Open Day at the Galton Valley Pumping Station in Smethwick

I went along to the first open day of the year at the Galton Valley Pumping Station in Smethwick, on the second Saturday of each month between April and October, each year. Run by Sandwell Museums & The Friends of Galton Valley Pumping Station. Very friendly volunteers, as I had a look around getting photos. Well worth a visit when it's open. Train down to Smethwick Galton Bridge.

I scanned in this leaflet I was handed with the 2024 open day dates at the Galton Valley Pumping Station in Smethwick. Held on the second Saturday of each month from April to October, 11am to 3pm (last admission at 2:30pm). Free entry.

I went on Saturday 13th April 2024. The next dates are as follows: 11th May, 8th June, 13th July, 10th August, 14th September and 12th October 2024. Thank you to The Friends of Galton Valley Pumping Station and Sandwell Museums.

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Here's some of the usual outdoor views of the Galton Valley Pumping Station, that I retook, while I was in Smethwick again on Saturday 13th April 2024, similar to views I've taken before in the past. I approached from Smethwick Galton Bridge Station via the Birmingham Canal Navigations New Mainline, you have to go up the steps to the BCN Old Mainline to go in the entrance, and see the volunteers.

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The views on leaving the pumping station, from Brasshouse Lane over the old and new BCN canals, then over the footbridge that crosses Tollhouse Way.

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A look around the inside of the Galton Valley Pumping Station in Smethwick. There was a Tangyes Birmingham engine on the upper floor.

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Arthur Ross and several old signs on the floor here.

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Into the next room then would be going downstairs.

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A Fellows, Morton & Clayton narrowboat, registers at Birmingham, you could have a look inside, but not sure if there was room to climb on board.

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Working life on the canals.

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Down the bottom with large boiler engines.

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On this wall A C Munford Engineer Colchester.

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The back up more steps, one last look at the Tangyes Birmingham engine, before heading out.

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Photography by Elliott Brown 

Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz on Kent Street at Sidewalk in Southside

The Dorothy street art popped up unexpectedly after Easter 2024, on Kent Street, with a ruby red slipper on the line above. On some doors of the Sidewalk gay bar. But by chance The Wizard of Oz will be playing at the Birmingham Hippodrome in June 2024. Is it Joe, as it's not Banksy? Photos from Birmingham We Are's Jack Babington and Elliott Brown. Who run our Instagram page.

The Wizard of Oz at the Birmingham Hippodrome from 11th to 16th June 2024, starring Craig Revel Horwood as The Wicked Witch of the West.

The owners of Sidewalk did not expect to find Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz on their building, on a pair of doors. It quickly got into the media, is it a Banksy? No. Who is it by? It is by Joe Lycett? We are not sure yet. Probably not by Disney B32. Perspex has been put over the artwork to protect it. There is also a pair of ruby red slippers on the phone line wire above Kent Street in the Gay Village (Southside BID).

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Photography by Jack Babington | Pro Photography Pictures

You will find Dorothy is you make your way to Hurst Street in Southside, when you find Sidewalk, then turn onto Kent Street. She is on the doors. This visit during Storm Kathleen so it was trying to rain, and was a bit windy, like Dorothy flying away in the house from Kansas to the Land of Oz!

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Photography by Elliott Brown | Ell R Brown 82

Go here for our post on Facebook: Dorothy FB. And on Instagram: Dorothy Insta.

Replacing the Great Charles Street Queensway footbridge: improving the link from the Colmore to JQ BID's

There is plans from Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands (who hopes to be re-elected for a 3rd term in May 2024) to replace the footbridge over Great Charles Street Queensway. It starts near Church Street, Colmore BID, to Ludgate Hill, Jewellery Quarter BID, then the walk up to St Paul's Square. Has ramped steps on both sides. And the glass building one side full of graffiti.

This walk from Church Street to Ludgate Hill was on Easter Sunday, 31st March 2024 (starting from Coffee #1 Newhall Street and ending at St Paul's Square).

We start at the Colmore BID, from Church Street Square, the view to the rickety footbridge over Great Charles Street Queensway, the view up to Ludgate Hill, St Paul's Square and St Paul's in the Jewellery Quarter.

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Prunus Cistena Purple leaf cherry blossom seen in Church Street Square. Next walk down Church Street, and enter the footbridge at Great Charles Street Queensway, via Britannia House.

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Heading down Church Street, the Great Charles Street Footbridge is on the left. Up Ludgate Hill you can see the spire of St Paul's Church in St Paul's Square.

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After crossing the footbridge, and walking past the construction sites on Ludgate Hill, you get to this classic view from St Paul's Square.

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See Phyllis Nicklin's 1960s photo for a comparison of Ludgate Hill.

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We have put together this 1960 and 2024 comparison of Ludgate Hill from St Paul's Square. Now seven bollards and a heritage lamppost instead of six bollards and a heritage lamppost. Plus two bins. And the pavement has been widened in the last 64 years.

