2010

Birmingham Central Library in Chamberlain Square during February 2010. From the John Madin Design Group. Built 1969-74. Known as the Ziggurat. The Chamberlain Memorial has seen all the changes since it was erected in October 1880 in honour of the Mayor of Birmingham, Joseph Chamberlain. He was also an Member of Parliament. Paradise Forum (behind) would remain open until 2015.

2015

Paradise Birmingham had put up hoardings around the former Central Library by February 2015. The Library closed in 2013 before the Library of Birmingham opened in Centenary Square during September 2013. Paradise Forum closed was closed forever by January or February 2015. The shops and restaurants etc inside were closed by the end of 2014. Goodby to McDonald's and Wetherspoon's. This was one of the last times you could see the street art called Todo Es Posible by the artist Lucy McLaughlan, before the library was knocked down.

2016

Demolition of Birmingham Central Library started in December 2015.

January 2016. The lefthand side of the old library with layers of concrete stripped away.

February 2016. Reaching the middle to the righthand side of the old library. More layers of concrete had gone.

Several weeks later and they continued to gut the library.

March 2016. More chunks of the inner courtyard area being crunched away.

May 2016. More and more layers had gone as they would split the library in half. Was better to see from Centenary Square / Centenary Way at the time.

If you went a few steps to the right, there was a good view through the split library in half of the new Library of Birmingham.

And if you went up the steps of BM & AG in Chamberlain Square, the view was even better.

June 2016. One month on, and the concrete curtain kept opening wider, and the view of the Library of Birmingham would get better and better.

August 2016. There was a window in the hoardings at Chamberlain Square, and you could look through it at the time. Only a slither of the old library left on the left, just behind the Chamberlain Memorial. Maybe also a bit to the far right.

October 2016. Still the bits to the far left and right to knock down by this point. So the demolition of the library wasn't quite finished.

2017

January 2017. New Years Day 2017 and there was nothing left of the Library. Cranes down before construction began of One Chamberlain Square.

You could see the new Library of Birmingham from Chamberlain Square, as well as Baskerville House and The Copthorne Hotel.

March 2017. Early signs of construction of One Chamberlain Square to the right by Carillion.

May 2017. One Chamberlain Square starts to rise.

July 2017. Access to Chamberlain Square was blocked off, but you could go around the back of the Council House to get into the Museum & Art Gallery via Eden Place and what was Edmund Street. Chamberlain Square entrance was still open at the time.

September 2017. One Chamberlain Square continues to rise up, but Chamberlain Square was still closed from Victoria Square.

November 2017. Chamberlain Square was reopened with the closure of Fletchers Walk, and the opening of Centenary Way to Centenary Square (for the first time in 2 years).

December 2017. More cladding had gone up about halfway on One Chamberlain Square.

2018

July 2018. Carillion went bust in January 2018. So construction didn't resume until BAM took over. BAM were also responsible for building Two Chamberlain Square, which was underway by the summer of 2018.

2019

March 2019. Two Chamberlain Square had reached the top, and the glass cladding was going up. Made some nice reflections of BM & AG and Big Brum from here.

October 2019. From Victoria Square with the Town Hall, then Two and One Chamberlain Square. Council House to the right. Chamberlain Memorial will all new surroundings.

A few days later and a walk past Chamberlain Square, with both Two and One Chamberlain Square looking complete.

2020

February 2020. A nightshot taken after my visit to The BCAG. One Chamberlain Square was now open.

March 2020. My last photo before the lockdown. Taken at the beginning of the month. Public realm works were underway.

Since the lockdown started, I have not been able to travel into the City Centre. As you can not go on the bus or train. I don't drive a car, or ride a bike, and it would be too far to walk.

So look out for updates from Daniel or Stephen.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

On the 25th May 2020 sometime after 10am in the morning, we started this Late May Bank Holiday Monday walk around Selly Oak Park from Gibbins Road. Was the first time back in Selly Oak in well over 2 months.

The first thing I saw this time was the back of this sculpted wooden bench simply saying Selly Oak Park.

The bench was made in 2011 probably by the local wood sculptor artist Graham Jones. Sadly there was some litter under the bench, including what looks like a bottle?

Already I could see that the grass had been cut into stripes for social distancing.

The sky was a perfect blue, not a cloud in the sky. It hasn't rained all month.

The striped grass was more visible here, with the longer grass not looking as dry as the cut grass.

The playground was closed, although I'm not sure if the tape was broken as a man was inside (not sure if he was a park cleaner or not?). Please stay out of play areas until they are safe enough to reopen again.

Also out of use during lockdown was this tyre slide ride thing.

More cut striped grass for social distancing.

The trees were lush and green, paths leading in different directions.

More social distancing striped grass.

And more, with this young tree.

After checking out the Lapal Canal site again, found this grass path around the side towards the exit we would take to Weoley Castle.

Not many people around at this time of the morning other than the odd walker or runner. Best to get there when it's early and not too hot.

One last look before we took the wooded path to Weoley Castle.

Later coming back from Weoley Castle past the gatehouse.

It was built in 1899 as the park keepers lodge.

There was a bit of thick grass near Gibbins Road, but also some cut grass. What wonderful weather we have been having, but we need some rain!

More Birmingham park posts coming soon, so watch this space!

Expect posts from:

• Old Yardley Park
• The Vale Village
• Summerfield Park
• Daisy Farm Park
• Cofton Park

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

For the post on my previous walk around Hillfield Park, click this link: Hillfield Park in Monkspath, Solihull

This visit was on Tuesday 12th May 2020.

Starting with the lake at Hillfield Park. There was Canada Geese and Domestic Ducks here.

Close up of a pair of Domestic Ducks.

The Domestic Ducks later moved to the back of the lake.

Now heading up again the path past the car park and playground. Both of which were closed due to the pandemic.

Some views of the Hillfield Park Play Area that I wasn't able to get on my first visit. As it was closed, was able to get photos without anyone using the equipment.

To the back was a slide and monkey bars. And other equipment that usually children could climb all over (but not now).

I'm not sure of the purpose of these blue hoops. Are children supposed to climb through them or something? (before lockdown of course).

Saw this clenched fossil sculpture not far from the playground area.

From the back you can see the fingers and thumb clenched into a fist.

This time I took the path to the left towards Brick Kiln Lane.

The paths continues. If people walked near you, we went onto the grass to stay 2 metres apart from them (if possible).

The path curves round to the left.

There was this football field with goalposts, but not in use.

After reaching Brick Kiln Lane, got to a car park where Solihull Council had left the gate closed due to the pandemic concerns. But at the end of the car park was a path through the trees.

Most of these wooded paths have the roots of the trees growing into the path, so you have to be careful where you step.

Some leaves on the path here. This would have been two paths between a grass verge, but most of the grass has gone from people walking over it so much.

I stopped at one point when I saw this painted rock with a smiley face resting on a tree branch. Smile. Hopefully this lockdown won't last for to many more months, but who knows when life will get back to normal?

At some points on this walk, you could see the rest of the park down below. The wide open fields in the park, the paths and trees.

Getting close to the end, saw this wooden decking on the path.

Then there were dirt steps to take you down to the next path below.

After this followed the path back into the park, and went around the side of the lake I didn't go around last time. Then just back around the lake to the starting point.

Since lockdown, I have discovered two new parks in Solihull I wasn't aware of:

1. Langley Hall Park
2. Olton Jubilee Park

Project, photos and posts for those parks coming soon.

Also look out for more Solihull park posts on Dorridge Park and Knowle Park, coming soon.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

Highbury Hall

Highbury Hall is located on Yew Tree Road in Moseley (the Moor Green area), and was built as the home of Joseph Chamberlain between 1878 and 1879. Old Joe moved in during 1880 and lived here until his death in 1914. It took it's name from the Highbury area of London where he lived as a child. The architect was John Henry Chamberlain (who was of no relation). The house is a Grade II* listed building, and now run by the Chamberlain Highbury Trust (who took over from Birmingham City Council).

While Highbury Hall is closed during the lockdown / pandemic, they are restoring the house, and there is scaffolding inside, and I saw some to the right from the back of the house.

Previous Highbury Hall and Chamberlain family posts here:

• Birmingham's architectural gems - we go back in time!
• Highbury Hall and Highbury Park - beautiful!
• Inspirational day at Highbury Hall - well done Trustees and Volunteers of Chamberlain Highbury Trust!
• Joseph Chamberlain: Birmingham's visionary Mayor in the late 19th Century
• The Chamberlain Brothers: Austen and Neville - from Birmingham to Westminster

Various views of Highbury Hall over the years.

My first full visit to Highbury Park was during December 2009 when the park was covered with snow. I was given advice on Flickr of where to find Highbury Hall from the back.

For some reason I only took the photos from the bottom of the hill, so got these big bushes in the way.

I also can't remember if there was a path leading all the way up to the hall or not like there is now.

The snow was in patches on the hill up to Highbury Hall. Was quite impressive, but didn't see this view in person again for another 9 years (from the back).

View of Highbury Hall from Yew Tree Road during April 2011. At the time it was still being managed by Birmingham City Council. This is the left hand side view of the house. The main entrance is to the right of here.

There is a gate on this side of Highbury Hall but it does not lead to the car park. Usually used for service vehicles and vans.

This is the main gated entrance to Highbury Hall. On this visit the gate was locked.

At the time the Council ran the hall so all the signs here had Birmingham City Council on them.

About a month before the Open Day at Highbury Hall in August 2018, had a walk around Highbury Park, then checked out the hall from Yew Tree Road. The gate was open, so I walked up for some views from the car park.

View of Highbury Hall from the car park, about a month before the Open Day. There is a blue plaque on he left hand side of the house.

The blue plaque unveiled in 1990 by the Birmingham Civic Society reads:

HIGHBURY

Home of

Joseph Chamberlain

Distinguished Statesman and 
Civic Leader

That day in August 2018, it was a bit cloudy, but it does look impressive from the car park side.

This view of Highbury Hall from Yew Tree Road, as a green City Council van was parked outside to the left.

From the back of Highbury Hall during the September 2018 open day. There was a small tent up relating to the Open Day to the right.

Views of Highbury Hall during May 2020. Chamberlain's Gardens are still open to the public, as is the paths to the back of the hall. At the time was some men sunbathing on the lawn.

This is probably the best photo I have taken of Highbury Hall from the garden, with a blue sky and not obscured by any other object.

Got a nice shadow on the side of Highbury Hall.

This view and the light and shadows hitting the hall looked especially nice from the car park. The gate was closed on Yew Tree Road.

Also zoomed up to this date stone with the year 1879, the year the building was completed.

Now for a look around the inside of the hall. These views were during the September 2018 open day.

The Main entrance doors. Volunteers inside to welcome you on your visit to the open day.

