The Chinese lion dragon dance at The Mailbox Canalside

It was the Lunar New Year on Saturday 10th February 2024. The Year of the Wood Dragon. The Choy Lee Fut Lion and Dragon Dance Team from Southside performed for about 20 minutes after 2pm at The Mailbox Canalside. Similar to what they have done around the City Centre in previous years, like in the Bullring in 2023. I was joined in getting images with Jack Babington.

CLFLion Dragon on Instagram.

The Choy Lee Fut Lion and Dragon Dance Team started the walk from The Mailbox on Royal Mail Street, then walked up Severn Street and Commercial Street to the steps up to The Mailbox Canalside.

dndimg alt="Chinese lion dragon" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Mailbox%20RMS%20CYF%2010022024.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Enjoy this series of 20 photos of the performance, or watch my YouTube video compilation above.

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Photos and video by Elliott Brown

Welcome to Ladywood around Ladywood Middleway

While Ladywood includes much of the City Centre, in this post we will take a look at Ladywood around Ladywood Middleway. This is the suburban part not far from Edgbaston and Five Ways. Spring Hill Library is near the end of Ladywood Middleway, while Broadway Plaza is close to Five Ways (the former site of the Children's Hospital). 

 

The first recorded evidence about Lady Wood was back in 1565. It was named after the Lady Wood which was located between Monument Road and the Ladywood Brook. It stretched from Portland Road to Spring Hill. The wood may have been the property of a church. The wood was long gone by the mid 16th century.

The Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line

The Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line was built through Ladywood between 1769 and 1772 by the canal engineer James Brindley.

The canal was straightened by Thomas Telford in the 19th century and this led to Brindley's sections being cut off as loops. Today we have the Icknield Port Loop and the Soho Loop within Ladywood (and the Oozells Loop in the City Centre).

dndimg alt="Birmingham Canal" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Birmingham Canal Ladywood Middleway (May 2011).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The Birmingham to Wolverhampton Railway

The Birmingham to Wolverhampton Railway opened in 1852 and it passes through Ladywood. It is known as the Stour Valley Line. There used to be a station in Ladywood called Monument Lane. It opened in 1854, was renamed to Edgbaston shortly afterwards. Renamed back to Monument Lane in 1874. It was relocated in 1886 and it was closed down in 1958.

dndimg alt="Birmingham to Wolverhampton Railway" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bham Wolv railway Ladywood Middlway (May 2011).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

St John's Church Ladywood

The Church of St John is located on Monument Road near Ladywood Middleway. It is a Grade II listed building. Originally built in 1854 in the Gothic style (or Decorated style) by S. S. Teulon, the Church of St John the Evangelist was built on the site of Ladywood House, on land that was leased from King Edward VI School.  The famous Birmingham architect J. A. Chatwin built additions to the church in 1881. It was also called the Anglican Church of St John and St Peter.  The building material used was coursed red sandstone with ashlar dressings. The Church of St John the Evangelist became the Church of St John and St Peter in 2000.

dndimg alt="St Johns Church Ladywood" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Ladywood (May 2011) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Lench's Trust Almshouses

These Almshouses are on Ladywood Middleway near Five Ways. They were built in 1858 by J H Hornblower and Haylock in the Tudor style or Jacobean style. It is a Grade II listed building. It was built of red brick with stone dressings and tiled roofs. No 1 Hagley Road (Metropolitan House by John Madin) is seen behind to the left.  Broadway Plaza is to the right of this.  It was the site of the Children's Hospital until 1998).

dndimg alt="Lench's Trust Almshouses" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Lenchs Trust Almshouses (Dec 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

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Below is the view from the Hagley Road of the Lansdowne House during April 2016 with developer Seven Capital. No. 1 Hagley Road was also getting refurbished at the time. You could see Lench's Trust Almshouses from Hagley Road before The Lansdowne got built.

dndimg alt="Lenchs Trust Almshouses" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Lenchs Trust Almshouses (Apr 2016).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Ladywood Middleway view of Lench's Trust Almshouses, with The Lansdowne well under way behind. Seen during March 2018. A mixture of old and new architecture.

dndimg alt="Lenchs Trust Almshouses" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Lenchs Trust Almshouses (March 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Here is another view of Lench's Trust Almshouses during November 2019. 

dndimg alt="Lenchs Trust Almshouses" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Lenchs Trust Almshouses (Nov 2019).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Spring Hill Library

Spring Hill Library is next to a large Tesco supermarket at Spring Hill on Summer Hill Road. Spring Hill Library is a Grade II* listed building built in 1893 by Martin and Chamberlain. It was built in the Gothic style with bright red bricks and terracotta dressings. 

dndimg alt="St Johns Church Ladywood" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Ladywood (May 2011) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Welcome to Ladywood

Prominently located on Ladywood Middleway is this sculpture of Charles Blondin, a French tightrope walker.

