#not modernist still a delight

Glasgow Botanic Gardens, 2025

View of a glass greenhouse ceiling with a black metal frame. Sunlight shines through the glass panes, some of which are dirty. Green tropical plant leaves are visible in the lower right corner. Blue sky and clouds are seen through the roof.

301 St Vincent Street / Abbey National House, Glasgow, 2025

A large, modern office building with dark glass panels and greenery on upper terraces sits at a street corner. Cars are parked nearby, traffic lights and street signs are visible. A construction crane and unfinished high-rise can be seen in the background.

Originally built as the HQ of Britoil (later BP) in the early 1980’s, and subsequently acquired by Abbey National (later Santander) in 1993, this was once the largest single-occupant building in the UK.

Though not modernist, this is the kind of modern building I enjoy. The darkened glass and brown detailing give it dramatic mood, it fits excellently into the uneven site, and the integrated nature softens it.

A planning application (filled with historical information and imagery, which I am thankful for) was filed in March/April 2024, but when I visited in October 2025, it didn’t appear that any work had taken place. The application is for a full internal refurbishment as well as a new façade with a curtain system providing improved energy performance. If I knew the external appearance was at risk, I’d have taken better pictures, but hey — it might still look the same by the time I return to Glasgow.

A Charming Door, Lancaster, 2026

A black, ornate door set in a stone frame with brass decorations and a plaque above reading “SULTAN OF LANCASTER BROCK STREET FLATS 1-4”. A keypad is on the right, and a letterbox unit with labelled boxes is mounted on the stone wall beside the door.

Is that enough warning signs for you? Lancaster, 2026

A dimly lit alley at night features an old stone building with boarded-up windows and a blue metal roller shutter. A bright light illuminates part of the building on the right, whilst overgrown plants and uneven cobblestone ground add to the abandoned atmosphere.

Mulberry Street, Manchester, 2025

A two-storey brick building with tall windows, wooden and shingle details, and a decorative green metal archway beside a black garage door. The building is flanked by older red-brick structures and a black streetlamp stands in front. Parked cars line the street.

Walking out of my hotel, I found this charmingly detailed building, featuring horizontal brickwork on the ground floor, and wooden panelling and shingles on the first floor. Appearing to be used as a dwelling, I was surprised to see it amongst much larger, and much older (not least St Mary’s RC Church of 1794, next door but one) buildings, as well as modern 21st century high rises of central Manchester.

Mulberry Passage, which passes underneath it, is also part of a network of passages decorated with public art in tribute to scientist John Dalton.

World War II pillbox, Peaked Tor Cove, Torquay, 2025

A concrete structure with graffiti sits on a wooded slope overlooking a calm body of water. Dense green trees and bushes frame the scene, whilst clouds scatter across a blue sky. Distant land is visible across the water.

A concrete and brick structure stands among dense greenery. Graffiti, including the word “OAKS,” is spray-painted on the wall. Metal railings and stone steps lead up to the building. The blue sky with clouds is visible above the trees.

Holiday pictures of World War II brick pillboxes: 2
Holiday pictures of my partner and I: 1

These structures formed part of Torbay Home Guard’s World War 2 defences. From here, sea mines protecting Torquay Harbour could be remotely detonated in the event of an attack.

The Imperial Hotel & environs, Torquay, 2025

A large white hotel named “The Imperial Hotel,” with multiple storeys and blue awnings at the entrance. Several cars, including an orange pick-up truck and a small grey car, are parked out front. Flagpoles with flags and palm trees are near the entrance.

A low, flat-roofed concrete car park with a red and white barrier at the entrance. Trees and bushes partially surround the building, and the sky above is partly cloudy with patches of blue visible. Gravel covers the foreground ground.

A rectangular vent with geometric concrete designs sits in a rough, pebbled grey wall. Bare vines criss-cross the vent, and cables run below it. Green spiky plant leaves partially obscure the right side of the image.

1860’s hotel with a faded 1960’s exterior, pleasantly squat multistorey car fortress, and decorative vents.

Millennium Bridge at 25, Lancaster, 2026

A modern cable-stayed footbridge stretches over a calm river at sunset, with orange and pink clouds filling the sky. Trees and buildings line the riverbanks, and a paved walkway follows the water’s edge on the left side of the image.

Happy birthday, bridge! Lancaster’s Millennium Bridge opened on this day 25 years ago, and celebrated with a beautiful winter sunset on my way back from the supermarket.