Birmingham: It's Not Shit

Pyjamarama

Jon Bounds — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:39:42 +0000

Not another Brum Music Month thing, but again something I found while looking for stuff. It’s from The Ghost Goes Gear:

“This 60’s film surrounding the music of the Spencer Davis Group is absolutely dreadful. I loved this band and how Steve Winwood must cringe at the thought of how ‘uncool’ it was to be singing the Bessie Smith classic ‘Nobody loves you when you’re down and Out’ dressed in his pyjamas”

Found via new blog discovery, Bull’s Head Bob.

Danny Smith’s Guide to 2008 Pt7

Danny Smith — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:33:30 +0000

Danny Smith was writing lots of guides to Brum for the Itchy guide, last year. It never happened, so we present his guide to the past in a number of parts (see all the parts):

The Wellington
37 Bennetts Hill
Birmingham
B2 5SN
Tel: 0121 200 3115
No music, a huge range of ales, friendly staff and traditional décor, make this a perfect “Dad crèche” while you go shopping, where his bored sighs and niggling comments about your overdraft could distract you from buying that perfect pair of trainers. They don’t serve food – unless you count Pork Scratchings, which I certainly do – but you are welcome to bring your own in and use their plates and cutlery, which is a nice touch. Bonus points for spotting their cat “Welly” who some times prowls around wondering why there are so many ooomans in her house.
Open Mon-Sun, 10am-12midnight
http://www.thewellingtonrealale.co.uk

Lickey Hills
The Visitor Centre
Warren Lane
Rednal
Birmingham
B45 8ER
Telephone/Fax 0121 447 7106
Arrrrgh where’s all the buildings gone? What’s that green stuff? What am supposed to do here? Why do those trees look different? There are how many different types? Why? I need litter or neon or something! As you can tell we are more city boys and girls but if nature does call you could do worse than taking the short bus ride to the Lickey Hills. Over 500 acres of woodland and green stuff including a golf course, tennis greens and nature centre with activities and guided walks.
Open – all the time apparently, the countryside doesn’t close for some reason

Friday Photo by Karen Strunks

Karen Strunks — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:16:58 +0000

Where you do you get your old fashioned sweet fix these days? I have just the place for you!

On the corner of Inge Street and Hurst Street you will find a wonderful Olde Shoppe to cater for your hard boiled sweets needs. Not only that, but you can spend a good few hours there exploring the restored 19th century houses next door. Otherwise known as the ‘Back to Backs’, the National Trust offers you the experience of stepping back in time and seeing how our ancestors used to live.

Take from the National Trust Website:

Carefully restored, atmospheric 19th-century courtyard of working people’s houses

Birmingham’s last surviving court of back to back housing

Story is told through the experiences of the people who lived and worked here

Covers four different periods, from 1840 to 1977

Design of each interior reflects the varied cultures, religions and professions of the families who made their homes here

Gift Aid Admission (Standard Admission prices in brackets): £5.70 (£5.15), child £2.90 (£2.60), family £14.20 (£12.90)

Advance Booking Recommended

It’s well worth a visit and a great afternoon out for the family!

Lots Of Thngs To See And Do In The West Midlands: July 2009 by Russ L

Jon Bounds — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:51 +0000

Russ tells of fighting, Supersonic (inevitably) and of "outstandingly named acts as “The Fantabulous Sheepwash Playboys” and “The Shuffling Hungarians”" – which are jazz, unfortunately. [link]

021 in the Area

Jon Bounds — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:24:47 +0000

The makers of the spangly Fused magazine have gone all What’s On-y. Which is good, because:

a) What’s On was never very cool, &
b) it’s shut down.

Area is the new “pocket sized” (or A6 in grown-up terms) “pocket guide” to what’s going on in and around Brum. It’s going to be monthly, although the first issue is a July/August double issue as “everyone’s on holiday and not much goes on”. It looks lovely. It’s got listings and writerly things from top people such a Danny Smith (whose new “wordcast” you should check out). It looks like this:

And for those of you not hip enough (myself included) to be anywhere it’s distributed the first issue is online (and I link directly to page 18 because I wrote it, and I’m vain).

Join Cllr Nev at the Jewellery Quarter's 19th Century Key Hill Cemetery

Jon Bounds — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:41 +0000

To celebrate the completion of work to restore the gatehouse, Nev will be posing with people dressed as ghosts. A photo opportunity if ever I saw one. [link]

Band a Day for Birmingham Music Month – June 30th

Jon Bounds — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:00:31 +0000

Athletico Spizz 80 – Effortless Do A Runner

And that’s it, a full month of Brum music videos — loads of bands I’d have liked to have picked had no YouTubery to embed, but what’s even more remarkable is that we’ve got through the month without repeating what’s been on the Brum Music Month blog (a couple of bands perhaps…). So there’s 60-odd top Brum tracks you might not have thought of, enjoy it all.

June is Birmingham Music Month, so get off your arses and talk Brum Music, make Brum Music, promote Brum Music, listen to Brum Music and have fun with Brum Music. BiNS is showcasing a Brummie Music vid every day in June, The Big Paws had a Brum Music Special (listen here) and you can do whatever you likes…

Pubs and Inns of Birmingham – History and Information on the Public Houses, Beerhouses, Taverns and Breweries

Jon Bounds — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:00:30 +0000

Oh yes, that's what it is. A valuable pub-based resource. [link]

The Big Paws, Listen again 27/06/09

Jon Bounds — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:14:32 +0000

The whole show “live from glastonbury” (hem, hem) with the last few Brum Music Month goodies:

Band a Day for Birmingham Music Month – June 28th

Jon Bounds — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:00:49 +0000

The Move – Blackberry Way

Who have we missed so far? Leave a comment…

Band a Day for Birmingham Music Month – June 27th

Jon Bounds — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:00:26 +0000

Black Sabbath – Iron Man

Who have we missed so far? Leave a comment…

Friday Photo by Karen Strunks

Karen Strunks — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:52:01 +0000

Remember Refused by Karen Strunks

I spotted this intriguing message on the bridge that crosses over Constitution Hill. It’s just brings forth questions that so far remained unanswered. What does it mean? Is Refused a person? Who wrote it? What’s it’s message? What do you think?

Band a Day for Birmingham Music Month – June 26th

Jon Bounds — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:32 +0000

Duran Duran – Planet Earth

Who have we missed so far? Leave a comment…

Harry Palmer’s canal eccentric archaeology

Harry Palmer — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:59:18 +0000

VICTORIAN ICE-SKATING CLOG It was with some amusement that local fisherman, Alf Barnsley, retrieved this skating clog from Soho Loop, Winson Green in 1972. But where did it come from? The story concerns the great winter of 1901 when the entire stretch of the canal from central Birmingham towards Smethwick became iced over. Many people came from all of the West Midlands to enjoy skating and join with the local canal families (who were usually resistant to ‘foreigners’ as they called them). It became such a marvellous four weeks in January that ice skating competitions soon started to occur. Many enthusiastic people made their own ice skating clogs. As you will see from this original clog specimen, many had managed to adapt their working boots to great effect, never underestimate the innovation of the canal boatworker!

The Siren (in which this excerpt is taken from)

About Harry Palmer

Harry Palmer is an eccentric archaeologist who has, for many years, actively explored places, spaces and people, circumstances and situations. From early work from the mid 1990s as a reverse pedestrian world record attemptee, through to conversations with Catfish specimen masters and friendships with allotment champions, Mr Palmer has taken it upon himself to joyfully roam and enquire (within) here on planet earth for a sustained period since his birth…
Harry is the co-founder and research editor-in-chief of The Eccentric City newspaper – the world’s first dedicated eccentric tabloid newspaper

Forthcoming events: Eccentric Treasure Hunt across Birmingham (UK). Also, touring talks and visits. For more information and updates www.eccentriccity.co.uk

Harry Palmer’s Life and times of a Submerging Artist 1990-2009 pending www.harrypalmer.co.uk

Petition Birmingham City Council to save The Rainbow

Jon Bounds — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:00:55 +0000

The Council's new e-petition site gets it's first real use. A nicely worded petition to repeal the noise abatement order on the Rainbow. You'd be wrong not to sign, probably. [link]

Band a Day for Birmingham Music Month – June 25th

Jon Bounds — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:00:52 +0000

Toyah Wilcox – Echo Beach

Who have we missed so far? Leave a comment…

NUJ – Rumours of more shake-ups at the Post & Mail

Jon Bounds — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:08:38 +0000

The NUJ claim to have seen "internal company documents " about Trinity Mirror "turning the Mail into an overnight paper and moving production of the Post to a bi-weekly or weekly publication" they say it's "scheduled to be announced in September".

Grim news if true. [link]

We’re claiming that

Jon Bounds — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:14:33 +0000

John Collier, Central Avenue, Exhibtion of Local manufactures and natural History, Bingley Hall, 1886. Photo: Birmingham Library and Archive Services

And we churn:

“Made in Birmingham presents over 50 stunning archive images by the Birmingham photographer, John Collier, documenting the extraordinary Exhibition of Local Manufactures and Natural History, held at the Bingley Hall in 1886.

Following the design of the 1886 exhibition, which had seating arranged around a Chance Bros lighthouse in the Central Avenue, Birmingham Library and Archive Services and Standard8 have commissioned a bespoke piece of street furniture from the long establish firm of Gabriel and Co of Tyseley which will sit at the heart of the exhibition.

The exhibition is presented as part of the events marking the Matthew Boutlon bi-centenary. Its accompanied by a special souvenir booklet available from Birmingham Central Library and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s Shop, priced £3.00. There’s also a special supplement in the the Birmingham Post to be published on the Friday 26 June.”

& the whole outdoor thing is on June 20 – August 31 Centenary Sq.

Band a Day for Birmingham Music Month – June 24th

Jon Bounds — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:49:54 +0000

Neds Atomic Dustbin – Kill Your Television

Who have we missed so far? Leave a comment…

Spot the afro, but where?

Jon Bounds — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:03:48 +0000

This photo is on the back cover of a 2007 compilation of the work of the 60s psych-rock Brummie band ‘Breakthru’ (Adventures Highway).

From the liner notes they released one (not self penned) single “Ice Cream Tree” (produced by Mike Batt!) which didn’t fly.

Click through to Flickr to see it slightly bigger.

The photo is of them playing on a roof in the centre of Brum, as far as I can tell – the sign obscured by the afro points left to Digbeth, right towards (I guess) the Coventry Rd.

Main clue is the shop Hardy & Co in the background, the print is pretty low res and blowing up doesn’t help much.

So, where do you think it is?