Getting there
I took the first bus from Brewood to Wolverhampton and walked to the railway station, where the new station building (now with black cladding visible) is taking shape. I reached platform 4 in time for the doors of the Cross-Country 'Voyager' to shut in front of me. Realising I wouldn't get across to bay platform 5 in time for the 'all stations' Birmingham service which would depart right behind the Cross-Country train I'd missed, instead I crossed to platform 2 to wait for the West Midlands Trains Crewe-Euston stopping service ten minutes later. That was running a few minutes late and it seemed obvious that it threatened to delay the approaching Down Liverpool (not running late) which was also due to use platform 2 (but in the opposite direction). To my puzzlement, the public address system continued to advise that my train would arrive at platform 2 but, finally, it announced the obvious platform change to the adjacent platform 3, freeing-up platform 2 for the Liverpool train.
At least I managed to squeeze into a seat on the crowded Euston stopping service (which wouldn't have been possible on the Cross-Country service since most of their sets run around with just 4-coaches, ensuring crush-loading for large sections of each journey). Despite the Euston stopping train only having one stop before Birmingham New Street (at Smethwick Galton Bridge), our journey was rather slow. I assumed that this was because we were following the 'all stations' which had left Wolverhampton immediately after the Cross-Country train. At Birmingham New Street, we were run into platform 1, which put paid to my hope of using the footbridge at the north end of the station to make a quick exit through the old Navigation Street Exit because the north end footbridge doesn't serve platform 1. So it was the usual route march to get into the street.
Then, an interesting ten-minute walk to my destination, initially following the route of the dual tram lines on the not-yet-ready extension of the West Midlands Metro from 'Grand Central' (actually New Street Station) to Centenary Square. This is Phase 1 of the 'Westside Extension' which will no doubt be as delayed as the first extension from Snow Hill to Grand Central which finally opened in 2016. Phase 2 of the extension will run along Broad Street to Hagley Road, Edgbaston. I have vivid memories, as a child, of the original Birmingham Corporation Tramways, built to a gauge of 3 feet 6 inches, which stopped running in 1953.
Birmingham Tram in Corporation Street (Photo Villafanuk [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)])
At Victoria Square, the unfinished tram route runs along what was Paradise Street, so I turned right to take the pedestrian route to Centenary Square, leaving Birmingham Town Hall on my left. This much-loved hall dates from 1834 and is listed Grade 1.
The Town Hall, Victoria Square, Birmingham in January 2016 (Birmingham)
I couldn't seem much of the Council House (listed, Grade II*) because the whole of Victoria Square was occupied by the continental-looking wooden buildings of The Frankfurt Christmas Market, Birmingham. This wan't due to open until 10 a.m. that day and an army of cleaners were dealing with the debris from the previous night's trading. My route then continued between two parallel rows of Heras fencing, screened by colourful sheets, dividing two building sites. From 1974 to 2013 this was the site of Birmingham Central Library. I was not a fan of the 'Brutalist' design, in the form of an 'inverted ziggurat' but I often used its excellent reference library.
Demolition of Birmingham Central Library, Birmingham in January 2016. The Chamberlain Fountain is on the left (Birmingham)
Undistinguished new office blocks have risen on either side of the pedestrian route but building work is still ongoing. A little further on (past the forbidding-looking Copthorne Hotel) I arrived at Centenary Square, named in 1989 in honour of Birmingham's 100-years as a city. It was intended that the dignified Hall of Memory, in Portland Stone and listed Grade I, would become the focus of a grand complex of civic centre buildings, but only Baskerville House was ever built, serving the city from 1936 until 1998 then lying unused until purchased by Targetfollow. Converted into office accommodation and with two extra floors added, it reopened in 2007.
And so I arrived at the Post-Modern Library of Birmingham, opened in 2013 at a cost of around 188 million pounds Sterling. Despite its appearance ("three large boxes with a hatbox on top decorated with wheels"), it's generally been well-received. I'd better defer judgement until I discover how well it works as a library. The 2013-vintage library building is 'joined at the hip' with the 1971-vintage building of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre by the shared foyer, in what I find an uneasy juxtaposition. Theatre and Library are not just physically linked: Unique Venues Birmingham is a joint initiative between Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Library of Birmingham promoting wider use of the facilities.
