Birmingham City Centre

 Jo was feeling better this morning, so we had a good day in Birmingham City centre, shopping, eating and photographing.

The finished Centenary Square

One of Birmingham's trams on the new section along Broad Street

Chamberlain Memorial in Chamberlain square

The iconic front of Selfridges

Looking across the markets to where the wholesale markets were when we were last here

Our favourite tea stop at the open market

One of Birmingham many starlings that reside at the open market, especially around the sandwich bar

The Birds!!!

Brightly painted pavement outside the Hippodrome Theatre in the Chinese quarter

Part of the Chinese quarter

Moor Street station, the original GWR building, platforms etc.

The Square, built in the 1960's

Birmingham's St Philip's cathedral

Where the wholesale markets used to be

We found this Chinese Buffet on the edge of the Chinese quarter, as the Big Yok we used to use closed down before Covid

Sitting down to start our meal

Returning back to our boat via Centenary square

Keith

Black Country Living Museum to Birmingham City Centre

 Supposed to be 14°C, someone forgot to tell the weather that! It's blooming cold again today. Dropped down to the new main line via Brades locks. Took a detour round the Oozells Street loop to see the completed new buildings round there. Now moored at the Old Turn junction end of the Oozells Street loop.

3 hrs 30 mins, 3 locks, 1 tunnel, what3words ///model.reform.best

Leaving the Black Country Living Museum and turning onto the Old Main Line at Tipton junction

Netherton tunnel from the Tividale aqueduct

Turning onto the Bradeshall branch at Bradeshall junction

Leaving the 3rd of the 3 Brades locks

Turning onto the New Main line at Albion junction

Pudding Green junction and the start of the Old Wednesbury Old canal

Bromford stop island

Bromford junction and the Spon Lane locks

M5 Motorway bridge

Stewart aqueduct carrying the Old Main line over the New Main line

Galton station, road bridge and tunnel

Galton tunnel

Smethwick new pumping station

Engine branch aqueduct

Smethwick junction

One of the old loops of Brindley's original canal long since abandoned

Winson Green junction and the start of the Solo loop

The other end of the Solo loop

And opposite it, the start of the Icknield Port loop

The new estate slowly taking shape at Icknield Port

End of the Icknield Port loop

Monument Road basin

Approaching Birmingham City centre

Turning into Oozells street loop

Oozells Street loop

Oozells Street loop

Sherborne wharf

Oozells Street loop

Approaching Old Turn junction and the end of the Oozells Street loop

Now moored at the end of the Oozells Street loop before Old Turn junction

Keith

Black Country Living Museum Sunday

 The morning started off chilly but when the sun broke through it warmed up.

We spent most of the day in and around the dock area today.

The museum was busy, BBC Radio WM were announcing that people could get in for free today if they bought a lottery ticket (so not quite free really) so the museum was very busy.

Charlie on Mothers's day carriage duties today, with a lovely spread of flowers on the back of the carriage

Chatting to a recent addition to the docks crew, I taught her all I know, in 5 minutes!

Who is that out on the main line?

Now you can see who it is

Views of the docks

Mother's Day pint of Banks's Mild in the Elephant & Castle

Keith