Arts Pride: A pop-up photo gallery

On a 'plantie' day visiting Canary Wharf and the Dawn redwoods at the Jubilee Line station, Eden Wharf, and the garden above the Canary Wharf Elizabeth Line station, I walked theough the Adams Plaza Bridge between the said station and 1, Canada Square - the tower that epitomises Canary Wharf.  The artwork (artwalk? Is that a word?) was created by Camille Walala for the London Mural Festival, 2020. I had to capture it in black and white; I love the way that that brings out the detail.

  The Norfolk coast is arguably the most beautiful coastline in the UK. It has world-class geology, The Wash, more seals than you can shake a stick at (from a good distance, of course!), reedbeds, sand dunes, good eateries, stately homes, historic villages within easy reach, stunning beaches and at Holkham, behind the beach there is this lovely pine woodland.

  Part of the redevelopment of Birmingham's Bullring involved the construction of the iconic Selfridges Building, designed by architects Future Systems and completed in 2003. There are 15,000 anodised aluminium discs mounted on the structure's futuristic, flowing facade. It is a photographer's dream!

An October day in rural Cambridgeshire; the sun is shining through thin cloud behind the leafless crown of one of a copse of trees growing at the edge of a small pond/reservoir.  No, the trunks are not vertical; yes, there is a prevailing wind! Autumn and winter landcapes are often more rewarding than green-clad summer countryside.

  I have visited Cumbria a number of times, for leisure and work as well as to learn something of complex geology of the county.  These stunning flowers completely changed the rather humdrum look of this hotel in Kendal.  Yes, mintcake was bought later.

  This time, Mother Nature provided the structure.  Teasels, beloved of goldfinches, are always structural.  Here, the contrasting backdrop of the River Nene makes them look almost otherworldly.

The iconic Steep Hill, up from the bus and railway stations to the Castle and Cathedral.  For people who live on the edge of the Fens and who get out of breath stepping up onto a kerb, this is an endurance test.  There are some great views back along it to the countryside betond the city,

Some visitor centres can be a bit sad, and some are, well, a bit fusty and uninviting. Happily, there are also visitor centres like this one at Norwich (Anglican) Cathedral.  It is superb!  It is well lit, it is beautifully laid out, and it is genuinely interesting.  It feels like a good art gallery, but it rapidly draws you into the history of the items and areas on display.  On your way in, do stop and look at the Caen stone and flint as you walk up to the door!

  An iconic Brutalist estate in London, photographed from the lakeside terrace one fine June (Pride Month) day.  The Barbican complex is not purely residential; it is the location of the Centre that has, among other amenities, three cinema screens, art spaces, and a Hall that is home to the world-famous London Symphony Orchestra. The terrace is to be refreshed soon as part of a programme of works.

Norwich is a city of contrasts.  In parts it is a city of a million flints, reflecting its county's underlying geology, in parts it is Mediaeval, in parts is it nondecript in terms of vanilla-seeming brick high-street architecture. The Royal Arcade, with its non-obvious entrance, is a combination of Victorian and Art Nouveau and is a visual treat.  Yes, I am biased; Art Nouveau is my favourite architectural and decorative style.

  This is Cambridge, but not the University area.  The area near the railway station has been redeveloped, largely into student accommodation. Some of the architecture has a 'this could be anywhere' feel, but there are a few buildings that are refreshing and surprising.  This is one of them. The photo was taken on a very sunny day when the gloriously blue sky showcased the mainly white structure.

One of London's, and quite possibly one of the world's, most famous railway stations, taking passengers from there to as far as the Yorkshire and the Highlands of Scotland.  I took this photo from the bridge across the platforms, looking north toeards home, at a moment when the contrasting light made the scene really interesting.

On the way home one evening, the window I was sitting next to happened to be level with the steps of a bridge across the tracks.  I was struck by their form and by the form of the fence.

  A former power station on the south bank of the Thames, The Tate Modern is now one of London's iconic galleries and spaces.  This is the Turbine Hall, a space often used for large installations.

 An opportunistic photo, taken one day on London's South Bank.  Truly, the light was strong in this one.

 A lunchtime photograph taken on a Summer day. The area is the new development at Peterborough's Fletton Quays, a mixture of  office space, flats and amenities between the railway and the River Nene. 

The revamped New Street Station; the mirrored facade provides a modernist and ever-changing view of the street below.  Sadly, the platform areas  - which are below the new concourse - and the roof above the tracks were not renovated.  The last time I was there, they remained dark, gloomy and unwelcoming.

I am simply a woman - I just needed some help to get to be me.  I transitioned in the 1980s, when the term didn't even exist; I underwent sex change surgery (now called gender reassignment) in the early 1990s. I am horrified by the increasing prejudice against transgender people in recent years and by our vilification both in traditional media and on social media.  You would think that we were evil incarnate, but the truth is rather more prosaic - we are just people, with jobs, partners, social lives, hobbies, and interests. I'd like to show you some of my photography in a pop-up gallery - I'd love # ArtPride and #ArtsPride  to become A Thing; this is my small cupful poured into the pond of Pride.  I've redacted my surname because reasons. The majority of my photos here have been taken simply with my mobile phone (Samsung A23, seeing as you asked) camera in point-and-click mode.