In September 1873 he came to Birmingham, and crossed Edgbaston Reservoir on a tightrope! The statue was made in 1992 and placed on Ladywood Middleway. It was sculpted by the artist Paul Richardson in 1993.

dndimg alt="Welcome to Ladywood" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Welcome to Ladywood (Oct 2012) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

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Broadway Plaza

The Birmingham Children's Hospital was on the Ladywood Middleway site from when it was built from 1910 to 1919, until they moved to Steelhouse Lane (the former Birmingham General Hospital) in 1998. Most of the hospital was demolished apart from the facade, and Broadway Plaza opened in 2003. It originally had a 12 screen cinema run by AMC, but Odeon took it over in 2012. It was transformed into the Odeon Luxe Cinema in 2018. There is also a bowling alley here. Originally BowlPlex, it is now the Hollywood Bowl. There is also a Travelodge hotel.

The architect of the Children's Hospital was F W Martin. At one point it was called the King Edward VII Memorial Children's Hospital. Only the facade was retained, the rest of the hospital was demolished. The facade became the entrance to the Broadway Casino, with Virgin Active to the left.

dndimg alt="Birmingham Children's Hospital" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Childrens Hosp Ladywood Mway (June 2009) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Birmingham Children's Hospital" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Childrens Hosp Ladywood Mway (June 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

This memorial stone was laid in April 1913 by H.R.H. The Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll.

dndimg alt="Birmingham Children's Hospital" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Childrens Hosp Ladywood Mway (June 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

View below during December 2009 with Christmas stars up as Christmas decorations at Broadway Plaza.

dndimg alt="Birmingham Children's Hospital" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Childrens Hosp Ladywood Mway (Dec 2009).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

An early evening shot below from December 2013 with Christmas lights on the facade of the former Children's Hospital at Broadway Plaza.

dndimg alt="Birmingham Children's Hospital" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Childrens Hosp Ladywood Mway (Dec 2013).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Kareo 6 Medical & Health Centre

Not much is known about this building. In the middle of the building is a Birmingham Forward coat of arms dated to 1934. Inscribed on it was Maternity & Child Welfare Centre. So that must of what it was originally built as back in the day.

dndimg alt="Kareo 6 Medical Centre" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Ladywood Middleway (March 2017) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="Kareo 6 Medical Centre" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Ladywood Middleway (March 2017) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Ladywood Community Fire Station

Ladywood Fire Station is located on Icknield Port Road in Ladywood. It is not far from Monument Road. West Midlands Fire Service serves all of Ladywood plus the City Centre West from this fire station. 

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Ladywood Leisure Centre

The Ladywood Leisure Centre was opened in August 2019 on a site on Ladywood Middleway at the end of Monument Road. It replaced the old Ladywood Arts & Leisure Centre. The site was cleared by 2015 and it was built in 2019. It is similar in design to new leisure centres built in Northfield (2018) and in Stechford (2018).

dndimg alt="Ladywood Leisure Centre" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Ladywood Leisure Centre (Feb 2020) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

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dndimg alt="Ladywood Leisure Centre" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Ladywood Leisure Centre (Feb 2020) (7).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.

The Annatomix wildlife street art on the Digbeth Branch Canal in Eastside below the HS2, Curzon No 3 Viaduct site

In the summer of 2023 on the Digbeth Branch Canal between Curzon Street and Curzon Street Tunnel in Eastside, Annatomix was painting wildlife street art for HS2, below where they are building the Curzon No 3 Viaduct. By the autumn it wasn't complete, and as of winter 2023-24, it is now badly tagged by graffiti vandals, so not sure if it will be repaired / repainted or not.

July 2023

Annatomix started painting the commissioned street art on the Digbeth Branch Canal in Eastside for HS2 in the middle of summer 2023.  This would be where they are building the Curzon No 3 Viaduct.

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August 2023

Just one update in the late summer, as Annatomix worked away at her art. I walked past towards the Curzon Street Tunnel. Decided to wait a few months to see if it was finished or not.

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October 2023

A major update of the Annatomix street art on the Digbeth Branch Canal in the middle of Autumn 2023. It was looking good at the time, but she was having a break at the time for about a month. There was also a message at one end "if you like the art please stop drawing on it".

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February 2024

In the months since, taggers and graffiti vandals have been drawing / writing all over the street art, and it looked like Annatomix didn't return (health reasons I think). Meanwhile HS2 had put up rusted weathering steel triangular trusses for the Curzon No 3 Viaduct. Am not sure if it is worth her coming back in future to fix / repaint the art here (her other pieces around the city get tagged as well).

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Photography by Elliott Brown

University Station progress from May 2022 to January 2024

The new University Station buildings opened on Sunday 28th January 2024. Here's our photo update from May 2022 to January 2024. The station was open throughout the works, and the extended platforms were open in time for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, but was delays for some reason in completing the station, beyond 2022. We'll get another update at a later date.

It was supposed to open in July 2022, but is now going to fully open on Sunday 28th January 2024. 

Photo progress gallery below from May 2022 to January 2024.

* Note that all these photos were taken before the new buildings were opened to the public.

