Cathedral Square from above: Views from 103 Colmore Row

Key to the City gave you the chance to see Cathedral Square from above, from the 18th floor balcony at 103 Colmore Row, between June and August 2022. From October 2022, you can go up to the 24th floor, at Orelle Restaurant for an even higher view! Best to go during the day, and not at night. Photography by Elliott Brown.

Key to the City - June to August 2022

View from the 18th floor balcony at 103 Colmore Row

11th June 2022

The first opportunity to see Birmingham Cathedral (The Cathedral Church of St Philip) and Cathedral Square, along with the Colmore BID from this vantage point.

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16th July 2022

An attempt to zoom down to Cofton Nursery's floral piece for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which won Gold at the Chelsea Flower Show.

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The House of Fraser and 43 Temple Row. Sadly, Lloyds Bank closed down in this building in September 2022. The nearby NatWest branch also closed down at the opposite corner. Horatio Nelson once stayed in a hotel on this site back in 1802, it is marked by a Birmingham Civic Society blue plaque on the former NatWest building (1 St Philip's Place).

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6th August 2022

The last weekend of Key to the City, so one last opportunity to see Cathedral Square from the 18th floor balcony of 103 Colmore Row. The grass was a bit dry at the time, due to the summer heatwave.

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Orelle Restaurant

Views from the 24th floor of 103 Colmore Row

8th October 2022

Much higher vantage point here, but as was inside of Orelle Restaurant, there was glass windows in the way, so sometimes a bit of glare from the lights inside and out. This is a month after the death of the late Queen Elizabeth II. And around a month befor the return of the Christmas Market here.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

Diwali on the Square in Victoria Square

I've only really passed through Victoria Square while Diwali on the Square was on, just stopping to get my photos in the middle of my photo walk. These are my photos of the event from October 2018, October 2019 and October 2022. It was held by the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Indian Consulate General of Birmingham.

Diwali is usually celebrated by the Indian community in Birmingham every October. In the last couple of years of the 2010s, the Indian Consulate General of Birmingham organised an event along with the West Midlands Combined Authority, and taking place in Victoria Square. Due to the Pandemic, there was no event in the square during 2020 and 2021, but it returned in 2022. There is usually a stage with music and dancing on it. Various stands with food and drink, hand and face painting etc.

Diwali on the Square - 20th October 2018

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Diwali on the Square - 19th October 2019

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Diwali on the Square - 15th October 2022

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Photography by Elliott Brown

The Proclamation of King Charles III outside of the Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square - Sunday 11th September 2022

Queen Elizabeth II sadly died aged 96 on the 8th September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her son automatically became King, taking the regnal title of Charles III. After the Accession Council at St James's Palace on the 10th September, and Proclamation, a day later in Birmingham, the Lord Mayor read it out at 1pm in front of the Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square.

Sunday 11th September 2022

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on Thursday 8th September 2022, after a 70 year reign as Queen of the United Kingdom. Charles, Prince of Wales automatically became King. Taking the title of King Charles III.

The Accession Council met at St James' Palace on the morning of Saturday 10th September 2022 to officially proclaim King Charles III. And the Proclamation was read out there.

The following day, Sunday 11th September 2022, the Proclamation was read out in Town's and Cities across the UK and the Commonwealth. Including here in Birmingham.

The venue was outside of the Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square. In the 20th Century, Victoria Square outside of the Council House was used, but was obviously unavailable due to PoliNations.

The City of Birmingham Brass Band was playing around 12:30pm, and by 1pm the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and other dignitaries came out. Including the Bishop of Birmingham and Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council Brigid Jones. Lawrence Barton from Southside was also there to introduce the proceedings.

Westside BID has posted and article with a link to a video HERE.

11 photos below taken by Elliott Brown. Full gallery of 30 photos on his Facebook page HERE.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

Birmingham Bus Bash at Birmingham Moseley Rugby - 4th September 2022

The Birmingham Bus Bash for 2022 was held at Birmingham Mosely Rugby, at Billesley Common, on Sunday 4th September 2022 (near Yardley Wood Road). Elliott popped along on Sunday afternoon around half an hour before it finished for the day. Not as many buses here like the 2017 Bus Bash at Cannon Hill Park. Was also free bus rides to The Transport Museum, Wythall. 

This is the first Bus Bash I have been to since the Birmingham Bus Bash 2017 at Cannon Hill Park. The 2022 Bus Bash was the first one since 2019 to be in person (2020 and 2021 was online only during the pandemic). This bus bash seemed a bit smaller with less buses than before. But still had a prescence from National Express West Midlands / Coventry and The Transport Museum, Wythall. Was the usual free bus rides towards the museum from Birmingham Moseley Rugby (Billesley Common) and back.

