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@dirty.brum

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The Fold (Kings Norton, September 2022)

The shopping precinct is largely untouched since its construction in the 60s. Including the signage. Just goes to show good design stands the test of time!

#kingsnorton #birmingham #birminghamuk #dirtybrum #exploringuk #igersbirminghamuk #socialhousing #documentingbritain #brum #brumbex #documentingspace #westmidlandsphotocollective #potd #sonyalphaclub #wherewebelong #noicemag #banalography #bham #bhamgram #0121 #0121shooters #super_ordinarylife #concretejungle #thefold #chemist #retrosigns #signage #signagedesign #retroaesthetic #retrofuturism taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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4 years ago

Gracechurch (Sutton Coldfield, 2023)

When deciding on a place to explore today with @colatron the WhatsApp chat went like this “I don’t know where to go” “nor do I” “I have no ideas, why don’t we go somewhere like Sutton Coldfield” “maybe, I’ll have a think (sounding deeply unconvinced)”. Days pass. “Sutton Coldfield then?” “Yeah, can’t think of anywhere else, all out of ideas”.

The challenge of course was to find the right “aesthetic” in the Royal Town. Didn’t take too long to find some good stuff surprisingly.

Please explain the Royal Town thing if any locals have got to this late stage in the caption …

#suttoncoldfield #birmingham #brum #bham #bhamgram #igersbirminghamuk #concretedesign #concretearchitecture #concretelove #brutal #brutalismo #super_ordinarylife #mundaneaesthetic #documentingbritain #0121 #thisaintartschool #modernism #sonyalphaclub #wexmondays #concreteinlife2425 taken in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham by @dirty.brum

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3 years ago

Alpha in the fog (Birmingham, February 2023)

One of my favourite street shots in the city centre. The leading lines. The mix of architecture, old and new. The jeopardy of being flattened by a tram whilst taking a photo…

#fog #birmingham #birminghamuk #documentingbritain #weatherwatchers #igersbirminghamuk #brum #bham #bhamgram #0121 #0121shooters #fujifilmx100v #fujifeed #fujiframez #fujixseries #noicemag #wexmondays #cityscape #modernism #modernismo #architecturephotography #architecture_hunter #fujifilmuk taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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4 years ago

Tricorn House (Hagley Road, Birmingham, 2026)

A triangular building with concave sides ? Err Y-es please. Designed by Sidney Kaye, Eric Firmin & Partners and built in 1973-74. The Tricorn is a 12-storey Modernist building and has to be seen from the air to be appreciated for its unique Y design.

The whole area around Five Ways was earmarked for office buildings under John Madin’s 1957 masterplan, commissioned by the landlord, Calthorpe Estates, keen to find new income streams. Many of the 1960s office blocks built are still standing and in good nick. Occupancy at the Tricorn is probably close to 100% today.

Investment is needed though as when you stray away from Five Ways it doesn’t take long to find derelict offices and hotels. Hayley Road is not the welcome to the city that it once was.

#modernist #birmingham #0121 #fujifilmuk #documentingbritain taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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2 days ago

111 Hagley Road (Birmingham, 2026)

Looking dreamy in the autumn light. Built in 1966 for the AA as their regional headquarters. Designed by Birmingham architectural firm Harry Bloomer & Son. The AA routinely called their offices “Fanum House” which comes from “Fanum,” their historic radio call sign. Unbelievably the AA were in this iconic building for less than a decade, relocating in 1974. During the 1980s, it became home for Apricot Computers before being transitioned into serviced office spaces. Used right up until the pandemic, until its final tenant moved out. Now up for redevelopment apparently. Can’t see much happening with it any time soon. One of many modernist office blocks in a bad way on the Hagley Rd. Businesses appear to have left this end of town, moving to spots closer to the city centre.

Pigeons are real btw. I think I spooked them.

#birmingham #0121 #modernistarchitecture #fujifilmuk #documentingbritain taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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7 days ago

Your spaghetti bolognese is the best Mom. Not Dad’s (GH Interchange, Birmingham, 2026)

This was the feedback my homecooked dinner got yesterday from the bab. It’s sometimes good to know your labours are appreciated. Not a jar of Dolmio in sight. 🍝 🇮🇹

Post related.