You can tell immediately that this is a late Victorian house with all the details around the double doors as you head in. Highbury Hall was also used for Weddings.

This room had been set up for a presentation by History West Midlands. You could exit the house through the French Windows into the garden at the back. Weddings would also take place in this room (not on the open day of course).

The main staircase leading up from the main hall area up to the first floor landing.

The first floor landing area

View of the chandellier from the ground floor hall, looking up to the first floor landing.

On the first floor landing, which leads to all the bedrooms. On the Open Day, the Trench Choir was preparing for a performance later (that I missed as I left early and headed on to the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre that day).

On the left was The Remembrance Altar Cloth. Portraits of the male members of the Chamberlain family around the landing. Open doors leads to the bedrooms.

On the left hand side of the wall (to the right) was a portrait of Joseph Chamberlain MP by Nestor Cambier.

To the right was a portrait of Neville Chamberlain MP as Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1933 (he later served as Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940).

The West Room

This room had good views over the formal garden. Was later used as a ward for ten beds and then as a bedroom of the Superintendent in charge of the home for the elderly.

There was a pair of chairs and a table in the West Room near the window. Somewhere to sit, or a good spot for looking out of the window at the garden and park.

Mr Joe's Room

This room was Joseph Chamberlain's bedroom after he married his second wife Mary. Known as Mr Joe's Room, it was connected to Miss Hilda's Room. It later became a sitting room for Beatrice, the daughter of Joseph.

Miss Hilda's Room

This was initially Joseph Chamberlain's bedroom but following his marriage to Mary Endicott, it became the bedroom of Beatrice Chamberlain, Joseph's eldest daughter. It was connected to Mr Joe's room, which became Beatrice's sitting room.

I had earlier seen ladies in period WW1 costumes, preparing. They were probably playing Suffragettes. 100 years since women got the vote. World War 1 ended in November 1918 and women got to vote for the first time in a General Election (during December 1918 after the Armistice the month before).

The Carnegie Room

This room was designed as the principal master bedroom at Highbury, and was initially occupied by Beatrice Chamberlain, Joseph Chamberlain's eldest daughter. When Joseph Chamberlain married his second wife in 1888, Mary Endicott, this room became Mary's bedroom.

At this end was a table and chairs, the room was refurbished in 1984, so not necessarily the original furniture.

When Highbury was used as a hospital, The Carnegie Room was used as a ward with ten beds, and later became a committee room for the managers of the home for the elderly.

A typical Carnegie style bed to the far left hand side of the bedroom. But this was part of the furniture purchased by the Council in 1984 for this room.

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of Highbury Hall. Next time we could have a look around Chamberlain's Gardens.

For more views from Highbury Park in late May 2020, go to this post here: A sunny day in May at Highbury Park and Highbury Hall.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

Back to Kings Heath for the first time in over 2 months since lockdown came into effect. On Thursday 21st May 2020. Lockdown restrictions have been eased, so you can travel a bit further, but can still not use public transport (so went we in the car).

During the Highbury Park walk, we left Highbury Park heading up Dads Lane, going under the Camp Hill line railway bridge and crossing onto Avenue Road. Just a short walk before reaching the Avenue Road entrance to Kings Heath Park.

My May post at Highbury Park is here: A sunny day in May at Highbury Park and Highbury Hall.

The playground near Avenue Road - the Kings Heath Park Play Area was obviously closed due to the pandemic / lockdown. And remains closed even when lockdown restrictions were eased.

Families sitting on the grass, and in front of them I think a family was playing a game of croquet (or something, hard to tell with the trees in the way).

In the pond, saw a moorhen.

The trees around the pond were lush and green and fully grown back after the last winter. The fountains weren't on though.

Saw a Bowling Green on a walk around, and saw some men playing a game of bowls (not sure if they were of the same family or not). What was concerning was the group of men playing football, surely they are not all related and live in the same household? I did not see any security or Police in the park.

More people relaxing on the lawn to the back of the park, some sitting down on the grass. Hopefully socially distancing?

Meanwhile a walk past the TV Garden. All gates were locked, but I took photos through the bars of the gates. Got this old brick wall and gate.

A purple shed and purple flowers. Google Lens says that they are Allium aflatunese. Last went around here 6 years ago (around the TV Garden).

A close up look at the Allium aflatunese purple coloured flowers, in the TV Garden.

Before we left, I wanted to get a phone of this yarn bombing on the fence of the football pitch.

Life is tough but so are we

More Birmingham park posts coming soon, so watch this space!

Expect posts from:

• Old Yardley Park
• The Vale Village
• Summerfield Park
• Daisy Farm Park
• Cofton Park

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

2011

ABF The Soldiers Charity

This was on the 9th April 2011. The Lord Mayor's Big Curry was also held in Victoria Square this day.

Army Band.

JCB

Rapier - a surface-to-air-missle for the British Army and Royal Air Force.

The Lord Mayor's Big Curry.

Armed Forces Day

This was held on the 25th June 2011 in Victoria Square.

Army ambulance.

BBC WM.

Royal Air Force simulator ride.

Iron:Man observes the RAF Reserves.

The Royal Navy.

2014

Join the Army

Army recruitment drive on the 18th January 2014 in Victoria Square.

Army excavator.

The Royal Monmouthshre Royal Engineers (Militia).

Land Rover Defender for the Army. Mobile base of operations.

Toyota Hilux with the army recruitment.

2018

RAF 100

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force in 1918 over the August Bank Holiday weekend from the 25th to the 27th August 2018. Although you could see the planes here before it opened on the 24th August 2018.

Typhoon Full Scale Replica.

Supermarine Spitfire Mk1A.

RAF Charity and the Red Arrows (sadly the weather was not good enough that weekend for a Red Arrows flypast).

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

For my last Highbury Park post go to this link here: Highbury Park through the seasons and the years between Kings Heath and Moseley

Thank you Joseph Chamberlain for leaving your estate as open parkland after your death in 1914 for members of the public to enjoy. Also thanks to the Chamberlain Highbury Trust for maintaining Highbury Hall and the park, and hope they can continue to do so.

This visit was on Thursday 21st May 2020, in the afternoon.

Highbury Park

Starting at the Gatehouse near Moor Green Lane and Yew Tree Lane we followed the path amongst the trees into the park.

I found an old bricked pathway surrounded by trees, so took this route. Don't recall going down here before.

You can imagine this once being part of Joseph Chamberlain's gardens with colourful flowers, but it now just has green trees, shrubs and bushes.

Back onto the main path heading past the Long Pond.

Took a side path round the back of the Long Pond. Was some baby ducklings in there! How cute.

There was a lot of long grass, especially where cow parsley was growing, but most of the lawns were cut short.

Now on the path towards Dads Lane. But there was a lot of litter on the ground near the bin. Can people either take their litter home, or properly bin their waste? I also noticed that the car park near the Dads Lane entrance was in use.

At the Dads Lane exit / entrance near Shutlock Lane before the walk towards Kings Heath Park. The gate was open here as the car park was open.

After returning from Kings Heath Park, wanted to take the fastest route back to the starting point, and noticed this grass path cut amongst the long grass so took it.

Continuing along the grass path back towards the Gatehouse. The park looks lovely this time of year.

Highbury Hall

During the lockdown / pandemic, Highbury Hall has been closed. But Chamberlain's Gardens from Highbury Park was open, so we had a walk round to the back of the house. Saw some people sunbathing on the lawn!

The hall looks to be in good condition here, although the hall is being restored inside at the time. The hall was built in 1878-79 for Joseph Chamberlain.

Heading round to the left side of Highbury Hall. Got a nice shadow on this side.

The main entrance of Highbury Hall. The car park was empty and the gate locked.

Zoomed up to this stone with the 1879 date from when it was first built.

But I remembered that Highbury Hall had scaffolding and didn't see any until I zoomed towards the right side of the hall.

Some of my photos from the September 2018 Open Day are in this post: Inspirational day at Highbury Hall - well done Trustees and Volunteers of Chamberlain Highbury Trust!

Chamberlain's Gardens

Now for a look around Chamberlain's Gardens at Highbury Park & Hall. I was last around here during the September 2018 Open Day (see the Highbury Park gallery for those photos).

Head through these triangular sticks towards Highbury Hall.

Found a bog with algae on it, and a robin (before it flew away!).

The footbridge towards Highbury Hall.

After a look again at the back of Highbury Hall, taking a path back into the park. This tree had fallen over. Also got to be careful with the roots of trees sticking out of some paths.

The trees continue as there was a fence around the site of Chamberlain House.

Children were playing with their parents in these woods near Highbury Hall.

Trees lining the fence near Chamberlain House.

Got to this area with yarn bombing around trees and multicoloured bunting.

Some of these yarn bombing looked like spider webs or dartboards!

Heading back through the Vegetable Garden then back into Highbury Park.

If we can't get to stately homes in the Shire counties and their wonderful parks and gardens, then we can still get to the local parks that were formerly estates with a house (without going into the house of course).

More Birmingham park posts coming soon, so watch this space!

Expect posts from:

• Old Yardley Park
• The Vale Village
• Summerfield Park
• Daisy Farm Park
• Cofton Park

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks to all my followers.

Leasowes Park

My visit to Leasowes Park in Halesowen was during February 2018. Depending on which bus I got via Quinton in Birmingham, I would have got off near the eastern end of the park, but later got another bus back from the western end. I would have got the 11C to Bearwood, and waited for a 9 or X10 on Hagley Road West (opposite Lightwoods Park) towards Halesowen. I think I ended up getting a 9 to Leasowes Park, and later an X10 back into Birmingham.

Now for some history (taken from Wikipedia). The park, also known as The Leasowes, was and estate in Halesowen, now in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, but historically in the county of Shropshire. It contained a house and gardens. It is the home of Halesowen Golf Club and is a Grade I listed park on English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens.

The parkland was designed by the 18th century poet William Shenstone between 1743 and 1763. After Shenstone's death in 1763, the house and gardens were taken over by Edward Horne, who demolished Shenstone's house and built a new one on the same site in 1776. There was also a walled garden. Future US Presidents Adams and Jefferson visited The Leasowes in 1786.

The property was sold in 1789 to Major Francis Halliday who made major changes to the house and parkland. He died in 1794 and Edward Butler Hartopp became the owner of the estate in 1795. Until it transferred to Charles Hamilton in 1800. Then in 1807 it passed into the hands of Matthias Attwood. But by the 1820s the park was in a state of ruin and desolation.

The Anstey College of Physical Education was housed here between 1897 and 1907. Halesowen Golf Club bought part of the site in 1906. Halesowen Council bought The Leasowes in 1934 (since taken over by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council). Since then the estate has been managed as a public park, with part of the site leased to the golf club.

OK, now it's time to go back to my February 2018 visit to Leasowes Park. I would have probably got off the no 9 bus on Manor Lane, then walked up Kent Road, until I entered the park at this gate.

A Leasowes Park noticeboard. Not too readable with this glass on top of it, or it might have been the light from the sunshine.

Heading along a muddy path past the trees and the fences.

From the path at the top, there was some good views towards Halesowen Town Centre.

And beyond Halesowen Town Centre was the Hagley Obelisk to the far right (on the top of the distant field).

Zoom in to the Hagley Obelisk. Which is Grade II* listed. It is ¾ of a mile from Hagley Hall. Dates to the mid 18th century and made for George, First Lord Lyttleton, of sandstone ashlar.

I got to these steps which would take me down to the next level of the park.

The steps heads sharply down the hill.  There is other paths to get down there if you don't fancy using these steps.

It was a nice sunny day in February, as the path winds around past the trees.

A reminder that a golf club is nearby.

BEWARE DANGER FLYING GOLF BALLS

At Halesowen Golf Club a yellow flag pole in one of the golf holes on the golf course.

The first look at the Beechwater Pool. There is more lakes to see in this landscape.

There was streams leading to Beechwater Pool. As a lady walks her dog on the path to the left.

A stunning view of Beechwater Pool

Now a blue flag pole at Halesowen Golf Club.

One of the entrances to Halesowen Golf Club.

Passing the golf clubhouse known as The Leasowes. Dudley MBC have placed a blue plaque here for William Shenstone. The house is Grade I listed in the Queen Anne style. Built of Stucco with three bays and two storeys. William Shenstone was born here (in 1714) but not necessarily in this house (if this was the rebuilt house of 1776 and the old one knocked down after Shenstone's death by Horne).

Walking past the clubhouse. This way to the Professional's Shop and Locker Rooms.

The walk continues through Halesowen Golf Club.

A sign about the restoration of the Walled Garden in The Leasowes. News from 2015 onwards. A group of volunteers have taken to restore the walled garden after years of neglect and vandalism (since 2014). Hopefully it is fully restored by now, but they welcome donations to help with the restoration. Good luck.

Onto the next lake (or pond). This one isn't named.

Now heading towards the Priory Pool. This is also known as the Breaches Pool.

A pair of swans in the Priory Pool (Breaches Pool).

The Priory Pool (Breaches Pool) looks lovely here.

Saw a domestic duck in the Priory Pool (Breaches Pool).

A climbing frame for children, part of the playground / Play Area. Kids can climb up the roped net and over the wooden logs.

A look at The Leasowe Play Area. Back when it was fine to use playgrounds. One day it will be safe to use them again in the future. It was close to the Leasowes Lane Car Park.

Getting close to the Dudley No 2 Canal, also known as the Lapal Canal. This sign with information about the Lapal Canal Trust. Who are trying to restore the canal from Halesowen to Selly Oak.

Just before I left the park, a quick look at the Dudley No 2 Canal near the car park. Then exiting onto Mucklow Hill. Where I would catch the X10 bus back into Birmingham.

The Lapal Canal near Mucklow Hill. The section at this end needs restoring through a tunnel near an industrial estate. But the canal beyond here is in use though. It's just the section from The Leasowes to Selly Oak that has to be restored, and this will take years to get it reconnected to the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

Look out for more park posts coming soon in the not too distant future around the Black Country including:

• Priory Park, Dudley
• Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich
• Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge
• West Park, Wolverhampton

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

On the Millstream Way in the Shire Country Park is a ford at Green Road in Hall Green, Birmingham. The River Cole flows through the road, and usually cars drive through it when the water levels are low. There is a footbridge for pedestrians to use, also for dog walkers and cyclists. People with wellies walk into the river as there is a path into the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground. For other people who don't want their clothes and shoes to get wet, there is the dry path. One end of the ford is near the Greet Mill Meadow, a walk which leads to the Stratford Road at the Sparkhill / Springfield border.

2009

The first time I walked into the Shire Country Park was in April 2009, when I started taking photos around Birmingham. I got these photos of the River Cole at the Green Road ford. There is a measuring stick showing how high the water is getting.

The footbridge is on the left on Green Road, close to the Greet Mill Meadow entrance.

The River Cole flows into Green Road from the Greet Mill Meadow and continues onto Sarehole Mill and Cole Bank Road.

2018

The next time I walked to the ford at Green Road was during March 2018. This was after the recent rain or snow, so I expected the river level of the Cole to be higher. After all there is always news about a car getting stuck in the river, or under the bridge! This is on the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground side.

The stick was showing it was only 1 foot high at this point (the water level of the River Cole).

There was some men standing on the bridge, but other than that the River Cole seemed shallow and passable at the time.

In the middle of Green Road, you can see how shallow the River Cole was, but best to get onto the pavement before a car comes

Personally I would think it would be best to drive on Cole Bank Road or Stratford Road, rather than take your car through the ford, especially if the river level is too high.

The other side of the River Cole in the Greet Mill Meadow, looked quite high on this side, compared to on the road side.

Saw one car going through, but I didn't get it going through the ford. I think I next walked back to Cole Bank Road along Sarehole Road at the time.

2020

In February 2020, after popping down to Sarehole Mill for the Bakehouse open day during Storm Dennis, I walked into the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground, while it was wet and raining and headed to check out the ford on Green Road.

The ford wasn't as flooded as I expected it to be, but was too unsafe for cars to drive through it that day.

From this side on the footbridge, the water levels were looking a bit high.

The view of the River Cole towards the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground. Definetely not worth driving your car into this during a storm!

The Ford warning sign said: CAUTION DO NOT CROSS.

A close up of the Ford sign with CAUTION DO NOT CROSS.

I also saw a man walking his dog while he stopped to let his dog have a drink in the Cole. After this, I walked back to Cole Bank Road along Sarehole Road.

Now on lockdown in April 2020. We walked from the Sarehole Mill Car Park, and we found this path between the River Cole and Coldbath Brook. It leads towards the ford on Green Road.

You can see the footbridge on Green Road, but without wellies, and not wanting to get my shoes or jeans wet, turned back and got onto the main path in the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground Instead (via the Sarehole Mill Car Park).

For the first time, I managed to get a photo of a car driving through the ford on Green Road, giving off a bit of a splash!

Also saw a cyclist on Green Road, and near Sarehole Road. I would assume that he went into the Greet Mill Meadow.

Saw this sign, Try your brakes. We headed up Green Road to Wake Green Road to get into the Moseley Bog for a daily walk on lockdown.

One last look at the ford. It was registering as about half a foot, or less.

One month on as lockdown restrictions have been eased. It's now May 2020. And we had come back from a walk in the Greet Mill Meadow. Caught this car driving through the ford on Green Road, with a spectacular splash through the River Cole! Just had to go back into the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground and we would be back in Sarehole Mill Car Park.

Over the coming months there will be more posts from around the Shire Country Park, so watch this space. Also check out the gallery for the photos.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

With our community, we'll be looking at current day Birmingham as well as the future and the past. All our 'Did you Know' posts will be shared via our community platform at www.BirminghamWeAre.net and www.CultureWithYOU.net.

In this, the launch post for our 'Did you Know' feature, we take a look at some great Birmingham Gems, present, past and future.  In advance, we would like to thank Daniel Sturley and Elliott Brown for the photography we have included and the architects associated with the artists impressions and developments we have referenced. 

The city has so much to offer and it can't wait to fully open its' doors again but only when its' safe to do so!  

Architecture

There's some amazing modern architecture that nestles perfectly alongside Birmingham's fascinating history.

The Cube and Hyatt Birmingham.

Selfridges and St Martin's Church.

Paradise Birmingham and Snowhill.

Hall of Memory and Library of Birmingham.

Love your architecture?  Don’t worry, we’ll be featuring so much more over the months to come at www.architectureAndUs.com

Historic builds

Some of the older stunning Birmingham builds are getting ready to open their magnificent doors again.

Grand Hotel in Birmingham.

Municipal Bank in Birmingham.

Even some of the more recent builds are receiving a makeover.

Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

Love your historic builds? Don’t worry, we’ll be featuring so much more over the months to come

Squares and public spaces

There’s Birmingham’s wonderful squares protected for everyone to enjoy.  

Oozells Square in Birmingham.

Chamberlain Square in Birmingham.

Centenary Square in Birmingham.

Victoria Square in Birmingham.

Love your public squares?  Don’t worry, we’ll be featuring more over the months to come.

Canals

With an amazing network of canals, all the City’s gems can be explored on a walk or a cycle ride.

Canal at Brindleyplace. 

Canal at Gas Street Basin. 

BIRMINGHAM - Into the future

With many developments and new builds well underway, approved or proposed, we're certainly going to see the city's landscape continue to change in a very big way.

103 COLMORE ROW

103 Colmore Row, due for completion in 2021, is a Sterling Property Ventures & Tristan Capital Partners development currently being built by BAM Construction. At 26 floors, it will be the tallest office build outside of London and is due to be completed early in 2021.

Follow this major build HERE with regular updates and photo galleries from Birmingham We Are and It's Your Build. 

Artists impression by Doone Silver Kerr Architects.  

ARENA CENTRAL

The vast development at Arena Central, now with Kier Property, covers 1.2 million sq ft of mixed-use property and is an integral part of Birmingham City Council's Big City Plan with building work set to continue over the next 6 years as plots are completed.  

Image credit: Arena Central and Kier Property. 

Follow this major development HERE with regular updates and photo galleries from Birmingham We Are and It's Your Build.

Arena Central (April 2020)

THE MERCIAN

The Mercian, a 42 storey mixed-use development on Broad Street from MODA Living and Apache Capital Partners is due for completion in June 2022. The Mercian has been designed by Glenn Howells Archtects, with John Sisk & Son currently building it.

Artists impression of The Mercian.

Follow this major development HERE with regular updates and photo galleries from Birmingham We Are and It's Your Build.

The Mercian (April 2020)

ONE EASTSIDE

On the opposite side of the City, we have One Eastside which will be one the largest of all skyscrapers in Birmingham at 51 storeys, taller than the BT Tower. It is the brainchild of Court Collaboration and architects Glancy Nicholls.  

Follow this major development HERE with regular updates and photo galleries from Birmingham We Are and It's Your Build.

Artists impression of One Eastside. 

And looking further into the future, two huge developments are planned for the City, one on the Smithfields site and another at Martineau Galleries.

MARTINEAU GALLERIES

This development from Hammerson with architects Glenn Howells will completely transform the Dale End area of Birmingham into a new neighbourhood, creating a vibrant mixed-use destination and a new gateway to the city from the planned Curzon Street station.

Follow this major development HERE with regular updates and photo galleries from Birmingham We Are and It's Your Build.