Centenary Square, with L: Birmingham Repertory Theatre, R: Library of Birmingham (Birmingham, November 2019)
I readily admit I'm so old-fashioned, I even find the Repertory Theatre's 1971-design a bit modern but remember, when I was young I went to a few performances at the original theatre in Station Street. There's a useful history on the Music Hall and Theatre History site here. The original building is now owned and managed by the Birmingham Ormiston Academy, "established in 2011 as an academy for 14 to 19 year olds specialising in creative, digital and performing arts".
The 'Old Rep' (Photo:Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]).
I spent an interesting day at the UKRRIN Conference, then made my way home.
The Symphony Hall, opened in 1991 as part of the The International Convention Centre complex, presented a rather forlorn appearance, as the elevation facing Centenary Square was being rebuilt as part of a 12 million pounds Sterling project called 'Making an Entrance', developing a separate public foyer area to host free musical events.
Building work in progress at the Symphony Hall on the 'Making an Entrance' project (Birmingham, November 2019)
But there were other attractions in Centenary Square for Christmas 2019, run by Ice Skate Birmingham. The main feature, as the name suggests, was a large, covered ice rink near the Ice Lounge offering refreshments.
Ice Skate Birmingham's covered rink (Birmingham, November 2019)
There was also the 'Big Wheel' - a 40-metre Ferris Wheel, complemented by the 'City Flyer' - a 55-metre tower where riders in cable-suspended seats are lifted to the top of the tower whilst spinning in a horizontal plane.
Centenary Square showing the 40-metre 'Big Wheel' and the 55-metre 'City Flyer' (Birmingham, November 2019)
As I approached Victoria Square, I noticed how 'naked' the round aerial galleries at the top of Birmingham's 499-foot tall BT Tower appeared. What was then called 'The Post Office Tower' opened in 1966 with various microwave dishes, surmounted by a group of massive 'hoghorn' antenna forming part of the UK's strategic network of 960-channel microwave links. These presumably disappeared with the march of optical fibre cable networks, which may also account for the removal of other dishes (in 2012, according to Wikipedia). The remaining dishes are generally smaller.
BT Tower, Birmingham, looking rather 'naked' with many of the microwave antenna now removed (Birmingham, November 2019)
By the time I reached the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Victoria Square, it was quite busy. A large number of stalls offered German Beer, Gluwein and hot food from attractive wooden structures, brightly lit. There were craft stalls all along New Street.
Frankfurt Christmas Market, Birmingham (Birmingham, November 2019)
Frankfurt Christmas Market, Birmingham (Birmingham, November 2019)
And so I arrived back at New Street Station, where the Navigation Street entrance lay before me. Then I discovered it's been designated for exit only, so I still had to go the long way round. I hustled to platform 7 in the hope of catching the waiting 16:00 Cross Country service going forward to Manchester via Wolverhampton. I was unsurprised to see standing passengers crammed in the vestibules right to the open doors of the four-coach 'Voyager'. There were quite a few disconsolate-looking passengers on the platform. I didn't bother to investigate whether they'd given up on boarding this train or were waiting for a later service with different calling points but launched mayself at an open door and just managed to insert myself as the door closed behind me. We were non-stop to Wolverhampton so at least the uncomfortable, standing journey was brief.
Related articles on other websites
West Midlands Metro (Wikipedia).
Birmingham Corporation Tramways (Wikipedia).
Birmingham Town Hall (Wikipedia).
Council House, Birmingham (Wikipedia).
Frankfurt Christmas Market, Birmingham.
(Wikipedia).
Hall of Memory, Birmingham (Wikipedia).
Baskerville House (Wikipedia).
(Wikipedia).
Birmingham Repertory Theatre (Wikipedia).
Symphony Hall, Birmingham.
The International Convention Centre.
Ice Skate Birmingham.
BT Tower (Birmingham) (Wikipedia).
Related posts on this website
UKRRIN Annual Conference, 21st November 2019
My Pictures
Birmingham.
UKRRIN Conference 2019.
