This post features: Birmingham, the Black Country Living Museum and Wolverhampton – most of the Birmingham photos need re-taking. Now that I have a better camera to do justice to the many fine buildings that have somehow survived…
Birmingham
Churches:
Birmingham’s Cathedral of St Philip – the third smallest cathedral in the country. In 1660 the population of Birmingham was around 6000 people and by 1732 it was estimated to have risen to 15,000. The rapid growth of the town meant the existing parish church of St Martins was no longer adequate to service the population and a new parish church was required. It was built on higher land given by Elizabeth Phillips. St Philip’s remained a church until 1905 when the new Diocese of Birmingham was created with Charles Gore as the first Bishop. Rather than fund a new cathedral building Bishop Gore decided to use an existing church as the cathedral and seat of the Bishop. Inside St Philip’s – consecrated as the parish church in October 1715, Birmingham Cathedral is a rare and fine example of elegant English Baroque architecture. Particular Baroque features include the dome, volutes (scrolls), giant pilasters, oval windows, rusticated stonework and the balustrade with decorative urns. The tower was added ten years later in 1725 with donations from the King, along with a gilded cross, weather vane and orb. The weather vane incorporates a boar’s head which is part of the family crest of Richard Gough, the man responsible for securing the money needed for the tower’s completion. The cathedral is also home to a remarkable set of stained-glass windows designed by Birmingham born pre-Raphaelite artist Sir Edward Burne-JonesSt Martin’s in the Bull Ring
Victoria Square:
The City Council House in Victoria Square was built between 1874-9 and completed by Yeoville Thomason after Hansom and Welch, the original architects, went bankrupt. Thomason also worked on the extensions in 1874 and 1884Digging up Birmingham for the greater good…The Town Hall – a fine example of Roman Revival architecture – was designed by Joseph Hansom and Edward Welch and modelled on a classical temple, hence the columns on the outside. It opened in 1834.
Victorian Splendour:
How glorious is this? If it was in London it would be world-famous – The Victoria Law Courts are built in characteristic Victorian red brick and terracotta. They were designed by Sir Aston Bell and Ingress Bell through an open competition and construction started in 1887. Birmingham still has many fine Victorian buildingsThe Old Joint Stock, a Fuller’s pub, has an astonishingly lovely interior…Great Western Arcade
Street Scenes:
Parts of New Street Station are clad in mirrored glass…Scary monsterThe Custard Factory – sadly you can’t read the Alfred Bird & Sons inscription www.custardfactory.co.ukThe Old Crown in Digbeth – originally built in 1368 & Elizabeth the First apparently stayed here – it’s a rough old area now, how places change…Sikh’s raising awareness of the injustices they face in IndiaChamberlain Square with a memorial to Joseph Chamberlain – the Maidenheadesque concrete block behind the memorial is the Central LibraryThe Old Contemptibles – named after the British Expeditionary Force led by General Sir John French, who suffered heavy casualties in holding up the German advance at Mons. Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered his men to exterminate French’s ‘contemptible little army’, leading to the nickname that we now proudly remember and which also stuck to the 1914 Star medal: “The Old Contemptibles” medal.Allez les Francais!
Modern Birmingham:
Holloway CircusOld Square must once have been a handsome square in the city centre – now it’s just a dreary mix of concrete and roads, summed up by this equally dreary mural…Digging up Broad Street to extend the tram networkSome things look better at night…Et voila!
In Birmingham to see Editors at the Birmingham Arena. They’ve been going about 15 years but this is the first time I’ve seen them live…Editors gurgling through FormaldehydeIt was a great concert and the audience were grateful to singer Tom Smith’s somewhat bizarre decision to do a couple of solo acoustic songs as it gave people time for a comfort break and get another beer… The support band was Whispering Sons – proof that irony is alive and well in Belgium – Hortense the Intense would be a better name for them as the singer wails like a banshee while throwing herself around like a dervish. They were dreadful…The O2 Academy is visible from my hotel room at the Radisson Blu: going to see Nothing But Thieves and Yonaka. The queue to get in stretched to the red advertising screen – it only took 22 minutes to get in from there, however, once the doors opened and that was with Covid-checks, security and ticket checks…At the O2 Academy, October 2021, to see YonakaTheresa Jarvis has a great voice and boundless energyYonaka belting their way through “Ordinary” – the standout song of their short setNothing But Thieves were headliningConor Mason also has a great voice but the slow, semi-acoustic numbers were tediousThey opened with three good songs: Futureproof, Real Love Song and Trip Switch
Black Country Living Museum
The Black Country Living Museum – an interesting Skansen-style outdoor museum recreating Black Country life in the 1900’s… Black Country Living Museum Black Country Living Museum Gregory’s general store – originally sited in Lawrence Lane, Oldhill Black Country Living Museum A Jowett – but I don’t know the modelA Meadows Frisky from 1959On the left are two AJS cars from 1930 – saloon and a 2-seater and on the right is a 1931 Star CometOne of the remaining 12 cars made by Briton – this model is from 1914 Black Country Living Museum
Wolverhampton
The Collegiate Church of St Peter in Wolverhampton. Wolverhampton was created a city in 2000 – I’ve been through it many times on a train, but not actually visited before…Lady Wulfrun built a church on this site in 994The current church dates from around 1350The fabric of this Art Deco building is in a poor state – half of the building is a Wetherspoon and inside the pub is a wealth of photos and snippets of information about WolverhamptonThis hotel won the prestigious “Chimneys of the Black Country” award in 1925The old Post OfficeThe Law CourtsThe rather grand Methodist Church dates from 1899The Art GalleryThe Central Library, built to commemorate the 60th year of Queen Victoria’s reignThis café has a lovely Belle Époque interiorChubb was one of many businesses based in Wolverhampton – Sunbeam cars and AJS motorcycles were also based hereThe Banks’s Brewery – it is due to close in the autumn of 2025The American connection