Plan credit: Hammerson and Glenn Howells

BIRMINGHAM SMITHFIELD

Birmingham Smithfield is a £1.5 billion redevelopment project that will continue to position the city on an international stage. Lendlease will form a contractual joint venture with the city council and lead the creation of an urban quarter that will include a new home for the city’s historic Bull Ring retail markets, a unique family destination including a leisure and cultural offer, a new public square, integrated public transport and more than 2,000 homes with a public park and community facilities.

Follow this major development HERE with regular updates and photo galleries from Birmingham We Are and It's Your Build.

Indicative artists impression of Birmingham Smithfield.

HS2 AND CURZON STREET STATION

To complete our look into the future, let's conclude with HS2 and what has been described will become one of the most environmentally friendly stations in the world, Curzon Street Station. 

Follow this major development HERE with regular updates and photo galleries from Birmingham We Are and It's Your Build.

Artists impressions from Grimshaw Architects

Of course ahead of all of this is the Commonwealth Games, which, in 2022, gives Birmingham and the region a great opportunity to show the world what it has to offer. So much to look forward to in the years to come!

Finally, a quick look back (way back) in history 

Although Birmingham is a relatively new city having only acquired its' city status in 1889, records go back much further and tell us more about the people that inhabited the place we are proud to call our City, Birmingham.

We can tell you about Beorma in the 7th century and the Anglo-Saxon connection with Birmingham. We can take you back to the 12th century and share a lot about a certain Peter de Birmingham, an entrepreneur with considerable vision and Lord of the Manor of Birmingham. We can tell you why the 'golden men' made such an impact on the City and how Tolkien got the inspiration for the Hobbit during his time in Birmingham.  We will explain why the city and the people of Birmingham owe so much to the Cadbury family. And, of course, we will look back at the times of the now (world famous) Peaky Blinders.

Through posts, images and video, and with contributions from our great people with passion, over the months we will share with you the wonders of Birmingham.

Follow us.

Make sure you don't miss a thing.  Register here as a follower and we'll keep you posted.

Join our community

We'd love to add you to our growing community of people with passion who want to make a difference. Register here and we'll set you up as a contributor so you can share your passion for your city and community.  All free!

Acknowledgements:

We would like to thanks Daniel Sturley and Elliott Brown for the photography. Credit goes to the architects and developers associated with the artists impressions of the builds and developments we have referenced in this article. 

In this post we look at the main lake in Cannon Hill Park. Called the Boating Lake. But at the southern end is the Breeding Pool. This lake runs parallel to the River Rea and Queens Ride. You would find The MAC to the north of the Boating Lake (rebuilt in 2009-10). Swan Lake Boating opened in 2016 along with a Fun Park from Green Space Leisure. Halfway in the middle of the lake is a metal bar which various birds usually perch on (mostly gulls). Paths on both sides for walking, walking your dog, pushing your childs pushchair, running and cycling. Even kids in scooters, or rollerskates or skateboards etc.

Breeding Pool

The Breeding Pool in Cannon Hill Park seen during November 2009. It is near the Ornamental Bridge. Mostly gulls at this end at the time.

The bridge is Grade II listed and dates to 1875. Made of red bricks and stone dressings.

Gulls around the Breeding Pool near the bridge.

The bridge leads to the Queens Ride.

This view of the Ornamental Bridge if you were coming from the Queens Ride end. There is also a bridge over the River Rea, but just has those painted metal railings. One of the paths from the Rea Valley Route is to the right (leads to Holders Lane Woods).

It was foggy / misty at the Breeding Pool during April 2018.

Just about see the tree island in the middle of the lake at the time.

The ornamental bridge seen during August 2019. Some geese in there at the time.

In February 2020, there was a black Great Cormorant in the middle of the bird bars, with a line of gulls either side of it.

The Great Cormorant was an unusual site in Cannon Hill Park.

But was nice to see a bird that you don't normally see here, other than the usual gulls. There was at least two Great Cormorant there that day.

In May 2020 as the lockdown restrictions were eased. Passed the Breeding Pool when I saw a Canada geese family with their newborn babies.

So cute! The proud Canada geese parents and their newborn gosling in the Breeding Pool.

There was about 7 baby gosling there on the banks of the pool. They will grow fast.

View of the Ornamental Bridge towards Queens Ride. Rare for it to be empty like this, but it was in the morning before more people arrived for their daily form of exercise in the park.

Boating Lake

In April 2011, and a view up the Boating Lake towards The MAC.

A pair of Canada geese near the edge of the lake.

Always loads of Canada geese around here.

There is a bar in the middle of the lake between the boating side and the Breeding Pool. Usually birds perched on the bars.

There is paths both sides of the lake to walk or cycle around.

The MAC was rebuilt in 2009 and reopened in a new building in 2010.

View of The MAC with the Boating Lake.

In January 2013, snow had fallen all over Birmingham and that included at Cannon Hill Park. The Boating Lake near The MAC was completely frozen and covered in snow and ice.

Even the paths were icy at the time. There may have been birds at the far end of the lake, but not at this end at the time.

Paddle boat on the Boating Lake in December 2013 as a gull flew past it.

Swan Boats seen in June 2016. This opened in May 2016 and is called Swan Lake Boating. Close to The MAC. Replaced the old paddle boats that used to be used here.

Swan paddle boats for four people to paddle about in the lake. It's part of the Fun Park from Green Space Leisure. Small rollercoaster nearby.

The summer drought during July 2018 when grass all over the City had lost it's green and had gone a dry yellowy colour.

At the time the Birmingham Thai Festival was being set up on the lawn near the lake. It was held on the weekend of the 28th and 29th July 2018. It hadn't rained for a month and it was quite hot.

This view of the Swan Boats during May 2019. You can see where they store the orange life jackets behind.

A pair of Swan Boats seen in use in the Boating Lake during August 2019. Seems like there is room for 4 people were boat and they have to wear orange life jackets.

In February 2020, I saw all these gulls flying about above the Boating Lake towards The MAC.

It was quite a sight to see all the gulls flying all over the place. Could even see a floodlight at Edgbaston Cricket Ground behind The MAC.

Slightly more calm now as the gulls came to land in the lake to the left of The MAC.

The May 2020 walk past the Boating Lake, while it was quite on lockdown (before the crowds arrived in the morning). The path was empty, and the grass mown.

Saw another Canada geese family near the lakeside. At least three baby Gosling here. How cute! And some ducks.

No boats are allowed to be used during lockdown, so just the birds in the lake (and fish if there are any under the water).

But for your daily form of exercise, you can run or ride a bike (or just walk). The play area near The MAC is of course closed.

People socially distancing on the benches, while a man rides his bike past the Artists Studios site (was the Peoples Postcode Lottery Arena at The MAC).

Swan Lake Boating is closed during the pandemic / lockdown period we are in. The boats are 4 seaters. The Peoples Postcode Lottery Arena is being replaced next to The MAC by an Artists Studio

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

The Blue Coat School

The Birmingham Blue Coat School was founded in 1722, and was originally located at a site on Colmore Row opposite St Philip's Church from 1724 until they moved to a site in Edgbaston (near Harborne) in 1930. The school was founded by Reverend William Higgs, who was a Rector of St Philip's Church (now Birmingham Cathedral). The buildings on the site today are on St Philip's Place and are offices.

In 1930 the school moved to a site on Metchley Lane and Somerset Road in Edgbaston. The new buildings were designed by Henry Walter Simister. Although some elements of the original buildings were moved to the Edgbaston site.

The schools original purpose was to educate children aged 9 to 14 from poor backgrounds. In the early years, 32 boys and 20 girls for educated, clothed and fed there.

The school was rebuilt several times during the 18th century. Mainly between 1792 and 1794. As a four storey neo-Classical building.

In 1930 the new school was planned to be built in Edgbaston, built on what was the site of Harborne Hill House. Statues of a boy and girl in uniform dating to the 1770s were moved to the new school, but placed inside. Copies were made in 1930 and placed in the main entrance porch.

Historical information above taken from The Blue Coat School - History.

The Blue Coat School, Colmore Row, Birmingham, watercolour painting by James Billingsley. Topographical view of Birmingham, from the Birmingham Museums Trust collection.

Engraving of the Blue Coat School, Birmingham. One of a collection of engravings of local views contained in volume: Wilkinson Collection, Vol.ii.

Etching - Entrance to the Blue Coat School, Birmingham by F. Gould. Topographical view of Birmingham, from the Birmingham Museums Trust collection.

Public Domain Dedication images free to download from the Birmingham Museums Trust Digital Image Resource.

In February 2010, I got photos of the current building from Cathedral Square (or St Philip's Churchyard as I used to call it myself). This was the then home of the the Government Office for the West Midlands at 5 St Philip's Place. This was built in 1935-37 and was the former Prudential Assurance building. Built for the Prudential Assurance Architects' Department. The original architect was P B Chatwin. Built in the Beaux Arts classicism style in Portland stone. Additions by Temple Cox Nicholls from 2002. Information taken from Pevsner Architectural Guides: Birmingham by Andy Foster.

There is an old blue plaque at 5 St Philip's Place about the Blue Coat School. It stood on this site of this building from 1724 to 1930. Since removed to Edgbaston.

Next door was Hays Recruitment at 4 St Philips Place. This was probably Provost's House. Built with a Cotswold stone front. It replaced a Rectory of 1885 by Osborn & Reading. The rest of the building was by Caroe & Partners in 1950. Rebuilt behind by Temple Cox Nicholls from 1981-82. There is a NatWest bank to the right at Temple Row.

Got this photo in December 2010 so I knew what was in 5 St Philip's Place, which at the time was the Government Office for the West Midlands. But the Coalition Government came in May 2010, so this wouldn't last much longer.

By April 2011 the Government Office for the West Midlands had moved out of 5 St Philip's Place.

The plaque had been removed by this point. Today this building is occupied by Communities and Local Government.

Time to head over to the Edgbaston / Harborne border.

In May 2018 there was a bus diversion, as Harborne Park Road in Edgbaston was closed, and I took this view of the Blue Coat School from the no 23 bus. One advantage of this site was a playing field for sport, which the old site probably didn't have (unless pupils played sport in what is now Cathedral Square?).

The walk up Metchley Lane and Somerset Road past the Blue Coat School. Starting with the School Chapel. It was dated 1932.

Above the door as seen from Metchley Lane ws this stone in Latin.

AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM MCMXXXII ~ THE GLORY OF THE MAJOREM 1932

Above the chapel is this bell tower with cross at the top.

This was probably the Gatehouse, on Somerset Road.

Onto the main school building built in 1930. Near Somerset Road.

Above the middle part of the Blue Coat School was this clock tower and weather vane. Stone dates the school: AD MCMXXX ~ AD 1930.

The weather vane on the clock tower has a cockerel sculpture on top.

Flag of the Blue Coat School flapping in the wind.

Pedestrian Entrance to The Blue Coat School at this gate from Somerset Road. The sign also has the schools badge. It reads: The Blue Coat School Birmingham 1722 * Grow in Grace.

Modern 21st Century photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks to all my followers.

Thank you BBC Birmingham / BBC Midlands Today for running a story about the Creatives We Are competition (and using one of my photos on lockdown). Lockdown photo contest to create 'lasting memory'.

If you watch Beccy or Shefali's Insta stories, they are sometimes in the BBC dressing room, and you can see the Birmingham We Are calendar in the background.

DOCTOR WHO

Going back years before our current period when I saw a TARDIS and Dalek from Doctor Who at BBC Birmingham in The Mailbox.

The TARDIS seen in the window of BBC Birmingham from The Mailbox in July 2010. At the time The Doctor was the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant).

In July 2017, I had to sign a form before I could go around BBC Birmingham, while The Big Sleuth was on with it's Little Bears Detective Club. The TARDIS had been moved by this point. The Doctor by now was The Twelth Doctor (Peter Capaldi).

There was also a Dalek inside, from around the 9th and 10th Doctor eras (2005 - 2010).

I'd earlier seen it in the window of BBC Birmingham during May 2017. DO NOT TOUCH THE DALEK.

Behind was BBC Blue Room. Was a Nando's opposite. EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE, EXTERMINATE!!!!

At the time you could see the Dalek through the window at BBC Birmingham. If you were going on a tour of the Beeb, you could head upstairs for more. For a few years the TARDIS was visible in this window.

THE BIG HOOT BIRMINGHAM 2015

In July 2015, The Big Hoot owl sculpture trail was on all around Birmingham, and that included in The Mailbox.

Near BBC Birmingham was a Big Hoot Owl called Peacock. By the artist Jane Anderson. The Mailbox was the sponsor.

A man was on a saxophone, then some men moved it to the other side closer to the BBC.

Two strong men moving the Peacock owl back near BBC Birmingham.

Inside the foyer of BBC Birmingham was The Big Hoot's Little Hoot. Five small owls painted by schools. There names were as follows: Chilw-owl, Lileigh, Seasonal Owl, MoMo and The High Five Values. I didn't make a note of who the schools were at the time.

THE BIG SLEUTH BIRMINGHAM 2017

Seen outside of Harvey Nichols in July 2017 was the Peaky Blinders Bear. By the Castle Galleries artist Jon Jones, endorsed by series creator Steven Knight in partnership with Retail BID. The Mailbox was the sponsor.

BY ORDER OF THE PEAKY BLINDERS

On the back of the Peaky Blinders Bear was Tommy Shelby (played by Cillian Murphy).

THIS IS OUR CITY ~ THOMAS SHELBY

Bradley's Bear was in the hallway outside of BBC Birmingham (and near the restaurants). While it is a little bear, it was not part of the Little Bears Detective Club. It was designed by Bradley Simpson with thanks to the Retail BID and was brought to life by Donna Newman.

When I went into BBC Birmingham to find The Big Sleuth presents the Little Bear's Detective Club, I had to sign a form when I went in. I found about 7 little bears in total (may have missed one or two?)

Charlie McCheery designed by Kings Heath Primary School.

Bear Grylls created by The Oaks Primary School.

Totally Tropical Bear created by Wheelers Lane Primary School.

The Great Bear created by Colmore Junior School. School sponsored by College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham.

Fox Hollies School Sun Bear created by Fox Hollies School and Performing Arts College.

Lulu created by Bishop Challoner Catholic College.

Bournville Unwrapped created by Bournville School.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks to all my followers.

Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park

On the Pershore Road in Edgbaston, is part of Cannon Hill Park that has either been a natural history museum or a zoo. What is now called the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park has had many different names in the past.

The Birmingham Natural History Museum opened in what is now the entrance building (ticket office and shop) in 1953. This was established by the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery whose natural history department established a museum on the site. But it didn't last too long. In 1964 the building and the land nearby was turned into the Birmingham Zoo by the Dudley Zoological Society. The zoo suddenly closed in 1973. Only for Birmingham City Council to reopen it as the Birmingham Nature Centre in 1974. It kept this name for 40 years until it was rebranded as the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park in 2014. Which it is still called today.

Some of the information above taken from Birmingham Nature Centre - mapping museums.

The building itself dates back to the 1920s or 1930s when it was originally built as the Birmingham Branch Art Gallery and Museum, at Cannon Hill Park. The building was designed by A Edgerton Leeson. It must have still been open until the early 1950s, when the Natural History Museum replaced it.

It was built on the site of Pebble Mill Farm. Before the farm this was the site of Pebble Mill, which was once a fulling mill. It was a water powered mill that existed from the 16th century. It gave it's name to the Pebble Mill land where the BBC used to be (now developed with new hospitals and a care home). The mill became a blade mill in the 17th century. It was converted to grinding corn in 1842. A dairy farm opened in 1890, with cow fields near the River Rea. The Bourn Brook was diverted at the beginning of the 20th century. The farm was demolished in 1921.

Information above taken from A Brummie's Guide to Birmingham on the Nature Centre.

I first took photos of the Birmingham Nature Centre building during the snow of December 2010, from the Pershore Road in Edgbaston.

At the time the Nature Centre might have been closed, although the doors were open.

It still had a sign above the door saying Museum. Probably dating from it's time as a Natural History Museum or before that as an Art Gallery and Museum.

Some close up details of the inter war years museum building, which is now the entrance to what was then the Nature Centre.

There is a set of doric columns at the entrance to the Nature Centre (formerly a museum).

Also a ramp with railings to help people with wheelchairs or pushchairs, or hard of walking get in.

An earlier view of the Nature Centre with a Christmas Tree out front.

A Nature Centre sign / sculpture with all the months of the years.

It also had animals in it's design. The name in the middle has since been covered over with a Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park sign (from 2014 onwards).

The back of the museum building. There is a door here, but it was not open. I would think that there would be a door to the side into the then Nature Centre.

The Queens Ride leads from Cannon Hill Park to the Nature Centre. With the Boy Scouts War Memorial on the left. The fence to the left runs along the site of the Nature Centre. For more on the war memorials of Cannon Hill Park, go to this post: Memorials in Cannon Hill Park . Tyre tracks in the snow from cyclists heading to and from the Pershore Road and the park.

After a look at the entrance building to the Nature Centre, I headed into Cannon Hill Park for a look around the park while it was covered in snow. In the years since, I never got around to paying for a visit around the Nature Centre, but have been back around this area outside many times over the years.

In July 2013, I only really got photos of these colourful flower beds outside of the Nature Centre. This one pointing towards Pershore Road and over to Pebble Mill Road (to the far left of here).

This colourful flower bed pointing in the direction of the railings of the Nature Centre with those printed photos of animals.

A pair of flower pots surrounded by logs. On the drive in front of the Nature Centre. The Pershore Road to Selly Park to the left.

Another set of flower pots surrounded by logs close to the roadside. The Pershore Road into Edgbaston and the City Centre to the right of here.

From the Pershore Road, I got this photo through the railings of these emu's (or ostriches). It would be nice one day after lockdown ends, to pay for a visit, or go with a group of other photographers. Anyone up for it when things go back to normal?

Well overgrown as I saw this view of a bridge that crosses the Bourn Brook. It joins up to the River Rea beyond the Nature Centre.

Got some new photos of the Birmingham Nature in August 2014 when it had by this point been renamed to the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park. Admission Charges to the left and Opening Times to the right. (To date I still haven't paid for a visit around the park).

All of these new signs went up outside in the car park for the re-named Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park.

These signs for the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park points the direction to the car park & main entrance. At the time someone had put put a poster about a Missing Dog. I hope they found their dog at the time (6 years ago now).

But have different photos of animals on them. Probably to get young children excited about their visit.

Another one for the Entrance to the Car Park. The gate closes at dusk.

My only night time photo was from January 2018, as I got off the bus early on the Pershore Road and took this Christmas Tree, while their was Christmas fairy lights on the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Centre. This was just after 5pm in the evening, before a walk up the Pershore Road.

Another view of the bridge over the Bourn Brook from the bridge on the Pershore Road during April 2018. For many years there was flood defence works on this side and on the Pebble Mill side which took years to complete. And one of the paths into Cannon Hill Park, only just reopened.

During the summer drought in July 2018, grass lawns all over the City had gone from the normal green to a yellow colour. Here the flower beds were looking quite pink at the time. The car park to the park is in the distance to the right. The Pershore Road to the left.

The other pink flower bed closest to the railings of the Wildlife Conservation Park. By now they had loads of large printed photos of animals for visitors to see before going into the park. The grass was so dry at the time.

Finally in January 2019, I saw this Land Rover Defender parked outside of the entrance of the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park. It was from the Park Ranger Service. Could see it from Pebble Mill Road before I walked onto the Pershore Road.

Maybe one day when things are back to normal, someone could organise a group photo visit around the Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park. Maybe someone at Birmingham We Are, or one of those Facebook groups such as Brumtography. I have no childhood memories of going to the Birmingham Nature when I was little. Could have gone in the 1980s and I remember nothing about it.

But in recent years, I been to London Zoo with my then camera (in 2010) and even went to a Zoo in Lyon, France (2017). I've seen the birds in cages at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Did go to the Birmingham Sealife Centre a couple of times after it opened in the mid 1990s, but didn't have a camera at the time. And only have exterior views from the late 2000s and into the 2010s.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

Staffordshire Hoard

In July 2009, Terry Herbert using a metal detector, while searching the area, discovered a hoard of Gold artefacts. Over 5 days he discovered over 244 items. He then contacted the authorities. The landowner Fred Johnson gave permission for excavations to take place on his land to find more.

The first Staffordshire Hoard Gallery opened up at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in 2009. When it first opened, there was long queues outside of BM & AG going around Chamberlain Square. The first excavation took place at the field on farmland near Hammerwich, Staffordshire in September 2009 by the Birmingham Archaeology and funded by English Heritage. The gallery at BM & AG opened in October 2009 attracting 40,000 people.

The hoard was first displayed at BM & AG from September to October 2009. Parts of it went on display at other galleries including the British Museum (November 2009 to April 2010).  But items were still being displayed in a temporary gallery at BM & AG until they opened permenant gallery from October 2014 onwards.

2012

I was only able to get two photos of the original Staffordshire Hoard Gallery in November 2012. At the time photos in the gallery were not allowed so only got this cardboard cut out of an Anglo-Saxon warrior.

Also of this replica Anglo-Saxon warriors helmet. But was told you couldn't take photos in there, so I moved on. Not that I wanted to take the individual items in there at the time.

2014

A new Staffordshire Hoard Gallery opened in October 2014, in the gallery that formerly housed the Ancient Greek and Roman collection (below the Ancient Egypt gallery).

