A Bit More of Brum.

After a busy day yesterday we had a bit of a lay-in and then off for a bit of shopping and a visit to the art gallery/museum.

As we passed through Centenary Square Amy said that she had never been in the Hall of Memory so we popped in. There are the three Rolls of Honour books one for each world war and one for those that died afterwards. The building was started in June 1923 when the Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone. It was the first of the civic buildings that were planned for what is now known as Centenary Square. There was a Baskerville House here previously when the Baskerville font was 'invented'. That was pulled down following damage in a riot and a canal arms was built. The Hall of Memory was built on the infilled basin. There are three bas-relief plaques by local artist William Boyle. The figures are of those men from Birmingham.

The window is by R.J. Stubbington and looks great from the dark interior. Outside are four statues that represent the Army, Air Force and .... Women's services. 

We knew that until fairly recently the museum/art gallery had been fully closed but knew that it had partly re-opened so we went for a look. There still wasn't much open but we did the tour and headed for the Edwardian Tearooms. They were very busy and just weren't manned for the rush. But this is the ceiling of the area. I assume that the light was by gas as there seems to be a plate to stop 'stuff' dropping down on those below, and big pipes too.

As we headed down New Street Helen and Amy ducked into a shop and stayed out in the street and noticed this Art Deco building. It is the White House and was built in 1928 and was one of the first concrete framed buildings in Birmingham. It was built by the Horon Family. Isaac Horton (1821 - 1892) was a butcher in Lichfield and branched out to cheese and provisions. He also invested profits in property, specialising in land near to railway stations as he saw it a good investment. In 1871 he bought the Midland Hotel and the estate business became a major part and and has been run by the family to this day. The land was acquired and this lovely building was erected.

Next to the White House is the Piccadilly Arcade. This building started off as luxury cinema called the Picture House. It opened in 1910 and had a reading room and two cafes above. It was designed by local firm Nichol and Nichol. It didn't last long and was shut in 1926. It was then converted into an arcade of shops that went through, down hill, to Stephenson Street. It was then known as the West End Arcade.

Next to the Piccadilly Arcade is this indistinct building. However it was the site of a theater, the first of which was built in 1774 and known as the Theatre Royal, before being burned down and then being rebuilt in 1807, 1902 and the redundant in 1950. The site was sold to Woolworth's for a new store. They demlished the theatre and built their store that opened in 1958. They moved on in 1983 and of course went out of business in 2008/09.

This is now the Apple Store a little further down New Street. Previously it had been Waterstone';s and before that Dillon's book shop. It had been built as one of the first branches of Birmingham's Midland Bank. It was built between 1867 and 1869 with a rear extension in 1875. It was designed by architect Edward Holmes and is, apparently classical palazzo style Ionic columns either side of the doorway and Corinthian columns forming the pilaster.

This iconic Birmingham building is the Rotunda, and seems to be known by some as the Bull Ring Tower. It was opened in 1965 as offices.It was designed by James Roberts and originally had a digital clock at the top as I remember in red. It is 81mt 266 ft tall. Later in its life it was threatened with demolition but an outcry ensure it was saved as being Listed Grade II. It had a massive refurbishment between 2008 and 09 and had two floors of apartments now. 

This is the corner of New Street and Cannon Street. Before Charles Tyrwitt it was Austin Reed's and before that I believe it was the Holroyd's Wollen Warehouse from when the building was erected in 1856. New Street Station first opened in 1854.

This was taken in the shiny cladding that is a round the new New Street, or Grand Central Mall. We do love a reflection photo.

 

A Full Birthday day.

 Well we were up early today as we were catching the shuttle bus to the University where the hockey and squash were taking place. We arrived just a few minutes late for the start of the first match, but more through our tardiness than the organisation.

The first match was Oz v NZ and I'm sorry to say, for those readers in Wellington, that the result was 1:0 to Australia. It sounds close but really the Kiwi's never had an attack!

The second match followed in 30 minutes and was Canada against Ghana. The Canadians were much better than the Ghanians who were not really sharp enough to match the others. However the biggest cheer was for Ghana when they scored their only goal in a 8 : 1 game.

The 'Old Joe' tower, or more properly the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, is the tallest free standing clock tower in the world at 100 mts, 328'. The clock face is 17' diameter and the hands are 10' and 6 ft long. The bell weighs just over 5 tonnes. It has been used for scientific experiments and was used to help develop radar in WWII. It was built between 100 and 1908 and is named after J. Chamberlain who was Mayor, MP and Chief of the Board of Governors at the time. He almost 'invented' Birmingham and certainly but the city on the national map. The domes are from the Aston Webb designed buildings that were built at the same time and were the first part of the campus to be built.

