The Shambles, a photo from Manchester, England

Photographer's Note

These historic buildings in central Manchester must have been photographed by many thousands of visitors, but I haven't been able to find a similar shot from the same range on TE. Known collectively as 'The Shambles', the two very old looking buildings in the picture have had a long and arduous history, not least because of their surviving the bombing of Manchester in 1940 and the infamous IRA explosion in 1996; but they have also survived plans for demolition and their recent movement(1999) from their original locations, and in the case of the Old Wellington Inn on the left, TWO moves. The inn and the building in the centre, now known as Sinclair's Oyster Bar, were moved a few hundred metres from their previous location beside the Arndale Centre blown apart by the IRA bomb. They'd only been there since 1981!

The Old Wellington Inn, in front of which, in this photo, dozens of late morning beer drinkers are gathered already in the sunshine, dates back to 1552 during the reign of King Edward VI, and I believe it is now the oldest building in Manchester. The oyster bar was built in 1720. Beside it to the right is the old Corn Exchange, now transformed into the Triangle Insurance Building. Behind the inn can be seen - to its left and protruding above its roof line - the Manchester Cathedral.

This isn't the only 'Shambles' in England, by the way; several English towns continue to preserve the name of what were in the past butchers' market stalls. The name comes from the word schamel, which was a stall for the display of a butcher's meat. The word derives from from the Old English 'sceamol', or stool, possibly earlier from the Latin scamillum, meaning stool or bench. More recently, the word shambles denoted a slaughterhouse or place of destruction or bloodshed, which links to the idea of the butcher's stall, and also to the modern and often used colloquial meaning - a state of destruction or disorder. Originally, these buildings stood opposite the shambles in Manchester market. They look nothing like a shambles today, in any sense of the word, although I can imagine the beer drinking could sometimes develop into a shambles.

snunney, papagolf21, holmertz, pasternak, leonorkuhn, asajernigan, AROBN54, saxo042, Kielia, chawax, phwall, Buin, ChrisJ, patdeph, Vasa, tyro, Royaldevon, jlbrthnn, skippy007, subhendu_bagchi, Urs, pablominto, JCG, gunbud has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

snunney (67346) 2009-11-10 2:00

Hello Andrew,
I didn't realise there was a place called The Shambles in Manchester; the place that came to mind when I saw the thumbnail was York. You learn something everyday on TE! There is a nice lively atmosphere to this interesting composition. The point of view is well chosen to encompass the two half-timbered buildings and allow a comparison with the Victorian architecture off to the right. Very good colours and excellent clarity.

gildasjan (38220) 2009-11-10 2:04

Bonjour Andrew
Excellentes textures sur l'architecture à droite dans cette composition bien cadrée.
Bonne journée
Amicalement
gildas

CLODO (24726) 2009-11-10 2:04

Hi Andrew
Nice shot of a well known pub in Manchester, good use the the ultra wide angle lens. I wiil be there (but inside maybe!!) in a week and have a pint of lagger, thinking of you
Regrads
CLODO

mozzy27 (2051) 2009-11-10 2:05

Hello Andrew
I like this photo, perfect POV, sharpness and colour. Very busy and popular watering hole by the looks of it. I like the wonderful architecture with the tutor style inn and the older buildings on the right. Superbly captured and thanks for the history lesson.
TFS
Peter

delpeoples (44960) 2009-11-10 2:10

Hi Andrew, what an appropriate name for this building - or did the building give rise to the word? The inclusion of all those people adds to the dynamism and chaos. Thanks also for bringing us what seems to be a previously un-photographed subject on this site. Have a great week, Lisa

papagolf21 (76569) 2009-11-10 2:30

Bonjour, cher Andrew,
Le contraste entre les deux constructions est étonnant !
Nous avons l'impression de voir un film dont le réalisateur se serait trompé d'époque !
Une image très intéressante et fort bien présentée.
Il règne une bonne ambiance au sein de cette auberge.
Amitiés.
Philippe

holmertz (26958) 2009-11-10 2:37

Hello Andrew,
A great picture and a very interesting note. I knew nothing about such old buildings in Manchester, and certainly not about their movements. Although different in style and age, the building of the Corn exchange is also a very impressive piece of architecture.
The picture gets a lot of life and colour from the assembly of "late morning beer drinkers".
Kind regards,
Gert

pasternak (15165) 2009-11-10 3:11

Very luminous view of these old half-timbered buildings, nice contrast with a newer (Art Nouveau?) house on the right. You can also find very well preseved old butchers market stalls in Ghent.

Cheers
A

leonorkuhn (16229) 2009-11-10 3:19

Hi Andrew,

I like the good angle of capture of these old buildings. The light incident on them, highlighting its interesting architecture. Magnificent colors, great details and very good sharpness.

