Burnt Out Car at Kings Norton, Birmingham

Last week I was in a panic I had a sort of writers block or even bloggers block. I was thinking it’s about time I posted but without just posting for the sake of posting I couldn’t think of anything meaningful to write about. There are a few rants and raves and observations that I had jotted down on the back of a cigarette packet but nothing more than a few thoughts to work on. Then as if by magic: not only was my editorial dilemma solved with one phone call but also a temporary (at least) relief of my concern that there just isn’t the number of burnt out cars ready to be photographed that there used to be. More about this threat to my career on a later post.

I got a phone call from one of my many lookouts reporting a “burn out” over at Kings Norton. It wasn’t particularly early in the morning but as I hadn’t got to bed before 4am I was still half asleep when I arrived on the scene. I follow Major League Baseball on the internet, the games start around one o’clock in the morning UK time. After a season stretching from the 1st April to this final week and after 160 odd games the final standings are still in the balance and therefore recording the games is not the best way to view the season finish.
The car was in a beautiful condition in the best of urban grubby location so everything was ideally stage managed for action photographs for “You Will Never Look at Them in Same Way Again” too.

First let me introduce you to my lookouts: I have an army of dog walkers who cover the parkland in Birmingham and the surrounding areas, but I also try to make contact with people who work in these often off the beaten track locations where the cars will be found. They are in these areas for most if not all of their working day and therefore cover a large area. These guys have been my best source of burn outs this year; I don’t know their names so I can’t introduce you formally but they work for Birmingham City Council cleaning up the public parks. I originally made contact with them while I walked my 3 dogs down Trittiford Park and The Dingles. Sadly I found out today that one of them has been laid off work for the winter months (I do hate the current trend were companies/organisations no longer employ people for a 40 hour week, 52 weeks a year, but rota workers hours as required).

The lads took some photos of me photographing the car

Here they get my good side

Now this is really getting serious.

While I was working away the owner of the car turned up, she didn’t seem interested in what I was creating from her recycled pride and joy but didn’t mind having her picture taken with her burnout.

Of course there was the inevitable passer by, they always ask “Is it yours” “ are you from the police” etc but this cyclist although he was talking to me for some time he completely ignored the car and didn’t ask a single question about me, what I was doing, and why.

My photo of Hlavni Nadrazi is included in Schmap Prague

A bit of recognition this week when my Flickr photograph of Hlavni Nadrazi (Prague Railway Station) was included in the Schmap Guide for Prague


The picture was taken last June when I went to the Czech Republic with some friends we have been there a few times. Funny enough we talked only this week about doing it again next year, we fly into Prague but don’t normally stay there long and catch the train to Brno the second largest city, located in the South east of the country (far from all the tourists, stag nights and hen parties) last year we timed the visit to coincide with the Rolling Stones Big Bang concert.

Hlavni Nadrazi is the biggest and busiest railway station in Prague. It is also the most central, located just 5 minutes walk from Wenceslas Square. This Art Nouveau structure houses a lofty dome, stained glass windows and carved faces of women representing Prague as the 'Mother of Cities'.

See more of my photographs from the Czech Republic at my Flickr Site under the set Czech Republic

Well if this burn out car business ever comes to an end I can always put myself forward as a travel photographer, yes I fancy a bit of that.