With a few hours free in Gloucester, my aim was to finish the roll of Kodak Gold in my new Canon AF35ML, and as the light was good, some expired Boots 200 126 film in the gorgeous Rolleiflex SL26. I’ve had two packs of this 126 in the fridge for years but not got around to shooting it. Expired in April 1997 and still sealed in the box I hoped for some reasonable results. A quick search online stated that 126 went out of production in 2008! which did actually surprise me, as that doesn’t seem that long ago.

I started in the city centre, as you do, but as I’ve walked these streets many time before felt like I was just repeating shots taken before.

As I forgot to put a battery in the Rolleiflex, I had to use the lightmeter app on my phone. In hindsight I should have metered at ISO100 really, but instead chose box speed. This meant a bit of editing to bring out the contrast and colour a bit. The Rolleiflex is a great camera to use with a really nice viewfinder and lovely SLR shutter sound.

On the site of the old urine smelling concrete multi-storey car park behind the bus station, now stands this rather interesting building. In reality the reds are redder, and generally the colours are slightly off but I tried to correct as much as I could without over doing it!

After an ice cream and quickly exhausting ideas in the centre, I headed to the Docks.

It was getting very hot by this point with not much in the way of shade, but the Historic Dock is quite a relaxed place after the ‘interesting’ city centre. There is plenty of things to photograph.

I have never noticed this cute little church before, it is almost disguised within the outline of the old warehouse behind. I did wait for a few people to vacate the frame as it was a bit cluttered, but chose to include the scooter.

Inside was a bit boring to be honest, but I expect anything that isn’t nailed down would have been stolen already!

Leaving the docks behind I headed to the side streets surrounding the city centre. With plenty of time and no plan, it’s quite nice just to walk and observe.

Quite often you find interesting cars in the streets surrounding a city centre, but not today! I was however drawn to the green woodwork on the building and a mildly interesting Fiat outside so took the shot. It’s not classics I was looking for, but Eighties and Nineties cars that to be honest you don’t see many of anymore.

As with many cities these days, there are many run down and empty buildings where companies have either gone, or moved to swanky offices on the outskirts. I did pass a boarded up church, but with the light was so harsh, I just couldn’t get a good angle - maybe a shot for HP5 on a gloomy day.

The aimless wandering wasn’t entirely aimless - I was (hopefully) heading in the direction of a terrace of rainbow coloured houses that should have the sun on, to make an interested shot and complete the loop of the inner city.

Arriving back at the bus station, it was time to call it a day - sweaty and tired and a few exposures left on the 126 unfortunately, but had run out of time.

A quick stop for a drive through, and I spotted this odd thing across the car park - and that was it - roll finished…

Gloucester photowalk…

Pure 80’s goodness - The Canon AF35ML…