We found our way to the Winterbourne Botanical Gardens on the campus and took our seats on the terrace for a celebration cream tea.

After our meal we wandered round the gardens that are set out in different styles and geographical typical plantings. This is the walled garden that was lovely. The gardens were laid out by Margaret Nettleford, the builders wife, who followed Gertrude Jekyll's ideas of the gardens being 'one' with the house itself.

This is the Nut Walk that still has the same collection of trees that were originally planted, but have been pollarded over the years.

There is even access to the Edgbaston Pool that does not belong to the University, but the next door golf club.

Looking up at th rear of the house and terrace from the lawn. The house was built for John Nettleford and his wife Margaret in 1903. He was a younger son of the massive screw manufacturer in Birmingham. After schooling he learned his business with the family trade and managed a steel plant for them until he decided he needed to leave and do his own thing. He joined a company making gun cartridges and got into local and national politics. He was a early reformer of housing in Birmingham and also female education.

Helen in the Winterbourne Gardens.

The house was designed in the Arts and Crafts style and is a lovely house, not on a massive scale. Nice and bright, rooms are all liveable and I could move in tomorrow! In the older years the Nettleford's moved out and at one time the house was divided for two families. It was last lived in by John MacDonald Nicolson and when he died in 1944 he left it to the University. They took on the gardens as the botanical workshops of the Biology department, which they still are today. The house was accommodation for female students and then to house a department offices before being restored and opened to the public.

At just before five o'clock we found our way to Edgbastion Cricket Ground for the next part of the day. This turned out to be a very circuitous, and long, route as loads of raods and bridges were closed. Obviously the university was being used as part of the games village and access restricted.

We got to the ground just before the 18:00 start and had good seats. It was a Ladies T20 match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The weather was great and it was good to get our feet up after the hike we had had! When ever a four or six were scored the flame throwers went off in front of us. We were sitting at the back and could feel the heat. I'm not sure this is really what we should be doing in this day and age. Why not a mass of streamers and that fly up in the air when compressed air is blasted through them, rather than burn a gas?

Once again for out Wellington friends we were supporting the underdogs. This time Sri Lanka!!

After the Kiwi's batted first I thought it would be an close match but Sri Lanka didn't seem to have any answers for the pace of the bowling facing them. Once again the loudest cheer of the day was when the Sri Lankan ladies manged to squeeze past 100! It was a good evening. The shuttle bus back to the centre of Brum worked smoothly and we were soon heading boatwards.

There were still loads of folk out and about as we crossed Centenary Square. The Library is lit up differently these days.

Flat out up Farmer's Bridge and jogging round the Jewelry Quarter.

 Today I thought we should head up the Framers Bridge Locks to find a place in the middle of Birmingham and to fill up with water. We set off at about 09:30 and winded just before the top Ashted lock and head back the way we had come.

We were soon at the top of the Aston Locks again, and could see no boats coming up.

They are making this old building into more apartments, or that is the plan. This was a flour mill on Cliveland Street that was in business from about 1868 to 1904, althong it was still on the map as such until the 1930#s the round part I think was the staircase rather than anything else. The one roomed 'apartments' are said to be going for £210,000.

This looks like another generating house but after a quick look I can't say it is true. It is just by Barkers. Bridge.

As we approached the first of the Farmer's Bridge locks there was a boat just approaching from the top. We swapped with them and they had a friendly boat threading down behind them so we swapped with them at the next lock. We didn't see another boat. It also meant that the locks, other than a little leaking from the top gates, were for us.

It was a lovely day and in the end we were quite pleased that the canal was in shade. There wasn't that many people walking the lower locks but as we neared the top numbers grew.

Near the top now.

We got to the top in 1hr and 10 mins and then stopped for water at Cambrian Wharf and dumped the rubbish too. We moved past old turn and there was plenty of room on the Indoor Arena side so we plonked our selves in the sun.

The girls decided that it would be an afternoon of walking around the Jewelry Quarter and her we are at St. Paul's. I think it is the only surviving Georgian Square in Birmingham and one of Helen's ancestor's got married here too.

Just one of the beautiful old factories in the area. It is a conservation area and slowly the buildings are being bought up and done up. This one is a Grade II Listed. I love this area as the aren't grand buildings, but they are all built for a purpose and they are all different too.

This is the backdoor of the Rolling Mill high end restaurant on Kenyon Street and the main entrance is on Hall Street. It was a rolling mill to produce materials for the jewelry trade, built in about 1900.

This is the Pelican Works, with the Pelican statue on the top. It was built in 1868 as an electroplating works for a Sheffield Company T. Wilkinson and Sons. It is on the At Risk register too.

This is the Plantagenet Building that was built about 1868 and in 1871 there was an optician and manufacturer of glasses working there with a dealer in precious stones and a beer seller too. That would a good mix! There are 78 Lions heads and some Tudor roses too. It is a lovely building to. It is right opposite the Jeweller's Arms where we stopped for a drink. I had to try the beer from Derby Brew Co as it was named Penny's Porter. My grand daughter!

With the massive growth of the cities in the early 1800's the original church yards were soon full, and as developement had taken place around them there was no chance to expand. Private concerns grew up to provide burial sites. Warstone Lane Cemetery opened in 1848 with 2000 £1 shares. We have had a look around in the past, but it was only a couple of years ago that they cleared this area to reveal the catacombs. This was the area where better off folk could buy a tomb in the catacombs where the whole family could be buried together and the survivors could see that they were among the rich and could be seen by their friends! In WWII they were used as air raid shelters and as temporary homes. Above them was the cemetery chapel that was badly damaged in the war and had to be demolished. There is bob damage to many of the memorials around the site.

John Postgate was originally from Scarborough and after moving to Birmingham as a doctor he dedicated himself to ensuring food was fit to eat and not adulterated as it frequently was in those days. He got no recompense for this and struggled to provide for his family. Finally food adulteration laws were brought in in the 1870's but he died in 1881 of stomach cancer.

The Chamberlain Clock has had a complete refurbishment in 2020 and is looking great now. The clock is fully working and even chimes now.

Amy and Helen had their noses up to the windows of the shops picking rings etc. It is the place to be to have a good look around or even have one made to order. I think they were both surprised at what they really liked. 40% of all the jewelry made in the UK is made here. There are a two or three great museums in the area to get a good idea of the life here.

We popped into the Red Lion for a drink, and a sit down too. These are the tiles in the hall way.

The back bar mirrors in the back bar were original and make a great sight, nearly as good as that sitting.

We then walked back to St Paul's Square and had a lovely meal at and Italian restaurant before walking back to the boat and putting the Commonwealth Games on.

Going to the Games.

 Today was a shopping day with added benefits in the evening.

This is our mooring on the Ashted/Digbeth Arm. It is very quiet, even in term time when the local Engineering academy are working.

We walked into town and did the rounds of the shops. The girls were enjoying touching/feeling etc rather than on line and I enjoyed people watching as they did so. I needed some walking shoes and we ended up in Sports Direct. In the end I bought a pair of walking shoes and a pair of sandals. Not only that but each of the girls bought a pair of sandals each too. We walked back to the boat to drop off our parcels before heading out to Smithfield where the basketball and Beach Volleyball is taking place. It is on a big site just down the hill from the Bull Ring Centre

It was very busy with plenty of food and drink retails going on, plus lots of other things too.

We had good seats and all in all it was a good evening. The first game we watched was a men's The Gambia and St Kitts, and then two women's games, England v Solomon Islands and Cyprus v   and TobagoTrinidad. The England Game just started after the result of the England football was known at Wembley so there was lots of cheering and celebrations. The England girls won easily but the the last game was closer with the Cyprus team being victors. The MC's did their best to get everybody going. There were volunteers raking the sand and a dance team strutting their stuff when ever there was a break.

There are only two in a team and the gild with her back to the camera is in the England duo. I think she is indicating to the server where she should serve. I think this means that it should go down the middle!!

The session finished just before 22:00 and we headed home. This is the volleyball court. There are hundreds of volunteers and police so everything goes smoothly. I'm not sure what they all do mind.

#This is the Basket Ball court and they finished after us.

All in all it was quite a good evening and well worth going too and be part of the whole thing.

St Philips in the Bull Ring stands above the Smithfield site and is lit up for the Games.

It got quite cold sitting in the open air so it was nice to warm up on the walk back to the boat around the Bull Ring centre. It was also nice to have a chocolate when we got back to the boat, before heading to bed.

I FORGOT TO WISH ALL OUR READERS A VERY HAPPY

YORKSHIRE DAY

AND ESPECIALLY THE EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE

The green and blue represent the sea and the coast and the white rose is rotated so that it is upside down compared with the normal Yorkshire rose.