End of the road

This is the last post for my Birmingham Diary. At the beginning of the year, I set myself a challenge - to follow in Edith Holden's footsteps and study the wild creatures and plants that inhabit the places in Birmingham where I worked and stayed.  Edith walked through farmland and villages. 110 years later, I explored the areas around the airport, the NEC, offices and hotels. 

Canada geese gliding past Brindley Place

I found that writing my diary gave me the motivation to get out and explore. Instead of languishing at home in a draw, my camera and drawing materials were with me. 

The bright lights of Brindley Place/

Flowering Plants

To end her diary, Edith listed the flowering plants including trees that she found in the Olton area. She recorded 214 types compared to my rather less diligent 80.  Edith and I both found bluebells, although she called them hyacinths.


Bluebells near the NEC halls.

I found some flowers that were not on Edith's list - for example a friend sent her bee orchids whereas I found some just outside the office.

Bee orchids at Trinity Park.

I found some flowers that were new to me such as the dainty field pansy, the rather insignificant blue fleabane and the downright weird common cudweed.



Field pansy on a pile of rubble next to a Trinity Park car park.

Birds

Edith also listed the birds that she saw -  a total of  76 whereas I found 36.  Edith's list included both Song and Missel Thrushes. I found these too, there were Song Thrushes by the railway line near Birmingham International and, much more surprising, a pair of Missel Thrushes in the little garden tucked away behind Birmingham's new library. Edith's list included House Martins, which 110 years later were busily feeding their young in the nests that they had built under the eves of the Arden Hotel, where I often stayed.

Young House Martins leaving the nest.

My list included many more seabirds than Edith's, presumably attracted by the large Pendigo lake near the NEC. Species that I had not seen before included Common Tern and Reed Bunting.

I was thrilled to see a common tern swooping in front of Resort World.

Insects

Bug hunts were a little tricky because I didn't have my macro lens with me and I was only free to explore before and after work. However I did see a number of different types of bees, hoverflies, dragon and damselflies and butterflies. I even rescued a Yellow-underwing moth from a hotel bar.



Azure Damselfly near Trinity Park pond.

Mammals

The area round the offices, Birmingham International station and NEC was heaving with rabbits. I also saw squirrels and some disturbingly bold rats.  There was a notable absence of foxes.



Rabbits amongst the NEC daffodils.

Looking back, it's difficult to pick out the what I enjoyed most but I think it was using a bat detector to hunt for bats. I detected and watched Common Pipistrelles hunting across the Pendigo Lake.  It was not only finding and watching the bats but the encounter various people including two young men headed towards the nearest bar, who were interested in the detector and told me all their wildlife adventures.



Hunting for bats at sundown.

So that's it folks. I had a great time finding wildlife in unlikely places and will go on exploring my surroundings wherever my work takes me.

... past the Floozie, then turn right

In the Autumn of 2015, I started staying in the centre of Birmingham. This started because hotels near the office were full. However, I found the centre with its canals and civic buildings - new and old very much worth exploring and so started staying in the centre quite often.

Postcard of Birmingham, Municipal Buildings and Art Gallery, posted in 1908.

This postcard, from my Dad's old collection, was posted in 1908. It shows the Municipal Buildings and Art Gallery. When emerging from the rather bewildering new Birmingham New Street station, that tower was a welcome sight. Walking towards it would set me on the right road for my hotel.

Ina Taylor's biography of Edith Holden tells us that in 1869:

When Edith was only two, her father was elected to the Town Council, a great honour for someone newly arrived in the town. ...

Arthur Holden's period of service on the Town Council must have been an interesting one; he was working with Joseph Chamberlain during the third term of office as Mayor of Birmingham. ... Joseph Chamberlain and Arthur Holden were members of the Gas Committee during this time."

There must have been times when the area in which Arthur carried out his duties was a building site. Wikipedia tells us that the Municipal buildings shown in the postcard were started ...

... in 1874 when the first stone was laid by the then mayor Joseph Chamberlain. 

The Birmingham Museums blog tells us:

... in 1885 an extension was added. This part of the building, although now known as the Water Hall, was originally used to house offices for the Birmingham Gas Corporation. In 1912 when the Museum Bridge Gallery extension was built it became the Water Hall and remained in use until 1972. For the city’s population it provided an impressive ground floor banking hall for Birmingham Corporation’s public water supply, with Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on the first floor above.

The Council House with Christmas greeting, 2015

My modern photo shows the Municipal Buildings towering above Birmingham's Christmas Market.

The Floozie aka The River, October 2015.

One day, when asking for directions to the station, a local pointed and told me to "Go that way, past the Floozie, then turn right."

The official name for the Floozie is "The River". The Birmingham News tells us that was unveiled in 1993 and sat in a fountain with a cascade, which led to her being nick named the "Floozie in the Jacuzzi". Sadly the fountain leaked and the Jacuzzi was converted to a garden.  There is talk of restoring the fountain but people have become attached to the attractive garden.

Cold North West wind ...

As November 2006 drew to a close, Edith noted that ...

The first sharp white frost we have had, cold North West wind with showers of hail and rain.

The weather at the end of November 2015 was much more pleasant but nevertheless the year was drawing to a close.  On the 26th of November, I visited Birmingham's Christmas market.

First, a wander through the stalls and amusements in Victoria Square ...

A moonlit scene

 

larger than life decorations

Then, I headed towards Centenary Square and explored the craft stalls.

Craft stalls



Close to this jolly scene, the Hall of Remembrance that I mentioned in my previous post, provided a quiet oasis amongst the lights and bustle.

Hall of Remembrance and big wheel.

It was here that I made a slight miscalculation. The only big wheel that I've been on before is the enormous but sedate London Eye. So I handed over my money and hopped casually into one of the gondolas. Before I knew it, I was rising above Birmingham at a considerable pace. The wheel spun merrily around while I clung to the side looking out over the city.

Faster than it looks!

After staggering off, giggling with the people from the next gondola, I walked past the ice rink.

ice rink

It was so mild last year that many places had trouble keeping their ice rinks sufficiently cold.