Sign on Great Charles Street Queensway advertising the new gallery.

Unearth the story of the Staffordshire Hoard

Heading inside BM & AG, I saw another sign pointing the way to the new Staffordshire Hoard Gallery.

This one welcoming you to the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery.

Also this one on the wall saying that the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery was on Level 2.

Another sign telling you that you can get a lift to the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery, which is on Level 2.

I got the rest of the views of the new Staffordshire Hoard Gallery from the Ancient Egypt gallery above. Surrounding the balcony of the gallery is the Frieze of the Mausoleum (it was there long before the Staffordshire Hoard moved in here).

In the middle was this tall red object, probably representing an Ancient Anglo-Saxon item.

Close up view of that red rectangle sculpture with gold detailing.

Questions:

Why did they bury it? Who buried the hoard? When did they bury it? Why did they bury it there?

In this area was Sources and techniques.

The top of another sectioned off area with pieces of the hoard.

Below you can see visitors having a close up look at the Staffordshire Hoard.

2018

In November 2018, a Staffordshire Hoard golden helmet replica was unveiled at BM & AG in the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery. I took this photo in zoom in while BBC Midlands Today was making a piece about it, so didn't stick about for long. The original pieces were too fragile to reassemble into a helmet, so two replicas were made (the other one is at the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent). It's the kind of thing that the King of Mercia could have worn before the Kingdom of Mercia was conquered. And they could have been hurriedly broken up into pieces and buried, where they remained until they were found in 2009!

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks to all my followers.

During a day out to Trentham Gardens near Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, during August 2013, I noticed on my map that there was a Miniature Railway in the gardens to see. So while there I popped over to have a look at it. I didn't pay to go on it myself, but there was a charge of £2 per person (not sure if kids were free or not).

People get to ride up and down on the Miniature Train to and from Boathouse Station.

The Trentham Estate was originally home to Trentham Hall. There had been a house here since the 16th or 17th centuries. But the last house to be built here was by Charles Barry in the 1830s. It would have been fully demolished in the early 20th century, but part of it was demolished, but most of the shell remains. The gardens were designed by Capability Brown in the 1750s. The house and gardens were derelict when St. Modwen Properties purchased the site in 1996. But they restored the gardens and opened them by 2008. There is also a shopping village here.

Now back to the miniature railway.

It would have been open at Easter 2020 holidays (04/04/2020 - 19/04/2020), but assume that the gardens were completely closed during the lockdown / pandemic. Trentham Fern Train Trips this Easter. Tickets would have been: for a Return trip: £2 per person. Return trip with Annual Ticket Holder discount: £1.50 per person. Single trip: £1 person.

The photos below were taken during the 11th August 2013.

The tracks are of a narrow gauge. This way to the station.

Welcome to Boathouse Station. The Railway is open. The fare is £2. Way in to the right.

Passengers sit on the open carriages as the miniature train goes around the rails.

The train arriving at Boathouse Station.

The engine the driver sits on was called Fern. This is also called the Trentham Railway.

Everybody had got off including the train driver, while it waits at Boathouse Station.

Near the station the train can only got at a very slow 2 MPH.

A look further down the line to Boathouse Station.

Waiting for the next passengers.

There was also some wooden sheds to the left, maybe they store the train in there?

Later saw another passenger load having a ride on the Trentham Railway.

The train just goes around the track in circles. I think there was only one station.

The last I saw of it, the train was going around and on to complete the loop with a handful of passengers.

For another post about another light railway in a park. Have a look at Evesham Vale Light Railway in the Evesham Country Park (August 2014).

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks to all my followers.

TUI Airways

In 2007 Thomsonfly merged with First Choice Airways and was rebranded to Thomson Airways in 2008. This followed the merger of the travel divisions of TUI Group and First Choice Holidays in September 2007. By 2015 it was announced that TUI would be rebranding all operations to TUI. Thomson Airways changed their legal name to TUI Airways from October 2017.

Thomson / TUI has destinations all over Europe, to the Caribbean and India from Birmingham Airport.

In October 2010, while in Park Street Gardens in Eastside, I saw this Thomson Airways plane flying overhead. Back in July 2010, we flew to Verona in Italy for the Lake Garda holiday. But at the time, I didn't take any exteriors of the plane (only photos out of the plane window above the clouds).

In June 2012 at the Terminal at Birmingham Airport, heading to get our flight to Naples in Italy.  There was still First Choice branding on the airbridge at the time.

Our Thomson plane would be a Boeing 757-200. On both this and the July 2010 flight 2 years earlier, we had an on board meal heated up in the plane. We came back the week later from Naples at night.

In June 2014 at the Terminal building in Birmingham Airport, saw this Thomson Airways plane, as we waited to catch our flight to Malaga in Spain with Monarch. I think this was a Boeing 737-800

During the August 2014 visit to Blakesley Hall, I saw this plane fly overhead. I think it was Thomson Airways, with their distinctive sky blue livery. (I don't think it was Flybe or KLM).

Seen in March 2015 was this Thomson Airways plane (below). Seen from a train as it departed from Birmingham International Station.

This Thomson Airways plane was also visible from the train back in October 2016. I had just caught a train from Birmingham International. The airport buses that takes you from the terminal to the steps of the plane (or vice versa) were seen nearby as well.

In January 2017, TUI planes were still branded as Thomson at the time. This might have been a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It was seen from a the 966 NXWM Platinum bus.

Now onto February 2017 with this Thomson plane. The view from Car Park 5, but a tree was in the way.

I first saw a TUI branded plane in June 2017. Was at the Airport while waiting to catch our Flybe flight to Lyon in France.

In June 2018, I saw this TUI plane close to the Terminal building, as we headed to catch our flight to Pisa in Italy with Jet2. The airbridge was now being advertised by MG. Birmingham the home of MG

The first time I saw a TUI branded plane in flight was in August 2018. This was from the viewing area near the A45 Coventry Road.

Get off the bus near the Holiday Inn, then cross at the lights, then walk around the semi circle path until you are in view of the runway.

I've only been to this viewing area once, but saw several other planes taking off over the A45. I have loads of memories of coming into land over this end.

Now onto November 2018 with this view of a TUI plane, from the the X1 NXWM Platinum bus. The buses have their own semi circle road close to the A45 that leads to the Airport and NEC.

My last view from an X1 NXWM Platinum bus was of this pair of TUI planes during August 2019.

BONUS THOMSON TUI PHOTOS

At Malaga Airport in Spain during June 2014, I saw this Thomson Airways plane, a Boeing 737-800 at the airport.

We were waiting to catch our delayed Monarch flight back to Birmingham (we waited around for hours as was a French Air Traffic Control strike that day).

By this point we had got on board our Monarch plane and I got some more views of the Thomson plane.

One more view of Thomson as a British Airways plane went behind at Malaga.

In June 2017, while waiting to fly back to Birmingham with Flybe, saw this TUI related plane from Jetairfly at Lyon–Saint-Exupéry Airport. They were founded in 2003, but started operations in 2005. They were rebranded to TUI fly Belgium in 2016. Although the plane I saw in 2017 was still branded as Jetairfly.

I think this would have been a view from the terminal building at Lyon Airport of Jetairfly. It has the same tail fin logo as Thomson and TUI.

This view from the Flybe plane as we had just boarded it as Jetairfly was connected to the airbridge. My seat on Flybe was near the wing on the left.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

My previous Sarehole Mill / JRR Tolkien posts are here:

• J. R. R. Tolkien in Sarehole from 1896 - 1900
• The Bakehouse reopened at Sarehole Mill during Storm Dennis
• The Shire Country Park from the Stratford Road to Scribers Lane in Hall Green / Yardley Wood
• J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit at Sarehole Mill
• J.R.R. Tolkien's Birmingham (inspiration for The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings)

Sarehole Mill

On Sunday 6th October 2013, there was a free Open Day at Sarehole Mill during the We Are B28 Hall Green Arts Festival. While thre I got a chance to look around the mill, including around the Mill Pool, and more importantly inside. You could head up the wooden stairs and get to the top of the mill, and see the machinery in action, or what used to be used. The mill had been restored over the Winter of 2012-13 (including the dredging of the mill pool). The last major restoration took place back in 1969.

Some history. Sarehole Mill is a Grade II listed watermill located in the Sarehole area of Birmingham (now on the Moseley / Hall Green border). You can access it now via the car park on Cole Bank Road (via the building used as the shop and ticket office now). The River Cole flows past the mill through the Shire Country Park. It is known for it's association with J. R. R. Tolkien.

There had been a mill on this site as early as 1542. It was once known as Bedell's or Biddle's mill, after a name of an early owner. By 1727 it was known as High Wheel Mill. Matthew Boulton leased the mill as early as 1755, and he converted the mill to metal working. The current mill was built in 1771 and was in used until 1919. After that it fell into disuse and was derelict until it was restored in 1969, and taken over by Birmingham City Council. The Birmingham Museums Trust took over the running of the mill from the Council in 2012 and is now a museum.

Map of the area that Sarehole Mill is located in. Many buildings along the Cole Valley are now lost (including Sarehole Hall), but you can walk through th Shire Country Park. Today the John Morris Jones Walkway goes from Cole Bank Road to Robin Hood Lane.

This map shows more of the area around Sarehole Mill including Moseley Bog. Was used to illustrate the area that J. R. R. Tolkien grew up as a child.

Maps above taken from the Sarehole Mill Guidebook published by the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in 2002.

Painting of Sarehole Mill in Hall Green, British School. 1850-1900. View from the Mill Pool.

Painting by George Willis Pryce (d. 1949) of Sarehole Mill. View from the Cole Bank Road.

The paintings above are Public Domain Dedication images taken from the Digital Image Resource of the Birmingham Museums Trust. Free to download.

Now onto my own photos of Sarehole Mill from the October 2013 visit.

After heading through the shop, you pass the Bakehouse to get into the courtyard area of the mill. What to do at Sarehole Mill?

Welcome to the Mill -----> Entrance to the mill is to the right.

The outside courtyard area of Sarehole Mill. On the day of this visit was a market for the We Are B28 Hall Green Arts Festival.

You can head out to the back of the mill and go round the garden area. There is also a back gate entrance / exit to the mill this way.

View of Sarehole Mill from the back. Remember to close the gate behind you.

Deep Water sign. Close the gate as you go in and out of this area.

View of Sarehole Mill from the Viewing Platform. Was a nice mirror image in the Mill Pool at the time (other times of the year the Mill Pool is usually full of algae).

Panoramic of Sarehole Mill with the Mill Pool.

During the Open Day, the view of Sarehole Mill was quite clear from the Wake Green Road. Usually this is all overgrown. You can imagine the artists that painted this view being on Wake Green Road when there wasn't too many trees growing on this side.

