Tag: New Street

October 21st – The ‘New’ New Street, theoretically and somewhat  risibly renamed ‘Grand Central’ wasn’t looking very new mid morning on this very wet autumn day. Leaks dripped through on to the concourse, the steps and platforms were slippery, and at the end of Platform 8 there was little sign of any of the multiple millions this misguided, lousy project has gobbled up with next to no improvement in passenger experience.

It’s about time Birmingham woke up and realised it’s new Emperor is stark bollock naked.

June 29th – Passing through New Street Station early on a sunny, bright morning. The skyline looked as busy as ever with clashing architectures, wires, antenna and other urban structures. And in the middle, the buddleia growing from the signalling cable raceway on the Hill Street Bridge was flourishing, seemingly unhindered and unnoticed.

July 3rd – I was wiped out. I’d had to sit on the floor all the way back from London, and my back was aching, and I hadn’t eaten enough – but New Street, for all it’s faults, welcomed me home with it’s hard surfaces and contrasting lights; and 30 minutes later, a real Late Night Feelings moment at Walsall.

Home is where the heart and teapot are. Oh, that first mug of tea!

May 6th – A frantic day. From work, to Birmingham for an important appointment, and I was there late. Not much time to eat, or think. I was frazzled, and on edge. But I did have a ‘what the hell?’ moment looking at the new tram tracks being laid from the New Street/Stephenson Place junction. It’s quite a steep hill, and that snaking curve looks… interesting. Not much can’t in the track, either. 

I hazard that’ll lead to some interesting moments with the odd inebriated passenger and also probably cyclists.

I must say, the metro extension project seems to be taking an age to complete.

March 5th – And on I pottered. The dark and dusk encroached, held at bay as ever it is by the electric night of Birmingham City Centre. The traffic, the lights, the people, the susurration of thousands of unconnected lives crossing in this place.

To be still here it like being flotsam on some heaving human tide. I never tire of it.

Again, all snatched, all handheld.

March 5th – In Birmingham early evening, pottering from meeting to coffee shop to meeting, with a new camera to try out. All these shots were handheld, quick grabs. The image processing on the TZ70 is streets ahead of the TZ60. I like this a lot.

Almost as much as I love Birmingham – my past, present and future. I love this place with all my heart.

It’ll be even better when they finish building it.

February 26th – Mind you, I say Birmingham is getting better at change, but… this is the real face of the ‘New’ New Street and the preposterously named ‘Grand Central’ project. This place constantly has leaks. Often when it hasn’t rained for days. To walk through the station now is to squelch through wet patches on concourses, platforms and passageways.

This cannot, in any shape or form, be a good sign.

January 22nd – I passed through New Street mid-afternoon. The whole place was grey. It’s still chaos, and has been clearly designed with anything but the passengers in mind.

I stood waiting for a late train. Ever signal I could see was red. Sometimes, commuting feels like this. 

To quote Dexy’s, tell me when my red light turns green.

January 16th – Scooting between Snow Hill and New Street to change trains on the way home, this snatched photo. On the left, the ‘new’ New Street, ugly as sin, dysfunctional, with a cheap, tinfoil gimcrack cladding that shows every careless dent and poor alignment in fitting. 

In the centre, Birmingham’s postwar Brutalist architecture, and on the right, something altogether older.

In the middle, people, lights and a city hiding and surviving beneath the rule.

I love this place with all my heart. Even the ugly bits.