National Express West Midlands / National Express Coventry

In the field in front of the pitch of Birmingham Moseley Rugby (while a women's rugby game was on). There was line up of modern National Express West Midlands and National Express Coventry heritage livery buses. Plus a Hydrogen and Electric bus (not heritage livery).

From left to right: National Express West Midlands 4780, 4535, 1834, 2102, 4722, 4679. National Express Coventry 4453 and 875. National Express West Midlands 4651 and National Express West Midlands Hydrogen H1013. National Express Coventry Electric E038.

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Midland Red West

I'd only see Midland Red West about 6 days before at The Transport Museum, Wythall on the August Bank Holiday Monday. But saw it again from the Maypole on Alcester Road South. I'd caught a 50 down to the Maypole to pop to the Starbucks Coffee Drive Thru, and was thinking of catching a no 2 bus to Billesley on Maypole Lane, but then remembered the 2 doesn't run to the Maypole on Sunday's, so walked back to Alcester Road South to catch a 50 to Wheelers Lane. And then would walk to Birmingham Moseley Rugby via the back entrance road.

Midland Red West 544 was taking visitors for free from Birmingham Moseley Rugby (venue of the Birmingham Bus Bash 2022) to The Transport Museum, Wythall.

I later saw it again on leaving the Bus Bash, this time it was on Yardley Wood Road and Brook Lane in Billesley (but was in a bus stop waiting to catch an 11A, and it was raining).

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Yellow Buses

At the Bus Bash, I saw this pair of yellow buses. The first on the left was the Midland Red Towing bus. To the right of that was the Children's Party Bus. Piccadilly Whip ice cream van was to the right of the Party Bus. I'd previously seen the Midland Red Towing bus at The Transport Museum, Wythall over the August Bank Holiday Monday.

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Birmingham City Transport and coaches

It's Birmingham City Transport 2222 again. I once caught that from Snow Hill Queensway to the Birmingham Museum Collection Centre back in September 2018 (four years ago). Next to the BCT bus was two coaches including: National Express XC 262 and Mighty Travels. I saw BCT 2222, JOJ 222 one last time from the bus stop on Yardley Wood Road (opposite Billesley Community Fire Station). Didn't get a photo, but it was raining, and I was in the bus stop waiting for the 11A at the time. I think it went back to Acocks Green Bus Garage.

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WMPTE / NXWM / TWM

Next up we see WM Travel 2462, National Express West Midlands 669 and Travel West Midlands 313. I'd last saw WM 2462 on car park shuttle bus duties at The Transport Museum, Wythall on the August Bank Holiday Monday, but have seen it at previous bus garage open days as well.

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Timesaver

Waiting for my bus to go home, I saw the blue Timesaver bus again. It was heading from Yardley Wood Road onto Brook Lane around the island. Was in the bus stop opposite Billesley Community Fire Station, so did not get a new photo of it. Here's one from 2013, when I rode it from Acocks Green to Yardley Wood bus garages on the Open Day.

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Photos by Elliott Brown

Miniature Railway Wythall operated by Elmdon Model Engineering Society at The Transport Museum, Wythall

It wasn't just heritage buses at The Transport Museum, Wythall. On the August Bank Holiday Mondat 29th August 2022, visitors could pay to go on the Miniature Railway Wythall operated by Elmdon Model Engineering Society. The locomotive in use was called Blanche from the Penrhyn Railway. Kids seemed to have enjoyed it.

Miniature Railway Wythall operated by Elmdon Model Engineering Society

Shortly after getting off the car park shuttle bus at The Transport Museum, Wythall, I saw the station Elmdon Halt from the Miniature Railway Wythall.

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The first time I saw the miniature railway in action, was while looking at various heritage buses parked up. Was a grassy bank, and saw the miniature steam train Blanche come around.

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I was in The Power Hall, and briefly popped out when I saw this footbridge, shortly afterwards saw the miniature train heading around on the tracks. It went past the heritage buses, as well as a picnic bench area with bouncy castle and slides for kids.

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I was later in another bus garage on site, near the milk float collection, popped out and saw this tunnel. I did not wait around to see if the miniature steam train would come out of it. So back to the milk floats and buses it was.

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Before leaving, and after coming back to Wythall from a free bus ride, and ice cream. Saw the miniature steam train at Elmdon Holt, before we got back on the car park shuttle bus, to return to the Phoenix Group car park.

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Photos by Elliott Brown