Have a nice day
Leonor

asajernigan (19669) 2009-11-10 4:00

Andrew,
This is a great shot of this lively pub. The architecture is great and definitely worth preserving. The lighting and colors are fine and the photo has nice sharpness. The people add life and a nice sense of scale for the scene.
TFS,
Asa

AROBN54 (11067) 2009-11-10 7:11

Hi, Andrew,
GREAT shot and excellent note. There's nothing to NOT like about this one. Beautiful light, outstanding composition from front to back, exquisite detail, marvelous color and clarity. Brilliantly done! Many thanks and kindest wishes,
Shelly

saxo042 (31802) 2009-11-10 8:29

Hi Andrew,
I spent a month in Manchester in summer of 1960, but I definitively no memory of this pleasant place. But I like your picture here, the way it builds up diagonally towards to tower to the right. Many fine details to enjoy here!
Kind regards
Gunnar

Kielia (20463) 2009-11-10 8:31

Hi Andrew,
the contrast between these different buildings is stunning and this image is therefore a delight for the architect. Very well composed impression of this busy place with fascinating details accompanied by an interesting note. The colors and the light are fantastic. Excellent photo work!
Warm regards
Harriet

chawax (14906) 2009-11-10 12:41

Hi Andrew,
These buildings really look typically english ! The POV is very good, light and colours are very pleasant. Great sharpness too. Very interesting note.
Thanks for sharing ;)
Olivier

phwall (6781) 2009-11-10 15:29

Hi Andrew,
Aptly named, it does look like a shambles.
Fantastic quality, the sharps, the light all perfect.
Nicely composed, I like the way you have the buildings sitting on the right of frame and leading on to the people having a few beers in the sunshine.
Regards
Peter

alftrek (3270) 2009-11-10 15:31

Hello Andrew,
To me it would be a shame to demolish this pleasant looking Tudor style architecture. Anything erected on its spot will surely be something modern which only spoils the character of this place. The composition well placed this historic building in the context of another behind on the right, creating an interesting stepping skyline and colour contrast. Excellent use of the CPL for colour saturation.

Regards
Alfred

Buin (42084) 2009-11-11 6:29

Hallo Andrew!
A really worth-showing place - and I think worth-visiting. The contrast between these old houses is very eye-catching and omehow fascinating. In combination with your excellent note a contribution really in terms of TE!
Greetings from very autumnal Germany - with rain, rain, rain! ;-)
Frank

ChrisJ (86876) 2009-11-11 7:27

Hi Andrew

A superb daily life scene from England & the people animate the scene. Good sharpness & well composed. The building at rights adds interest. Tfs!

delkoo (68) 2009-11-12 2:16

hi andrew,

This is a lovely photo. The exposure and focus are perfect. All the elements of a good composition are also there and I also praise and thatbeautiful light that baths this scenery.

didier

patdeph (35738) 2009-11-12 10:31

hello Andrew
the houses have a nice architecture,and the white one give much glare to the photo!The light is superb,and I like the softness of the sky!
Regards
Pascale

Vasa (15970) 2009-11-12 13:48

Europe is your big inspiration , Andrew and all your shots from France of UK are really excellent presentations. I am looking at this corner in Manchester with y big interest, since I am a little fun of Manchester United. Lately you don't post many shots, but all of them are the high level of interest and quality. Proud of your work and your friendship,

Branko

tyro (13101) 2009-11-13 14:17

Hello, Andrew.

What a wonderfully detailed and sharp picture and well in keeping with the name "Shambles".

Excellent lighting, superb clarity and colours and a wonderful sky to top it off. Fine composition too.

And a facinating and informative note to accompany it!

Excellent!

Kind Regards,

John.

Royaldevon (17791) 2009-11-15 0:26

Good Morning Andrew,

Mmm, I've drunk and dined at that pub several times on shopping trips to the city. It's nicely positioned and, providing it's not lunch time (when it becomes inundated), provides a quick, tasty menu.

I like the way you have captured the vibrancy of the city, for Manchester is buzzing! It embraces the old and the new with equal warmth and tolerance.
Excellent sharpness and a great pov, which allows a pleasing, diagonal of buildings across th frame.
The light looks good and there are enough whispy clouds to make the sky interesting. You know, it is a mythe that it always rains in Manchester!

Have a good day,
Bev :-)

jlbrthnn (79773) 2009-11-15 5:08

Hello Andrew,
It is almost Alsace. Very beautiful image, where whiteness puts forward the frontages. I like framing below all these happy people, who take part in the colors of the photograph. Excellent realization. Cheer.
Have a nice sunday
Cordially
Joël

burraburra (1189) 2009-11-15 22:39

Hello Andrew,
Nice photograph of the shambles.
Your frame work adds to this shot.
Thanks for the shambling note :)
Cheers
Graham.