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The zoom in from St Paul's Square down Ludgate Hill shows you that Great Charles Street Queensway has split the city in half since it opened in the early 1970s. You can see Church Street Square on the other side in the Colmore BID, as well as the Hotel du Vin further up Church Street (the former Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital of 1883).

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Head out to have a look at St Paul's Church with daffodils, then leave the Jewellery Quarter via Livery Street, walk down Constitution Hill and Old Snow Hill. No trams at St Paul's Tram Stop, but walk up the steps to St Chads Tram Stop, then walk past the Snowhill estate offices, and back to Snow Hill Station Square and Colmore Row.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

Funder City at Moat Lane from Danter Attractions

Digbeth Fun Fair is back for the fourth year. Second time at the Smithfield Festival Site, but near Moat Lane (unlike the Beach @ Smithfield in Summer 2023 near Pershore Street). Started 14th March and runs to the 7th April 2024. In time for the up and coming Easter holidays.

FUNDER CITY THE DIGBETH FUN FAIR.

Danter Attractions is holding their fourth fun fair in Digbeth / Southside in four years, but the second year at Smithfield. It opened on the 14th March and is open daily until the 7th April 2024, during the Easter holidays period.

The same rides as before, some of which were last used at Ice Skate Birmingham. Others return from the last Digbeth Fun Fair, called at the time Beach @ Smithfield (July to August 2023).

The view from Digbeth near Enterprise Rent a Car, and the Eastside Metro extension (just before Alcester Street on the Digbeth High Street).

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From Mill Lane near Birmingham Coach Station, towards Bradford Street. Buildings on right were demolished recently, Bullring Autocentre (Strictly MOT before that) and Sutton Florists (previously the Leather Company, and Fonz Leathers before that).

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A carousel ride seen near Bradford Street.

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Fun House

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Birmingham Big Wheel returns again.

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Funder City from 14th March to 7th April 2024 open day, Moat Lane City Centre, B5 5BD. Best to get the bus here (or train), don't go in your car!

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Onto Moat Lane. The fun fair is where the concrete Moat Lane Car Park was until it was demolished a few years ago.

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The Welcome entrance, it's been used at many fun fairs in Birmingham over the years, even one that was at the Curzon Street HS2 site back in 2010!

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Upper Dean Street view, some demolition rubble.

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And to the Bullring, up to the balcony near St Martin in the Bullring for one last view before going into the West Mall.

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A few days later, and it was St Patrick's Day. View from the Bullring on the balcony behind Browns Birmingham.

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A view from Moor Street Car Park level 8 through the safety barrier fence.

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Funder City in full swing from Moat Lane, as I walked to check out the St Patrick's Day Parade on Bradford Street.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

The Bullring presents Borealis by Dan Acher - 9th to 18th February 2024

From the 9th to 18th February 2024 at the Bullring in Birmingham was an art installation by Dan Acher called Borealis. Based on the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis. It was on Central Street (St Martin's Walk) for 10 days from 5pm to 9pm each evening. Best seen after dark, as the effect didn't really work in daylight I found. Smoke machines and ambient music.

Borealis

BOREALIS THE NORTHERN LIGHTS - ANYTIME, ANYWHERE Borealis recreates one of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena over cities around the world. It shifts our emotional experience of familiar urban landmarks and awakens a shared conscience by creating something magical - something that shouldn’t naturally be there. Borealis is about our ancestral communion with nature and our more recent compulsion to control it. As our planet’s climate breaks down, the question arises: will technology one day replace everything that nature currently provides for us?

Dan Acher's Borealis was held at the Bullring on St Martin's Walk above St Martin's Square (aka Central Street) from the 9th to 18th February 2024. Time started each evening at 5pm, ended each night at 9pm. Every evening attracted a big crowd looking at the artificial Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. Personally I think they should have started it a month earlier, as between 5pm and 6pm, it's not that dark in February, although getting dark after sunset, which is getting a bit later each day now.

11th February 2024

First spotted one of the Borealis light towers from Edgbaston Street, after walking from Southside between buses.

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12th February 2024

Nice sunset down St Martin's Walk to St Martin in the Bullring, at approx 4:50pm, so 10 minutes before Borealis was due to start. This day I didn't wait for the lights to turn on.

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14th February 2024

This day, I waited the 5 minutes until 5pm for the multi-coloured lights to turn on, but was cloudy, and you don't really get the full Borealis effect at this time, but noticed the smoke machines going on.

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16th February 2024

That evening was when I hoped to catch Borealis after dark, I even popped to Costa Coffee in Grand Central beforehand after work, but I got there at 5:30pm and it wasn't dark yet, but got the full effect, and not much to see from St Martin's Square below.

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18th February 2024

The last evening, one more attempt, so got the bus up from home, then popped to Caffe Nero in Birmingham New Street Station (other coffee shops close at 5pm). Then got here for 6:30pm, and got a lot of photos of it, best I could, these are the best photos I took of Borealis.

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Borealis is next scheduled to go to Australia in Adelaide. It goes around the world.

Photography by Elliott Brown