#spaghetti #birmingham #bhamgram #fujifilmuk #0121 taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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13 days ago

The time I went to Bristol and it rained the whole time so I only took one photo in the dry and this was it (Bristol, September 2026)

Lived there for many years. It rained more than it didn’t. Manchester gets a bad rap for rain. Bristol has Brizzle. It’s own type of rain. Beat that Manchester. ☔️ 🌧️

#bristol #brizzle #architecturehunter #fujifeed #documentingbritain taken in Bristol, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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16 days ago

Old tunnel. New tiles. (Birmingham, 2026)

Livery St Subway has had a glow up. Artist @adamnathanielfurman was commissioned to lift the dinge with some new wall tiles. The floor remains as was however, as does the entry and exit to the subway (just how I like it incidentally). Turns out property developers don’t like giving away *too* much money to tart up local infrastructure. Budget is reported to have been a ‘modest’ £120k. Which if you think about how much it costs to tile an en suite isn’t much… but anyway, it’s brighter down there now.

(I still prefer a BCC teal mosaic. But beggars can’t be choosers).

#birmingham #0121 #documentingbritain #fujifilmuk #fujifeed taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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20 days ago

Stop here (Wolves, 2026)

Don’t know why I like this one. It’s the sparkly winter light probably - and the fact that there was some that day after a grim winter. I really am dreading the clocks going back … 🕰️ 😞

#wolverhampton #woofermagazine #makemeseemag #thisaintartschool #typography taken in Wolverhampton, England, UK by @dirty.brum

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25 days ago

Yellow cone (Gravelly Hill, Birmingham, 2026)

I feel like I’m letting myself down with my traffic cone knowledge. What do all the different colours mean? Yellow = overhead cables at a guess? Someone with this important knowledge must help us out in the comments please. Ridiculous answers welcome also.

If I were @colatron I’d give shout outs to the writers on the walls too. I can make out Echo. But again - hopeless on the letters front. So apologies for that. I’ve connected with the cat graff guy though!! The power of social media. Turns out they are a friend of a friend too. Brum is a small world 🌍

#birmingham #brumgraff #documentingbritain #grafflife #thisaintartschool taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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a month ago

Gravelly Hill Interchange (Birmingham 2026)

aka the Spaghetti Junction, sits at junction 6 of the M6. It became famous for its pasta-like appearance, and as Britain’s first free-flowing interchange without traffic lights or roundabouts.

Construction started in 1968 and took 4 years (speedy) costing a whopping £10m (can’t buy a Freddo for that these days).

The multi-level junction enabled the M6 to intersect with the existing junction on the A38 Lichfield Road and the Aston Ring Road, and a junction at Ray Hall - the two most important junctions on the route. A complex intersection of multiple traffic lanes – over five different levels. Roy Smith, a Birmingham Mail journo, described it as resembling a ‘plate of spaghetti’. Subeditor Alan Eaglesfield called it a ‘Spaghetti Junction’ in the headline and the name stuck.

Sir Owen Williams and Partners were the consulting engineers - they decided that a direct route would create better connections than a longer peripheral road avoiding densely built-up areas.

To the cost of demolition needed to create a direct route, they used existing routes over canals, rivers and roads (as seen here).

Civil engineers constructed 13¼ miles of viaducts, mainly over the River Tame.
At the time, this included the longest continuous viaduct in Great Britain with a 3½ mile section between Gravelly Hill and Castle Brom.

The whole junction was made with 13k tons of steel reinforcement and 134,000 m3 of concrete. It is supported by 559 concrete columns, with the highest 80ft tall.

A factory, a bank, 160 houses, a block of flats and the Erdington Arms pub were demolished to make way. Three water mains, a gas main and a 24-way PO cable duct were also some of the utilities that were diverted.

When the junction was officially opened on 24 May 1972, it saw an average of 40k cars a day. This increased to 140k in 2002, and more than 200k by 2022.

#birmingham #0121 #makemeseemag #thisaintartschool #documentingbritain taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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a month ago

Spaghetti junction (Birmingham2026)

If you’re into crap cat graffiti I know just the place for you …

#birmingham #0121 #bhamgram #birminghamgraffiti #thisaintartschool taken in Birmingham, United Kingdom by @dirty.brum

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a month ago