TWO...

After whinging about Birmingham's chuggers a couple of blogs ago I can't quite decide what should be in my list about what makes this city centre great. There are just so many things, which I really never thought I would say.

When we first visited in 2012 it was just for the free entertainment of the arts fest and to at least cruise a few miles of the BCN. Now not a lot of people know this but we don't actually cover many lock miles (compared to other liveaboard boaters... or retired people using their boat for leisure...... OK or working people with very limited holiday time) but we do like to spend a lot of time walking the villages or backstreets of cities.

So rather than a long protracted list of my likes in Birmingham, just one that pleases me virtually every time I'm off the boat. Its how Birmingham has managed to develop whilst keeping some of its stunning and architecturally important buildings. 

We've been to loads of towns where centre's have been redeveloped over the decades and you can see influences of the 50's 60's and 70's, and Birmingham hasn't completely escaped but it has managed to keep some great property and still uses it.

Of course there are the greats - Birmingham Town Hall 1834, Britain's first great concert hall.

                

Council House 1874

Museum and art gallery 1885

Hall of Memory 1922

Even the old Midland Bank 1836 (currently for sale)

The old and new in harmony.





There's even some modern sculpture as well, this one, our winter mooring neighbour reliably informs us is known locally as 'the floozie in the jacuzzi' (link) - maybe it will be the humour of the locals that I'll miss the most.