Author Topic: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?  (Read 30336 times)

mazbeth

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2008, 10:24:56 AM »
Often houses say something or other villas and the date they were built.
yes, when I used to look out of the front bedroom window, when I was a little girl where we lived in Parliament St. Aston, the houses opposite used to have them high up on the walls.
I always used to wonder what it meant then....and they were only little terraced ones, not grand ones.
Let those that love us, love us. And those that don't, may God turn their hearts. And, if He cannot turn their hearts, May He turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping!- Irish blessing

Phil

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #12 on: March 05, 2008, 02:19:04 PM »
Here are three snaps of Birmingham, each with its own take on Birmingham’s magic. All in my opinion beautiful.

The first one is of the old making way for the new.  Windsor St Gasworks being demolished.

The second is of Gas Street Basin, Brindley Place after renovation.

The third is of Birmingham’s modern Bull Ring, like it or loathe it. It looks well.

Phil

Phil died in 2020. RIP.

mazbeth

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2008, 02:37:28 PM »
I like the new Bullring (although have never been there), but, like Jaqueline, I don't like the Selfridges building (the giant Dalek I think of it like  :D), although I know some do.

Let those that love us, love us. And those that don't, may God turn their hearts. And, if He cannot turn their hearts, May He turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping!- Irish blessing

Phil

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2008, 04:39:21 PM »
I like the new Bullring (although have never been there), but, like Jaqueline, I don't like the Selfridges building (the giant Dalek I think of it like  :D), although I know some do.



mazbeth,

To be quite honest I don't like it myself, I don't think anybody round our generation does.  I don't think it was built with us in mind. From what I can make out most of the youngsters think it is o.k. If I ask my kids who are middle aged now they like us don't like it, but their children say "whats wrong with it, its great".

As you say the new Bull Ring looks fine, so like always we have to take the rough with the smooth,  I don't suppose Birmingham Council wanted to loose the massive investment from Selfridges by saying they couldn't have it.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

tramp

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #15 on: March 06, 2008, 03:49:18 AM »
Mazbeth,

Thank you for the excellent photographs; those of Cannon Hill Park, certainly took me back over 50 years in 2 seconds.  The new Bull Ring looks so different to my memories of the 50s that until I see St Martin's, I will find it difficult to accept that it is the B R.  On the extreme left of one photo there is some brickwork, is that part of the church?

tramp

mazbeth

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #16 on: March 06, 2008, 10:41:40 AM »
yes, that'll be the old St. Martin's - still there...
Let those that love us, love us. And those that don't, may God turn their hearts. And, if He cannot turn their hearts, May He turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping!- Irish blessing

mazbeth

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #17 on: March 06, 2008, 11:04:13 AM »
here it is with the memorial for the victims of the Birmingham air-raids




http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2005/10/10/tree_of_life_unveiled_feature.shtml
- a sculpture called The Tree of Life by the artist Lorenzo Quinn, son of the actor Anthony Quinn.

I do like this sculpture and what it represents (I also like some of his other ones).
http://www.libertygalleries.co.uk/default.html?lang=en-uk&target=d103.html
Let those that love us, love us. And those that don't, may God turn their hearts. And, if He cannot turn their hearts, May He turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping!- Irish blessing

mazbeth

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #18 on: March 06, 2008, 11:19:34 AM »
some quite moving pictures here of the unveiling ceremony in 2005
http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/image_galleries/tree_of_life_gallery.shtml?56
there are 61 - just keep clicking 'next' - it's moving, partly, because the elderly lady who unveiled it, and had campaigned for about 30 years for a memorial, passed away the next month.
Let those that love us, love us. And those that don't, may God turn their hearts. And, if He cannot turn their hearts, May He turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping!- Irish blessing

Graham

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #19 on: March 06, 2008, 11:21:17 AM »
Anyone who has a love of Birmingham might like to look at this.

http://bigcityplan.birmingham.gov.uk/contact.html

tramp

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #20 on: March 06, 2008, 11:58:07 AM »
Mazbeth,

Thank you for all of these too - again excellent.

And it's also good to see St Martin's standing firm against the waves of concrete and commerce.

Phil

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Re: What Do You Love Most About Birmingham?
« Reply #21 on: March 06, 2008, 12:10:46 PM »
Which is the Bull Ring you prefer, the 1800’s which I don't think anyone on this site remembers. The 1900’s with its barrow boys and street entertainers. The 1960’s tribute to the motor car and concrete.  Or this present tribute to commercialism.

In my opinion they each have their good points, as they each have their bad points.  Although I remember the 1900’s version with affection it has to be the 60’s version I plump for.  This is the Bull Ring I grew up with.  It grew around me as I grew.  I knew every nook and corner of it and I loved every inch of it.  I know Manzoni and his crowd of architects and planners left a lot to be desired in the design of the City Centre, but when you are sixteen you don't worry about things like that.

Phil
Phil died in 2020. RIP.


 

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