(Late News). Near the end of November 2021, surviving members of UB40 were at Hall Green Station to unveil the first Musical Routes sign. The project is the brainchild of the Birmingham Music Archive founded by Jez Collins. While Birmingham We Are's Elliott Brown was at work that day, on the following Saturday morning, he got a few photos of the sign, with the thawing snow.

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UB40 launched Musical Routes at Hall Green Station back in November 2021


UB40 launched Musical Routes at Hall Green Station back in November 2021


(Late News). Near the end of November 2021, surviving members of UB40 were at Hall Green Station to unveil the first Musical Routes sign. The project is the brainchild of the Birmingham Music Archive founded by Jez Collins. While Birmingham We Are's Elliott Brown was at work that day, on the following Saturday morning, he got a few photos of the sign, with the thawing snow.


dndimg alt="UB40 Hall Green" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/UB40 Hall Green Station WMR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />UB40 launch Musical Routes at Hall Green Station. Photo courtesy of West Midlands Railway. Friday 26th November 2021.

 

Saturday 27th November 2021

After hearing about this in the local news, the day after UB40 was at Hall Green Station, I walked here, before heading to catch the no 6 bus on the Stratford Road to the City Centre.

View from the footbridge of Hall Green Station. I normally get on from Welby Road (there is a path from Brooklands Road).

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

In the station car park is the new Musical Routes sign below the new West Midlands Railway sign for Hall Green Station.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

The map of Hall Green features Moseley & Kings Heath, Sparkbrook, Springfield (Sparkhill) and Hall Green. The map shows locations where famous Brummie musicians first started out, such as Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, UB40, Ocean Colour Scene, Bev Bevan and Laura Mvula.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Overnight had been some late November 2021 snow, but by the time I went out, it was thawing. The Musical Routes sign is near the disabled car parking spots.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Heading out of the Hall Green Station car park towards the Stratford Road, to catch a no 6 bus. It's been a while since I last caught a train from this station (due to cancellations as a result of a shortage ot train drivers and other reasons). 

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

National Express West Midlands is just a bit more reliable now than West Midlands Railway.

 

There will be other Musical Routes signs at other railway stations around Birmingham, but as yet, have not seen any more (or had time to visit any of them, other than my University and Perry Barr station rebuild updates).

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown