Souvenirs: Wristband, Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, 30/04/15.

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Birmingham, Birmingham Science Museum, Brough Superior, Castle Bromwich, Millennium Point Birmingham, pangolin, Queen Victoria, Royal Train, Souvenirs, Spitfire, Spitfire Gallery, Ted, The Black Alpine Brough Superior, Thinktank, triceratops, wristband

On my way down to Bristol to visit my sister, I changed trains at Birmingham New Street and picked a leaflet with “New: Spitfire Gallery, Thinktank, Birmingham” written on it. Six days later, on breaking my journey at Birmingham New Street again, I rushed through the famous Bull Ring, across previously unexplored territory, to Millennium Point for the quickest of quick looks before continuing on my way.

I was completely unaware of Birmingham’s connection to the iconic Spitfire, so the Spitfire Gallery was very much an eye opener.  10,000 Spitfires, including the example suspended from the ceiling at Thinktank, were produced at the Castle Bromwich Aeroplane Factory. Unfortunately, I didn’t note down any of the interesting facts I came across that day, but I am left with a general impression that it was very good!

The notes I did scribble down describe a pangolin [“This armoured anteater uses its powerful claws to pull apart ant-hills and termite mounds“], the fossilised skeleton of a triceratops discovered in Montana in 1098, The Black Alpine Brough Superior motorcycle [“Top speed 85 miles an hour“] and an oil lamp from Queen Victoria’s Royal Train, so I must have been particularly taken with these exhibits. I’ll have to have a more leisurely look around the next time I’m in Birmingham.

If you’re interested in science and industry or the natural sciences, the Thinktank is well worth looking into.

“Prosperity” and “The Vote”, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, 25/04/15.

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Birmingham, Chamberlain Square Birmingham, democracy, politics, prosperity, steps, the vote, Thomas Attwood MP, voting

Beside the statue of Thomas Attwood MP (6 October 1783 – 6 March 1856).

“Full Employment” and “Free Trade”, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, 25/04/15.

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Birmingham, Chamberlain Square Birmingham, economics, employment, engraving, free trade, full employment, hand writing, pages, Thomas Attwood MP, trade

Beside the statue of Thomas Attwood MP (6 October 1783 – 6 March 1856).

The Iron Man and Queen Victoria, Victoria Square, Birmingham, 25/04/15.

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Antony Gormley, Birmingham, Iron: Man, public art, Queen Victoria, sculpture, The Iron Man, Victoria Square Birmingham

“Iron: Man” by Antony Gormley.

“Everything is Possible”, Former-Central Library, Paradise Forum, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, 25/04/15.

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architecture, birds, Birmingham, black and white, Brutalism, Brutalist architecture, Chamberlain Square Birmingham, concrete, Everything is possible, John Madin, libraries, library, Lucy Mclaunchlan, Quotes, textures, Todo es posible

The Central Library designed by Birmingham born architect John Madin.

I didn’t have time to find the relatively new Library of Birmingham, designed by Dutch architect Francine Houben, but I did rediscover the former-Central Library on my walk up to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on Chamberlain Square. As you can see, the ground floor has been largely boarded up, but you can still see the birds painted by Lucy McLaunchlan on the side of John Madin’s Brutalist construction.

Todo es posible or “Everything is possible”.

I don’t speak Spanish, in fact I don’t have a second language, so I photographed the motto “Todo es posible” with a view to looking up what it meant at a later date. A certain on-line encyclopaedia informs be that the library is due to be demolished in the July of this year, so the next time I visit Birmingham this heart warming message might well be a heap of rubble or a void where a building use to be, which is rather sad. Then again, “Everything is possible”…

Statue of Queen Victoria, Victoria Square, Birmingham, 25/04/15.

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architecture, Birmingham, British Monarchy, Council House Birmingham, Flag of Birmingham, flags, public art, Queen Victoria, sculpture, statue, Victoria Square Birmingham, Victorian., Victoriana

Note the civic flag of the city of Birmingham flying over Council House.

Photo Archive: The Bullring, Birmingham, c.2009.

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Birmingham, Bronze, Bull, public art, sculpture, The Bull, The Bullring, The Bullring Birmingahm

The Bull.

A certain on-line encyclopaedia informs me that The Bull (or “The Guardian“) is a bronze by Laurence Broderick, which I didn’t know before today; I’ve always just thought of it as The Bull. I have only seen it once, on one of only a handful of visits to Birmingham, but I remember it attracting a lot of attention; especially from photographers. Is it iconic? Timeless? Does it receive as much attention now? I don’t know, but when ever anybody mentions Birmingham my first memory is of the day I visited The Bull.