pajaran (36246) 2009-11-17 8:28

Pozdrav iz Srbije.
Pravi trenutak ove dobre fotografije, kompozicije i boja. Svidja mi se kako ste pokazali arhitekturu, dobar rad.
Puno pozdrava , Paja

skippy007 (12500) 2009-11-18 2:27

Hello Andrew, enjoyed your note, I imagine toward evening, after a warm day it could very well be a shamble, interesting the origin & development of the word. I like the contrast & clarity of this shot, I also like how you managed to squeeze the people in the frame, capturing that lively atmosphere, I also find the contrasting architectures interesting, here they compliment each other. Not much of a shamble after all. ;-)
Thanks
Regards
Santo

npecanhuk (53909) 2009-11-20 3:46

Hello Andrew!
That's an excellent architecture and daily life photograph!
Sharpness, exposure, dof, pov, colors and composition are all excellent!
TFS - congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan

hains (9355) 2009-11-21 9:03

Hi! Andrew

Great exposure of england tudor style. The white walls with dark braces. Good information of this historic place. Majestic light

Mario

subhendu_bagchi (16590) 2009-11-22 8:13

Hi Andrew,
nice presentation of the great buildings using a nice POV. The clarity and sharpness here is just superb. Fantastic composition with the colourful people. DOF is nice. Very well done. Tfs.
Have a nice sunday evening.
Subhendu

MarcT (20946) 2009-11-23 23:22

Hi Andrew,
Very nice postcard from Manchester. You had even nice weather over there. ..
Best wishes
Marc

Urs (11826) 2009-11-23 23:54

Hi Andrew

These style of middle age houses I like a lot, that's something I miss in Asia. You cannot have everything. It looks like as if these houses have been restored properly. Very nice framing using available light to produce vibrant color hues and deep shadows. The crowed in the FG makes the photograph very lively. Also your note is well researched. Well done

Best regards
Urs

pablominto (53744) 2009-11-26 23:08

Hello Andrew,

Excellent details in the architecture!
The old style half-timber constructions will stand out in any city scene, so here too...
A lively scene with the crowd in the cafe on this fine early summer day..!

Greetings,
Pablo -

JCG (35129) 2009-12-02 10:29

Hello Andrew,

Really interesting architectural contrasts on this photograph. A beautiful photograph on this historical place of Manchester, rich in events according to your instructive note. I like much qualities of the image in particular in your tight framing which enables us to focus ourselves well on the essential of the image. Good management of the lights and the natural colors. I also notice that this place is very appreciated. Thank you Andrew.

With all my friendships and with soon,

Jean-Charles

jmdias (45804) 2009-12-02 15:06

andrew

very nice architecture. I liked this pov, framing and light. the sharpness is perfect too. these people added life to the compo. nice sample of the city. well done

hugs

jorge

adramad (27556) 2009-12-09 16:40

Hi Andrew.
Wonderful composition with the contrasts of these buildings, photography has a brightness and sharpness as well as beautiful colors perfect, the presence of people give a lot of life in sight.
Regards.
Luis.

mikolaj_kawa (0) 2009-12-15 0:50

Hello Andrew! Amazing point of view, wonderful topic, excellent architecture, nice cafe, a lot of people. Good exposure. Perfect contrast and sharpness. Well done!

fabianoleite (9016) 2009-12-21 3:48

The architecture is typical and beautiful, and I lkie the inclusion of all those people enjoying themselves. Great angle and composition - congratulations!

swiatopelk777 (0) 2009-12-27 4:12

Hi Andrew!
Amazing architecture. Wonderful place. Superb light and bright, ideal colors. Good exposure and frame.
Greetings from Warszawa!

gunbud (34052) 2010-01-13 14:39

Hi Andrew,
Love this Tudor architecture in foreground and the large Victorian building in the background.
Looks like a great place to sip a pint.
Love the blue sky and wispy clouds that make an excellent backdrop for this historical scene.
Regards, Tom

barrufeto_77 (28876) 2010-01-27 23:21

Hi Andrew.

Excellent picture! I like the people there giving a lot of dynamism.

Well done!

francio64 (38188) 2010-03-13 15:32

Ciao Andrew,
bella immagine di Manchester con un'ottima gestione della luce e un ottimo sharp.
La moltitudine di persone, anima la scena dando anche un tocco in più di colore.

Well done!
Francesco

macjake (39235) 2010-03-15 10:27

Hi Andrew
if i'm not mistaken, i believe i've seen this on TE before.
its a wonderful combination of colours and architecture.
love the angled composition with the buildings from highest to lower, right to left.
simplicity is sometimes the best!
excellent work
cheers
craig

Glint (5573) 2010-04-26 7:59

Hello Andrew,
this is a familiar place for me and brings back memories of my youth. In the sixties and seventies it was a place that young people, hippies, students etc would hang out.And before that it was a place whre there had been a 'speaker's corner'.I once went with my dad as he was of a leftie persuasion and liked to hear arguments and debates.Since that time the whole building has been moved (don't ask me how!)to a slightly different location from its original spot.
Here you have a strong compostion with strong diagonal and an inetresting foreground showing people enjoying an outside drink. Nice light too.
Bev

Photo Information

Copyright: Andrew McRae (macondo) (17949)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-06-02
Categories: Daily Life, Architecture
Camera: Pentax K200D, Tamron 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DiII, Cokin 62mm Circular Polarizer
Exposure: f/9.0, 1/200 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-11-10 1:29