Exploring like a Brummie

Thursday 19 December 2024

After another quick cuppa, we were off to explore the great metropolis of Birmingham. First stop Canon Hill Park. I think it would be lovely on a summer day, but it was wet. After one lap, we bailed and headed to town. We walked around the centre, taking in the German Christmans Street market, various historic buildings and the site of the recent Show Ride Incident. No one died or got badly hurt.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/birmingham-star-flyer-ride-crash-30632958

The Birmingham Library

This unusual building houses two little wonders.  The first is The Secret Garden, a seventh floor vantage point that affords an almost 360-degree view of the town.

https://secretbirmingham.com/library-of-birmingham-roof/

Birmingham Back to Backs

In the centre of the city is the last of a type of dwelling that was constructed during the Industrial Revolution. These small two storey brick houses were literally built back-to-back. The front houses got the road access and the back ones the internal courtyard, shared by 4-6 homes. We didn’t go into these ones but visited the buildings next door and saw the cramped courtyard.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/55445

The site now belongs to the National Trust and currently hosts an exhibition documenting the impact of the demolition of housing trust estates on the now displaced residents. They had turned the resident’s comments into art.  Very well done.

Cooking – again

While Olivia went to work, I headed to Aldi to pick up enough veggies to turn all her remaining ingredients into food. It is challenging enough working in someone elses kitchen – but a sharehouse throws up extra challenges. 

Anyway, several kilograms of stirfry and pasta and pasta salad later – I headed up to bed when I couldn’t fight the jetlag any longer. 

Tomorrow we pick up the hire car.