It's now time to explore the inside of the mill.

A view of the waterwheel as it was spinning at speed. Waterwheels had been used at the mill for centuries until it was replaced with a steam engine in 1852. It collects water from the Coldbath Brook (which flows into the River Cole). This is the north waterwheel.

Large cogs and gear wheels. The Mill Machinery. The power generated through the waterwheel is transferred to the mills gears to work all the machinery in the mill. The north waterwheel drives the gears which turns three pairs of milestones on the first floor.

The Flour Bins. Some of the many cogs / gear wheels that turn when the waterwheel is moving. The south waterwheel moves these gears and the flour bins where flour fell through hessian chutes from the dressing machines on the floor above.

This is the Sack Hoist. The ground floor of the mill was often called the bagging floor. Where wholemeal flour and the sieved graded flour was collected and put into sacks and bags.

One of the Millstones. The hopper is at the top. Grain falls through the chutes from the storage bin above. Below that is the vat. It collects the meal as it comes off the stones. Other parts include the shoe which directs the grain into the centre or eye into the millstone. Finally the iron damsel knocked against the shoe, shaking the grain into the millstone.

The Mill Machinery here was the crown wheel. This is near the Flour Dressing area. When grain has been ground it is called meal or wholemeal. This is a mixture of flour and bran. Dressing machines were used to separate the finer flour from the bran producing white flour. White flour was preferred in Victorian times to make white bread.

Now up to the roof of the mill. Mind your head. Up here was a pulley wheel. Steps ahead on the Tolkien Hobbit trail (link at the top for a post to that). This was the attic floor or garner where grain was stored before milling.

Another view of the pulley wheel in the attic / loft of the mill. Head room is quite low up here, so you have to duck and be careful. Farmers would bring their grain to the mill and it would be stored up here in sacks hoisted up from carts.

Next up in the attic / loft area was The Lucam. The trapdoor in the Lucam only opens upwards  and is hinged with leather hinges. The sack hoist mechanism once connected to the waterwheel but is no logner in place. The grain would be stored up here until the miller was ready to grind it. It would then be released through the holes in the bottom of the bins, into the hoppers above the millstones.

Saw this wooden wheel. Appears to be a strap around it. This was inside of the lucam, the projecting structure at the front of the building. This was where grain sacks woule be hoisted through the trap door into the garner from carts below.

Heading downstairs from the first floor. It looks like that they replaced the original staircase with a new wooden one.

The steam engine. There had been a steam engine at Sarehole Mill since about 1852. It was a sizeable investment, but the waterwheel had been repaired in 1851. This is not the original Sarehole Mill steam engine. But is of a similar size. Compact steam engines were suitable for small workspaces. This engine was used for over 100 years. Owned by Smith & Co which began in London in the 18th century. This one came from the Messina factory in Italy. It closed in the 1860s and the engine came back to London where it was in use until 1948. It was displayed at the 1951 Festival of Britain and was donated to the Birmingham Museum of Science & Industry in 1952. It came to Sarehole Mill in 1975.

A Tull seed drill. Probably a Jethro Tull seed drill. Used for positioning seeds in the soil and burying them to a certain depth. It is possible that the miller or local farmer grew the grain in the surrounding fields. The land that is now the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground could have been used for that purpose.

In this room was somewhere for kids to make something with straw (by the looks of it). This would also be used as a school classroom for visiting school children and their teachers.

I later saw kids with their moms making something down there. They would learn all about the mill in here, and make things with straw, such as weaving a basket.

Beyond Sarehole Mill, there are walks along the Millstream Way in the Shire Country Park. Head towards Yardley Wood via the John Morris Jones Walkway, The Dingles, Trittiford Mill Pool and the Scribers Lane SINC. Or head towards Small Heath via the Sarehole Mill Recreation Ground, Greet Mill Meadow, Blackberry Way and Burbury Brickworks Nature Reserve. I've not been beyond the Burbury Brickworks, but you can walk or cycle as far as The Ackers Trust and Grand Union Canal. All along the River Cole.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks to all my followers.

Weoley Castle

I went to check out Weoley Castle during December 2015. At the time the site was closed, so was only able to get my photos through the green gate and fence. It is located off Alwold Road in Weoley Castle (the suburb that was named after the castle / manor house).

Now run by Birmingham Museums Trust and owned by the Birmingham City Council. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade II listed building. There is more details on the offical Birmingham Museums website About Weoley Castle. The ruins are well over 750 years old. The fortified manor house was built for the Lords of Dudley. The castle used to be surrounded by a large deer park which stretched for 1000 acres.

The castle had arrow slits, a moat, a curtain wall, towers and battlements. But all of that is gone now, apart from the stone remains visible above ground.

In 1264, Roger de Somery was licenced to crenellate his manor house. Fragments of a 13th century wooden buildings have been found here. There was also a detailed survey of the site in 1422. Most of the ruins we see today dates to the 1270s. The King at the time (Henry III) gave the Lords of Dudley permission to fortify his castle in stone.

Although described as a castle, it was just a fortified manor house, surrounded by a large moat. Moated sites were common across Birmingham, but none remain today.

On this sign below is drawing of what Weoley Castle could have looked like in it's heyday. The Bourn Brook flows under the castle site, it used to feed the water into the moat. It's now in a culvert. There had been a farmhouse on this site for many centuries, but was described by the 17th century as a ruined castle. The Birmingham Corporation bought the estate in 1930.

The nearby road Alwold Road was named after a Saxon chieftain in the local area. After the Norman Conquest the land was given to William Fitz Ansulf who became the Lord of Dudley and lived at Dudley Castle. What you see today was built for Roger de Somery, who was the Lord of Dudley at the end of the 1200s. By 1485 the castle was owned by William Berkeley, who lost the castle when he fought for Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth. The Dudleys sold the land in 1531 to Richard Jervoise a wealthy cloth merchant. He didn't live here. A farmhouse was built nearby in the 18th century. It remained rural land until 1930 when Mr Ledsam the then owner of the land sold it to the Council. The archaeological digs took place here between the 1930s and 1950s.

It would have been nice to walk around the grounds, but when I went in December 2015 the gate was locked, so could only see it from the outside. I've yet to go here on an open day, but was probably best when it was closed to get it without any other people.

The ruins of the stonework to the left.

This was one of the oldest remaining buildings in Birmingham.

The moat would have gone all the way around the castle, where the lower grass levels are now.

There used to be an imposing gatehouse and a great hall, but you can't really see that now.

There would have also been private rooms for the lords and ladies of the manor, and there used to be a kitchen with a large fireplace for cooking. Bit hard to tell now where that was though.

It's remarkable that any of the stonework has survived. I suspect that it must have been destroyed by the mid 17th century (or in the 16th century?).

Probably buried for centuries until archaeologists dug up the remains. Then later the grass layers were changed to keep the stonework above ground.

More stonework details.

By this point I was running out of things to take, so was retaking the same stone wall again.

I also took a panoramic, of which a crop is seen below (was only grass to the right anyway).

More stonework details.

The ruins here reminds me a bit of the Priory Ruins in Dudley.

There also used to be a family chapel and stables on the site back in the 13th century onwards.

Also missing from Weoley Castle was a brewhouse that used to be somewhere on the site.

The ruins can be views from a Viewing Platform which is open every day. There is also tours of the site once a month from January to November each year (for a fee). Direct access to the ruins is on open days with a pre-booked guided tour. The viewing platform is free, but there is usually a charge for events.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

West Smethwick Park

I went to West Smethwick Park in Smethwick back in June 2012. At the time it was my second trip to Smethwick within a month (within 5 days actually), as I wanted to find the Malcolm X blue plaque on Marshall Street. While there I headed to the nearby park.

The park is located in the St Paul's ward of Smethwick. It opened on the 7th September 1895. The park features memorials to the Chance Brothers. The park was founded by Sir James Timmins Chance who donated the land as a park to the public forever. The park has memorials to both James T Chance and his brother John Homer Chance.

The park is located on Victoria Road in Smethwick. With Holly Lane to the east, West Park Road to the north and St Paul's Road to the west.

The main entrance gates from West Park Road.

On one of the terracotta gateposts it reads:

The Gift of 
James T. 
Chance 
for the 
use of the 
Public

Welcome to West Smethwick Park in Smethwick. Noticeboard with a map of all the park locations all over Sandwell.

Approaching the Memorial to James T. Chance.

The memorial is Grade II listed. It dates to abouyt 1900. Made of red brick and terracotta. In the centre is a bronze bust of James T. Chance (1814 - 1902).

Zoom in to the bronze bust of James T. Chance.

Below is this plaque which reads:

James T. Chance
M.A J.P. D.L.
For fifty years a partner in the firm 
of Chance Brothers & Co. 
at the Glass Works Smethwick 
and the Alkali Works, Oldbury
He purchased the land for the park, 
laid it out and endowed it 
and on September 7th 1895 opened it
A gift to the public for ever.
He also made the roads on its East and West boundaries.

A view slightly back of the central section of the James T. Chance memorial.

There is a fence / railings that goes all the way around the memorial.

Apart from the memorials to the Chance Brothers I also saw this outdoor gym exercise machine. A bit like rowing a boat.

Next up is the Memorial to John Home Chance. It was a stone drinking fountain. Dated to 1905.

John Homer Chance died in 1900. He joined the family firm in 1850. A ceremony took place here in June 1905 to unveil the drinking fountain.

At the top of the drinking fountain on this side it says John Homer.

On this side is says Chance A.D. 1900.

As far as I am aware the drinking fountain is no longer in use, and wasn't anything inside of it. Behind a view of the park and the trees.

The only other thing I took in West Smethwich Park was this sign, warning that there is no unauthorised access to water. And children must be supervised by their parents at all times.

I didn't have a full look around the park at the time, so I missed a large lake. Which is the Boating Lake. One day I will need to go back for a proper walk around.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

For Victoria Park, Smethwick (November 2018), check out my post here Victoria Park in Smethwick. One year before my visit to the park in Smethwick, I went to the other Victoria Park in Tipton (November 2017).

Victoria Park, Tipton

In November 2017, during a walk around Tipton in Sandwell, after getting off the Birmingham Canal Navigations New Mainline, I headed through Victoria Park, Tipton towards the Birmingham Canal Navigations Old Mainline. So wasn't in the park for long.

When the park opened in July 1901, Tipton was in Staffordshire (now the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands). The park was named after Queen Victoria, who had died some 7 months earlier in January 1901. There had been plans for a park in the area since the 1890s.

Surrounded by the roads Victoria Road (formerly called Randalls Lane), Mayfair Gardens, Boscobel Avenue, Park Lane West, Hill Street, Manor Road and Queens Road.

The park includes a large lake, tennis courts, children's play areas. Also a Cenotaph which was installed in 1921. For the Tipton men who fell in WW1. Later the names of the fallen in WW2 were added after 1945.

Their was a park keepers bungalow which was built in the 1930s, but was derelict by the 1990s and demolished in 2005.

Welcome to Victoria Park Tipton. I entered the park from Victoria Road in Tipton on the 30th November 2017.

The path heading into the park from Victoria Road.

View of the playground / Tipton Park Play Area.

Continuing on the path, you can start to see the lake to the left.

Views of the lake. All the usual gulls were in there.

Continuing on past the lake. I didn't stop to go all the way around.

The skate park area.

Another Welcome to Victoria Park Tipton sign. Getting close to Park Lane West as I headed to the next section of the canal. Tennis courts were behind.

Pair of paths near the Park Lane West exit.

Close to the Mayfair Gardens entrance of the park.

The War Memorial Obelisk / Cenotaph. It is Grade II listed. Made in 1921. Inscribed on both sides with names from the First World War and Second World War.

Near the lake and benches was this Teenage Shelter. Probably where teenage boys sit with their mates in the park.

Beyond the trees was another playground / play area, and behind that was the lake.

This play area was recommended for kids aged 8 to 14 years old.

The tennis courts were also close to the lake.

After my look around the park, next in Tipton I headed to the Pitchfork Bridge on the Birmingham Canal Navigations Old Main Line, and then walked up to Tipton Junction. I then followed the canal, and got off walking back to Tipton Station, getting a train back to Birmingham New Street (remember this was at the end of November 2017). Back at New Street, I popped into Pret a Manger where I had a coffee and sandwich (couldn't find a cafe in Tipton).

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

Previous Library of Birmingham posts here:

• Boulton, Watt & Murdoch and the construction of the Library of Birmingham
• Before the Library of Birmingham there was Baskerville Basin
• From the Flame of Hope to the Countdown clock to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
• Centenary Square lit up after dark with the Water Jet fountains
• Events in Centenary Square over the years

Views of the Library of Birmingham next to Baskerville House. Construction from 2010 to 2013. Opened from September 2013. Views until the end of 2019.

2010

November 2010: views from the bridge on Centenary Way. The restored King Edward VII statue had just been installed in Centenary Square.

December 2010: slighty hazzy conditions at the end of the year.

2011

March 2011: A few more floors had gone up on the Library, up to about Level 3 or 4.

October 2011: The main body of the Library had reached the future home of the Shakespeare Memorial Room, while cladding had gone up to Level 3 or 4.

A perspective of the Library construction with Baskerville House from behind the statue of King Edward VII. Which had been in this spot for almost a year at this point.

December 2011: The rest of the golden cladding and windows goes up to Level 8. And the structure forms around the cylinder at the top where the Shakespeare Memorial Room and Skyline Viewpoint would be on Level 9. Cladding from Level 2 down to the ground floor was complete.

2012

November 2012: Only got a view from near the Alpha Tower towards the Library of Birmingham, Baskerville House and the Hall of Memory. From where I was would one day be part of the Arena Central development site.

2013

January 2013: A few days into the New Year and was these hoardings in front of Baskerville House. Cladding on the Library was complete.

The snow fall from the middle of January 2013. Can hardly see the Hyatt, while snow surrounds the Hall of Memory.

The snow was falling as I went past Baskerville House.

April 2013: From the bridge on Centenary Way. Compare to my earlier views from 2010 and 2011. From here the Library looked complete but wouldn't open for another 5 months. Flower beds were on the bridge over Paradise Circus Queensway.

August 2013: Near the end of the month, the hoards had gone, and the gardens opened up.

This landscaping would only last until about 2017 before Centenary Square was redeveloped again.

Broad Street panoramic including the Library of Birmingham, Baskerville House and Hall of Memory. Hanging flower pots in the middle. This is all now gone for Library Tram Stop.

September 2013: A few days after the Library had opened to the public for the first time, there was long queues as far as Baskerville House. I waited a couple of weeks more before going in for the first time.

I went into the Library of Birmingham for the first couple of times near the end of September 2013. Was still a lot of people around, but the queues were as long as when it first opened.

2014

November 2014: The Library of Birmingham had been open for 14 months and there was some scaffolding up on Baskerville House for some restoration work on the stonework. Poppies up for the annual remembrance commemorations.

2015

May 2015: A long queue on a Saturday morning at 11am to get into of the Library of Birmingham. Just two more years for this paving and the grass before Centenary Square was redeveloped again. Baskerville House shining brightly in the sunshine.

2017

December 2017: Nightshots for when the Library of Birmingham was lit up in all the colours of the rainbow when Birmingham was officially announced as the Host City of the Commonwealth Games 2022. Baskerville House lit up in bright white light. As was the Hall of Memory. Redevelopment of Centenary Square had started by this point.

2018

December 2018: Views of the Library of Birmingham from Bridge Street near the site of 5 Centenary Square at Arena Central (to date it hasn't been built). Formerly called 1 Arena Central. From here you could also see the BT Tower.

2019

December 2019: My last photos of the Library of Birmingham with Baskerville House were taken from Paradise Street, just beyond Town Hall Tram Stop. At the time Ice Skate Birmingham was in Centenary Square. Arena Central with the Alpha Tower and HSBC UK at 1 Centenary Square to the left.

West Midlands Metro trams can now go past the Library of Birmingham. The extension to Centenary Square opened in December 2019.

For more tram photos in December 2019 at Town Hall Tram Stop see this post: West Midlands Metro tram in and out of Town Hall Tram Stop on the last weekend of the Birmingham FCM (December 2019).

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

For more on John Baskerville check out my post here: John Baskerville: creator of his own typeface.

Before Carillion could start building the Library of Birmingham in January 2010, archaeologists had to go on the site in the summer of 2009. For many years the land between Baskerville House and The REP had been used as a car park for the Council. Once the upper layers were dug up, they could start digging up the remains and see what was left below. Intact brick walls of Baskerville Basin were found on the site and many remains and finds. Towards the site of what is now Centenary Square used to be Gibson's Arm which was a private canal built during the 1810s. Baskerville Basin was filled in during 1938 before the proposed Civic Centre was to be built. While Baskerville House and the Hall of Memory were built, the rest of the proposals weren't indirectly due to the outbreak of World War Two.

A map printed in 1880, this section showing Baskerville Wharf between Cambridge Street and Broad Street. Old Wharf is below (that was later filled in as well).

I would assume that the original scanner took it from the Library of Birmingham's maps area.

Map below in the Birmingham History Galleries, BM & AG, of the location of Old Wharf. In the 18th Century where John Baskerville's house on what was Easy Row. Baskerville Wharf was located a little further to the north west of here.

Also see my post on the model of the proposed square we never got: The Centenary Square we never got in the 1940s. Had the plans gone ahead there could have been formal gardens on this site.

This model (seen below) is at the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre.

The following 8 photos were taken down the service road between Baskerville House and the site of the Library of Birmingham during August 2009. View towards the Hyatt Hotel and The REP.

View towards The REP.

Brick walls were sticking out of the ground. I wonder if they had to dig them up, so there would be room for the basement levels of the Library?

That side of The REP would get demolished during the construction of the Library.

At this point the only hoardings were in Centenary Square.

This would be the only time that I saw the remains of the brick walls in the ground.

This canal basin / arm used to link up to the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal. But now City Centre Gardens and the Civic Centre Towers are built over that end beyond Cambridge Street.

One more view including the Hyatt Hotel and Symphony Hall.

I've got hundreds to thousands of photos of the Library of Birmingham, so any future post will have to be a small highlight of them. Such as during the construction or when it was first opened in 2013.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.

On Thursday 7th May 2020, I was made aware that the RAF A400M was scheduled to fly over the skies of Birmingham, just didn't know when. Sometime after 7pm that evening, I could here it coming, so rushed up to get my camera and take some zoom ins as it circled over Birmingham. I've got Super Zoom, but it was going beyond optical zoom on my bridge camera to digital zoom. And was a bit hard to lock onto the plane as it flew around, but tried my best. Gallery below of the nine photos I got.

Monday 11th May 2020 update: saw it again, accept it was an RAF C17. See the photos further down the post. Actually rushed up the stairs twice to get my camera, the C17 went around about twice.

The Airbus A400M is a four engine turboprop military transport aircraft. In the UK, it has been in service with the Royal Air Force since 2014. They had an order of 25, but that was reduced to 22.

With a clear blue sky that evening, also caught some shadows on the military plane as it flew overhead. This after 7pm in the evening.

The A400M has four sets of propellers.

Before that, the only none commercial plane I've seen while on a daily walk on lockdown was this Embraer Phenom 300 - G-CKAZ. On Friday 24th April 2020. It was going on a round trip from Birmingham Airport and back. Then it went up again and back to BHX.

Update on the 11th May 2020. Saw another military plane flying over the skies of Birmingham, thought it was the A400M, but no, it was the C17 Globemaster.

It was originally developed for the United States Air Force in the 1980s to the early 1990s. Also known as: McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. The Royal Air Force started receiving them in the late 1990s. They received several of them in the 2000s and 2010s.

Saw it twice around 1pm at lunchtime. The C17 has four sets of jets.

The second return so I up I went to get some more photo zoom ins.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks to all my followers.

Bmibaby

Bmibaby operated from 2002 until 2012 and was a low cost British airline, with bases at Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport. At the time that they went out of business, they were using Boeing 737-300 and Boeing 737-500 planes. They were quite small.

Only once went on holiday with them, heading to Nice Airport (for the Provence holiday in the South of France during May 2011). I did see them once more at Birmingham Airport in June 2012.

Billboard seen near Olton Station in June 2010 for bmibaby.com. It was near bridge no 208 on Ulverley Green Road in Olton, Solihull.

Scorchio, baby!

They had (at the time) loads of great summer flights from only £24.99. To places such as Faro, Nice or Alicante.

Another billboard, this one was seen on the Coventry Road in Sheldon (not far from the Sheldon Country Park). During January 2012.

BRIGHTEN UP YOUR JANUARY BABY!

At the time they were having a massive January Sale on flights & holidays. But they announced in May 2012 that they would be shutting down by September 2012. So it was a bit too late. (Hopefully Summer 2012 wasn't too badly affected by the eventual shut-down).

While at Birmingham Airport in June 2012 (before catching our Thomson Airways flight to Naples in Italy) saw these bmibaby.com planes. Boeing 737-300.

They had different images of babies on the tail fin at the back. This was a year after we flew with them to Nice in the South of France.

Some views from the May 2011 flight with bmibaby from Birmingham to Nice.

Some views of the plane wing on the flight back from Nice to Birmingham, May 2011. Was sitting near the window closest to the wing on the right.

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.