Manchester Oxford Road station, 2024

This sign at Manchester Oxford Road is a high-vis and screwdriver jobbie for sure.

A yellow-lit sign reading OXFORD ROAD is mounted on a plain grey wall. Metal pipes run vertically and horizontally next to the sign. Modern office buildings with glass and brick facades are visible in the background.

Fencing on Dallas Road, Lancaster, 2024

A small, ivy-covered building with a corrugated metal roof sits in front of larger stone houses. The green gate to the right is weathered, and four black-yellow bollards line the pavement. Bushes and scaffolding are visible behind the building under a cloudy sky.

This was a high risk mission because a few weeks ago I fell on my arse on this slippery tree-lined road with such a thud a couple a street away turned back to check on me, but the barbed fencing on the right made me stop urgently and take a picture.

Staircase in Stourbridge, 2024

A concrete staircase with metal railings is attached to the side of a brick building. The staircase leads to the upper floor. A metal fence with pointed tops is in the foreground. The sky is clear and blue with a few clouds. Cars are parked to the left.

A tasty staircase beside the telephone exchange in Stourbridge, which we were cruelly stopped from enjoying fully by BT’s big sharp metal fence 😔

Wetherspoon’s, Oswestry, 2024

A three-story, grey modernist building with large windows houses “The Wilfred Owen,” a Wetherspoon Free House pub. Flower baskets hang by the entrance, bikes are parked outside, and stairs lead to glass doors. The sky is overcast.

There’s something very funny about Wetherspoons having an article on their website about the pub and Oswestry at large, in quite a lot of detail, full of photographs of photos seemingly taken at what must be the local museum? Sure, why not! It also includes a picture of this pub which manages to make it look even more bleak, against all odds.

Caged staircase at the back of the Manchester Academy, 2024

A modern metal staircase with mesh panels forms an external fire escape attached to a brick and yellow building. The structure has three levels and is enclosed by a metal frame. A metal fence runs along the pavement in front. The sky is overcast.

Ellen Wilkinson Building, Manchester, 2024

A modern, brown concrete building with geometric patterns on its facade stands on a cloudy day. Several cars, including a red, blue, and silver one, are parked in front. Small windows line the building, and some trees with autumn leaves are visible on the right.

A four-story concrete and brick building with large windows, some lit from inside. The building forms an L-shape around a neatly trimmed green lawn. Leafless trees and a few small trees with yellow leaves are in the courtyard. The sky is overcast.

A narrow outdoor spiral staircase ascends alongside a tall, concrete building with textured, vertical patterns. The staircase has black railings and white steps, winding up multiple floors between two closely placed structures. The sky is overcast.

Post Office, Windsor, 2024

A three-story building with a Post Office on the ground floor and many windows above. In front, a wooden market stall with a yellow sign sells German sausages. Several people walk along the street in winter clothing under a cloudy sky.

So distracted by the mesmerising repeating aluminium windows of the Windsor Post Office that I completely missed whatever was going on with The Works 💔

Street View to the rescue:

A shopfront with a blue and yellow sign reading TheWorks.co.uk. Sale banners with Union Jack flags fill the wide front windows. Above are rectangular concrete panels and circular openings at the roof. Neighboring shops and a red Post Office sign are visible.

Mixed use building, Windsor, 2024

A street corner with a Londis store on the ground floor of a brick building. The shopfront displays colorful ads for drinks and snacks. A large tree stands nearby. People walk past, and an ATM is visible to the left. Autumn leaves are scattered on the ground.

Unremarkable but pleasant mixed use building in Windsor. Can you imagine how much an otherwise normal flat with a view of Windsor Castle must cost?

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