 

May 2022

Worcester & Birmingham Canal view near the University of Birmingham, the new buildings under scaffolding.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Uni%20Station%20WB%20Canal%2021052022%20(2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

First look at the extended platforms from platform 1 at University.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Uni%20Station%20PU%2021052022%20(1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Uni%20Station%20PU%2021052022%20(3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

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Cross Country Trains Class 220 Voyager passed non stop towards Birmingham New Street.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/XC%20220%20Uni%20Station%2021052022%20(2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

West Midlands Railway 323209 calls at University, platform 2.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/WMR%20323209%20Uni%20Station%2021052022%20(1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

West Midlands Railway 170501 passes on a service to Worcester Foregate Street (this train is now at sister company East Midlands Railway).

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/WMR%20170501%20Uni%20Station%2021052022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

West Midlands Railway 323208 calls at University, platform 1 (this train has since moved to Northern Trains).

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/WMR%20323208%20Uni%20Station%2021052022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

June 2022

From the X21 bus top deck, before the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games began. Clearly it wouldn't be ready for summer 2022.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2021062022%20(1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

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A day later, a comparison with the 1978 building (right, still open) and 2024 building (left).

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Uni%20Station%2022062022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

August 2022

Views of University Station from the Worcester & Birmingham Canal. Some scaffolding had come down at the time.

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October 2022

Approaching from New Fosse Way and the Westgate entrance.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2016102022%20(1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

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One last look during 2022 at the platforms, clearly the buildings wouldn't open by the end of the year.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2016102022%20(5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

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Cross Country Voyager Class 220 passing at speed towards the south west.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2016102022%20(10).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2016102022%20(11).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

West Midlands Railway 323217 stops at University, to take me to Birmingham New Street.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2016102022%20(12).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

February 2023

First University update of 2023, as usual the walk up the Worcester & Birmingham Canal from the Selly Oak Shopping Park.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2011022023%20(1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

This time I walked to the far end of platform 1, buildings appeared to be complete, but would not open for at least another year.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2011022023%20(2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2011022023%20(3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

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dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/University%20Station%2011022023%20(8).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

This was the day, when I managed to get West Midlands Railway 323221 in the Regional Railways Centro livery!

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/WMR%20323221%20Uni%20Station%2011022023%20(3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

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Later that month, some views from the X21 bus as it went up Pritchatts Road and Vincent Drive.

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June 2023

A walk along Prichatts Road and Vincent Drive for more views of the station.

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July 2023

A look at the new access footbridge from the University of Birmingham, near the Westgate.

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dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Uni%20Station%2018072023%20(2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

This will be one of the new station entrances from Westgate and New Fosse Way.

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August 2023

Approaching University Station again from the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

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Views from the X21 bus on Vincent Drive.

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A week later, views from the X22 bus on Vincent Drive.

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January 2024

With the news that the ORR had given permission for the new University Station buildings to open on Sunday 28th January 2024, I had one last visit to the station before it opened to the public.

The usual views from the Worcester & Birmingham Canal on the walk from Selly Oak Shopping Park.

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Looks pretty much the same from platform 1, the boards with train times were on. Some labels needed peeling off.

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A Cross Country Trains Class 220 Voyager in the direction of Birmingham New Street.

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West Midlands Railway 323241 seen arriving at platform 2.

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My West Midlands Railway Class 323 train arrived, to take me one way to Birmingham New Street.

dndimg alt="University Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Uni%20Station%2018012024%20(12).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown

Preserved Midland Metro tram 16 at Very Light Rail, Dudley and West Midlands Metro tram 52 in service

On a walk around Dudley, I did not expect to find the preserved Midland Metro tram 16, one of the T-69 trams, to be at Very Light Rail in Dudley. Out of the 16 trams in service from 1999 to 2015, 13 have been scrapped, while three preserved including this one. The other two 07 and 10 are at Long Marston. The last West Midlands Metro tram 52, and was the last of the new Urbos 100 order.

I was in Dudley, during January 2024, for an update of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension, and was walking out of Dudley Town Centre, when I spotted this old tram at Very Light Rail.

The former Midland Metro tram 16, a T-69 which was in service from Wolverhampton St George's to Birmingham Snow Hill from 1999 to 2015, was moved from Long Marston to Dudley, for testing on the Very Light Rail tracks.

It still has The Metro, and original red, blue and yellow livery on it, as well as a Wolverhampton College advert dating to 2014. It arrived in Dudley in November 2023.

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The most recent tram to come into service was West Midlands Metro tram 52 in January 2024. The last of the Urbos 100 order. Currently there is multiple bus routes from Birmingham to Dudley including the 74, 87, 126 and X8. But by the end of 2024, the tram extension from Wednesbury to Dudley Town Centre might open.

Seen here leaving Edgbaston Village Tram Stop on Hagley Road, via the Five Ways underpass towards Broad Street and Five Ways Tram Stop.

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dndimg alt="West Midlands Metro" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/WMM%2052%20Five%20Ways%20BS%2016012024%20(2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

dndimg alt="West Midlands Metro" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/WMM%2052%20Five%20Ways%20BS%2016012024%20(3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown