Visit to The Transport Museum, Wythall over the August Bank Holiday Monday 2022

On previous Bank Holiday weekends, I'd seen heritage buses from the collection of The Transport Museum, Wythall on the Alcester Road (south of the Maypole in Hollywood) or at Bristol Street or Suffolk Street Queensway (near The Alex Theatre, but CAZ stopped that). Finally went on the August Bank Holiday Monday 2022, plus rode a bus on a loop via Earlswood.

The Transport Museum, Wythall is located at Chapel Lane, Wythall, Worcestershire, B47 6JA. On the Event Days of the August Bank Holiday weekend, Sunday the 28th and Monday the 29th August 2022, visitors could park their cars at Phoenix Group and get a free shuttle bus to the museum. Visitors could also get a free bus from the Maypole or from Wythall Station. As it was an Event Day, there was also free bus rides around the area. They used to also have buses going towards The Alexandra Theatre, but I'm unsure if they still do this since the Clean Air Zone came into force in 2021.

 

Car Park Shuttle buses

Bus route 758 from Phoenix Group to The Transport Museum, Wythall. We went on Travel West Midlands 4001 both ways, from the car park to the museum and back later that day. It was the first low floor bus in the fleet, also had seats to lift up for wheelchairs and pushchairs.

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Other buses on the Car Park Shuttle route 758 included West Midlands Travel 4613, National Express West Midlands 4321 and West Midlands Travel 2462. I'd earlier seen NXWM 4321 passing the Becketts Farm Flower Field on shuttle bus duties. And later saw it coming back on a Midland Red bus from a half hour bus ride to Earlswood and back.

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Midland Red

This Midland Red bus was no 1902 with Mercian branding. Was parked next to a Birmingham City Transport bus, no 486.

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Midland Red West 544 was one of the buses used for free bus rides on the Event Day.

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Midland Red 4255 was in a new exhibition. The Barn Find Exhibition. Buses and old milk floats found in barns, and left unrestored, as they were as they were discovered.

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More Midland Red buses in the garage to the north west of the site. No 5399, plus a couple of others to the left.

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As we exited the milk float exhibit, saw this Midland Red bus, for route M33 Malvern Link.

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In the repair shed was some familiar buses. An unidentifed Midland Red bus on the left and to the right, one destined for Gloucester on the X72.

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Time for a free bus ride. The 13:15 was supposed to go to Beoley via Alvechurch, but the driver did not know the route. So the bus we went on went from Wythall towards Earlswood and back on a half hour journey. It was Midland Red 5767.

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On leaving Wythall on the car park shuttle, saw from the top deck, Midland Red 5656, originally the Birmingham London Motorway Express on route ME1.

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Birmingham City Transport

Seen inside of The Power Hall was these Birmingham City Transport buses. You could sit in 0-9926 and have your photo taken with it.

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Seen outside of the engine repair shed was this pair of Birmingham City Transport buses 3009 and 486. Out so people could have bus rides on them.

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Birmingham City Transport 486 later spotted on Chapel Lane, heading back towards the museum. From the Midland Red bus we were on, which was on Hill Lane at the time. Our bus on the half our round trip towards Earlswood and back to Wythall via the A435.

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It's been almost four years since I've seen Birmingham City Transport 2548. Inside the repair shed, licence plate missing at the front.

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West Bromwich Corporation

This West Bromwich Corporation bus was one that you could go inside. And was parked up next to a Birmingham Fire Engine, in The Power Hall.

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Walsall Corporation

Bus no 56 from Walsall Corporation was inside of the repair shed.

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Bus no 116 was in the Midland Red repair shed. This is the first time since I last saw it at the Birmingham Bus Bash in Cannon Hill Park in 2017. I previously caught it on the road in Bromsgrove back in 2013. Some of it's wheels was off.

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Wolverhampton Corporation

This trolley bus was from Wolverhampton with overhead pantograph. The conductor would have to move it with a pole. It was seen in The Power Hall.

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West Midlands Travel

This West Midlands Travel bus no 4527 was parked outside on the Event Day.

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Various including Midland Red, Birmingham City Transport etc

A variety of different buses from around the West Midlands in this garage, including several Midland Red buses, Birmingham City Transport, West Midlands Travel and Travel West Midlands. The no 47 bus stood out for me, no 2811, as I may have ridden this bus back in the 1990s or early 2000s. The Metrobus was withdrawn from service in 2010.

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Photos by Elliott Brown

Victoria Square - View from 103, Key to the City

In June 2022, Elliott was gifted the Key to the City by the lady behind the 103 Colmore Row Twitter and Instagram accounts. He visited 103 Colmore Row for views from the 18th floor balcony four times between June and August 2022. Here are the changing views of Victoria Square. Including during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Having missed the February 2022 meet at 103 Colmore Row, Elliott was promised to get the key to 103 Colmore Row. He was gifted it by the lady who runs the 103 Colmore Row Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Between June and August, he went up four times. Usually as the view of Victoria Square kept changing. He always went on Saturday's.

Every time you arrive, you show your key to one of the Key to the City volunteers. The wait in the foyer could be anywhere between 20 minutes and 50 minutes (especially near the end of the Commonwealth Games). You would get a slot of 10 to 15 minutes to go up the fastest lift to the 18th floor, for views from the balcony.

It was an opportunity to get views of Victoria Square. When street art was painted ahead of the games, Elliott went twice on two Saturday's in July. And one final time in August on Super Saturday, while the 60th Jamaican Independence Day was being celebrated.

 

11th June 2022

General views down to Victoria Square from the 18th floor balcony of 103 Colmore Row.

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River and Youth aka the Floozie in the Jacuzzi was flowing again.

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Hew Locke reimagined the Queen Victoria statue as an artwork called Foreign Exchange (with the IKON Gallery). It would remain here for two months (until the middle of August 2022). Sir Antony Gormey's Iron: Man statue seen to the left.

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The Council House from above.

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Victoria Square House from above.

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The Town Hall from above.

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16th July 2022

Second visit to the 18th floor balcony, to see the artwork being painted called Connections by the artist Anjuli McKenna, in Victoria Square. It was half complete at this point.

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Hew Locke's Foreign Exchange artwork with Iron: Man as it was meant to be seen.

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The Town Hall again, this time with a Perry the Bull banner on Beneficial House behind.

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23rd July 2022

One week on, and the Victoria Square Fan Zone was almost complete, several days before the start of the Commonwealth Games. Also to see the Connections street art in Victoria Square fully complete. There was now a stage in the square, and would be the finish point for the Birmingham Marathona week later. The West Midlands Metro trams were also now running all the way between Wolverhampton St George's and Edgbaston Village.

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West Midlands Metro trams passing Victoria Square and stopping at Town Hall Tram Stop, in both directions.

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See more of that day here Riding trams in Zone 1.

 

6th August 2022

Super Saturday, and the final weekend of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the City Centre was very busy. It was also the 60th anniversary of Jamaican Independence which was being celebrated in Victoria Square at the time. This would be my final visit to 103 Colmore Row, before Key to the City ended the following day.

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Thank you to 103 Colmore Row, the Key to the City volunteers, to Fierce and Yale Locks.

 

Next up is PoliNations in September 2022, but will have to get views from Victoria Square itself.

 

Photography by Elliott Brown

A visit to Perry Park at the end of May 2022

On the 30th May 2022, I got the train to the new look Perry Barr Station. After coffee at Costa at the One Stop shopping centre, I had a half hour walk up Aldridge Road to get into Perry Park. Managed to see the Perry Reservoir, but some paths blocked off due to the Alexander Stadium redevelopment for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and was a temporary path towards the canal.

This post will just be a photo gallery of Perry Park. I will do my May 2022, Alexander Stadium update in another post. At the time of writing, it is mid June 2022, and it is very hot in Birmingham.

The late May day visit to Perry Barr was much cooler.

I would think if people are going to the Alexander Stadium from Perry Barr Station, it would be faster to get a shuttle bus than take the long walk that I did last month.

 

This visit on Monday 30th May 2022.

 

Birmingham BMX Club

Entering Perry Park from the main entrance on Aldridge Road near the Birmingham BMX Club. The M6 motorway is beyond here.

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Near the entrance is a skatepark for BMX riders, and behind that, the actuall BMX track.

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Welcome to Birmingham BMX Club.

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The path outside of the BMX Club, heading into Perry Park.

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The start and finish line, the BMX track looks a bit bumpy.

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Holbrook

The Holbrook is a stream that flows through Perry Park. There was a high fence alongside the path, so could only take it at the time from this bridge.

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Paths and trees in Perry Park

Paths in Perry Park. One leads towards Perry Reservoir (and the Alexander Stadium, but the paths are currently blocked off). The other leads to the Alexander Stadium Woodland Walk.

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After a look at the reservoir, a quick look at the Canada geese and trees. As you can't go beyond this path (to the right). But there is a pedestrian diversion path.

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The diversion path runs to one side of the Perry Reservoir. The trees are lush and green here.

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The path takes you around the reservoir, and eventually to the steps up to the Tame Valley Canal. Where you can then take your exit towards Walsall Road. Many routes around the Alexander Stadium are closed, at least until after the games have finished.

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Perry Reservoir

One of the main reasons of this visit was at long last to get a proper look at the Perry Reservoir. Having only glimpsed it years ago from the Tame Valley Canal.

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The reservoir was quite quiet, other than the usual ducks, geese and swans.

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On the opppsite side of Perry Reservoir was swans and Canada geese.

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I then saw a family of Canada geese with their gosling. How cute!

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The reservoir is surrounded by trees on at least two sides.

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With part of the reservoir blocked off by the Alexander Stadium development site, I got the rest of my views from the pedestrian diversion path.

dndimg alt="Perry Reservoir" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Perry Reservoir 30052022 (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The Alexander Stadium made for some nice reflections in the water. See more photos in my Alexander Stadium post.

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One last look at the reservoir, before leaving the park for the Tame Valley Canal, where I got more views of the Alexander Stadium on the walk back to the Walsall Road, and later Perry Barr Station.

dndimg alt="Perry Reservoir" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Perry Reservoir 30052022 (8).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Text and photos by Elliott Brown

"Foreign Exchange" by Hew Locke: reimagined statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square

As part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, artist Hew Locke has transformed Birmingham's statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square. The artwork is called "Foreign Exchange" and has certainly opened up a range of conversations. Unveiled on 14th June 2022, it will remain in the Square until August 2022. Photos taken by Elliott and Daniel.

Birmingham's statue of Queen Victoria was originally unveiled in 1901. Made of marble by Sir Thomas Brock. It was the idea of the founder of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, who wanted to present a statue of the Queen to the City, during her Diamond Jubilee year of 1897. It was finally unveiled 12 days before the Queen's death.

50 years later, the statue had got quite weathered, and the orb was badly damaged during VE Day in 1945.

The statue was removed in 1951, and was cast in bronze by William Bloye. This was all thanks to the Birmingham Civic Society.

More recently, the missing tip of the sceptre was recast and added in 2011, then the Birmingham Civic Society had the statue fully cleaned in 2018.

Here are some photos of the work of artist Hew Locke called "Foreign Exchange" prior to the unveiling.

Saturday 11th June

Views from the 18th floor balcony of 103 Colmore Row.

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dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hew Locke QV V103 11062022 (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown

In Victoria Squaredndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2593b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_2731b_VICR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Daniel Sturley 

Sunday 12th June

By Sunday afternoon, workmen had installed a helmet on top of the original statue of Queen Victoria.

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dndimg alt="Foreign Exchange Victoria" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Hew Locke FE Queen Vic 12062022 (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

The unveiling of the statue has certainly created a stir and opened up a conversation, as no doubt intended by the artist and those commissioning the work.

Locke’s vision behind the art is to create “an object of veneration, leading a battalion of other statues to represent the home nation throughout the Empire.”

 

Eastside Metro extension roadworks in Digbeth: August 2021 and May 2022

Views from the bus heading out through Digbeth during August 2021, and into town via Digbeth in late May 2022. In between it wasn't worth getting photo updates when there was just holes in the road, and Midland Metro Alliance were just moving pipes. By Spring 2022, they have installed curb stones, and temporary tarmacing the southbound road surface.

The major roadworks in Digbeth from July 2021 to July 2022 by the Midland Metro Alliance. They usually work during the week, apart from on Bank Holidays or at weekends.

The southbound lanes have been closed between Digbeth Police Station and The Rainbow, while the northbound bus lane has been closed and open to all traffic. The inner northbound lane has been used for southbound traffic. There is plenty of temporary traffic lights. Entrances from Heath Mill Lane, as well as the Zellig Car Park, and others that need access.

I've been getting the bus up and down it throughout, so not always wanted to get updates, when there was just big holes in the ground. Plus they will not be laying tracks on this side.

Sometimes takes 20 minutes to get through, if there is a lot of traffic. Longer if the traffic lights fail to work.

 

August 2021

On Monday 16th August 2021, the southbound lanes was closed by the Midland Metro Alliance, and they moved the southbound traffic into one of the former northbound lanes, close to Birmingham Coach Station. The northbound bus lane was open to all traffic.

Views from the top deck of the no 6 bus with National Express West Midlands Electric. Sitting at the time near the front, on the left, second window seat back.

Passing Digbeth Police Station. The first day that the traffic heading out of Digbeth would be diverted south onto one of the northbound lanes.

dndimg alt="Eastside Metro Extension" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/EME Digbeth (Aug 2021) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Fancy Fabrics on the left. Early stages of the road being dug up.

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Passing the Custard Factory and Zellig.

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Custard Factory / Zellig and then the Clean Kilo.

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Passing the Clean Kilo, followed by The Old Crown. Heath Mill Lane would remain open to traffic into 2022.

dndimg alt="Eastside Metro Extension" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/EME Old Crown Digbeth (Aug 2021) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

The Old Crown, early stages of the road surface being dug up.

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May 2022

Saturday 28th May 2022, views from the top deck of the no 6 bus, National Express West Midlands Electric heading into the City Centre via Digbeth. Window seat on the right at the front.

Midland Metro Alliance have started to tarmac the southbound road surface at long last. It will only be temporary, as it needs to be in place for the Commonwealth Games.

Near The Rainbow.

dndimg alt="Eastside Metro Extension" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/EME Digbeth 28052022 (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

New paving outside of The Old Crown. They recently discovered a long lost hole, though to be a coal entrance, it's now been covered over.

dndimg alt="Eastside Metro Extension" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Old Crown EME Digbeth 28052022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

On the right is the Custard Factory, Kilo Zero and The Old Crown. 

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At long last a tarmaced road surface. View towards Birmingham Coach Station, not far from the Custard Factory.

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They will resume the work on Monday morning. This view not far from the coach station.

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On the right is the Big Bulls Head. Side roads such as Milk Street have been closed to traffic.

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Next up is The Kerryman. The pavement has been quite narrow while they widen it, you can see the new curb stones here.

dndimg alt="Eastside Metro Extension" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/The Kerryman Digbeth 28052022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

This bit near the BCU Steam House (being demolished). View towards St Martin's Church and Digbeth Police Station. The eventual Metro line will come from HS2 via Meriden Street.

dndimg alt="Eastside Metro Extension" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/EME Digbeth 28052022 (5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photography by Elliott Brown