Island of Foam, part of the Birmingham Weekender at St Martin's Square

The Birmingham Weekender held over the August Bank Holiday Weekend, 23rd to 26th August 2024. One highlight was the Island of Foam, held at St Martin's Square at Bullring & Grand Central Birmingham. Well down the steps that leads up to Central Street (St Martin's Walk). This was on the August Bank Holiday Monday 26th August 2024. At 12pm, but started half an hour later.

Island of Foam by Stephanie Lüning launched day four of the 2024 Birmingham Weekender programme. I found a spot near Selfridges on the upper blue balcony. And had to wait over half an hour before any foam was released. They also put various colours into it, asking kids "what's your favourite colour?". Was well worth the wait.

Was on the August Bank Holiday Monday 26th August 2024. The 12pm to 1pm session. But they started it before 12:30pm. 

 

Island of Foam by Stephanie Lüning invites audiences of all ages to play and move within a magical world of coloured foam, creating a sensory spectacle as the festival finale.

Outstanding artist Stephanie Lüning delves deep into the fascinating world of foam, unveiling a series of works that redefine the boundaries of art. Foam, often considered an everyday and overlooked material, is transformed by Lüning into a source of metaphysical insight. In Lüning’s works, foam is presented not only as a physical substance, but also as a carrier of a multitude of meanings. From urban landscapes to political movements and individual life stories, she skilfully interweaves the foam with complex themes to create a fascinating visual narrative.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

The Shakespeare Express returns for the summer 2024 holiday season

Vintage Trains has put The Shakespeare Express back on, starting Sunday 21st July 2024, and for every Sunday to September 2024. Video of 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe at Solihull Station and photos of it at Birmingham Moor Street Station.

 See my YouTube video clip of The Shakespeare Express - video link Shakespeare Express - 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe flies through Solihull Station.

That was about 13:18 on Sunday 21st July 2024 at Solihull Station platform 2 (I checked Real Time Trains before I headed out).

A 15 minute wait for my train to Birmingham Moor Street (13:35). The Dorridge to Stourbridge Junction service. I got to Birmingham Moor Street and saw steam behind the West Midlands Railway 172004 I had just got off. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe was waiting at platform 1, as the WMR train to Stourbridge Junction had to go through the Snow Hill Tunnel first.

Once it had gone, was able to get a few photos of the steam locomotive at Birmingham Moor Street (I've previously photographed it at Birmingham Snow Hill and at the Tyseley Locomotive Works in the past).

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dndimg alt="The Shakespeare Express" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/5043%20EoME%20BMSS%2021072024%20(5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Link to previous Shakespeare Express post:

Shakespeare Express 2022 and 2023

Birmingham, we're going on a Bear Hunt

Did you know that Birmingham We Are has it's very own Wild in Art bear outside of the Mailbox? Well kind of. It's named We Are Bear-mingham. It is one of ten bears to find between July and September 2024 and we've got them all. Wild in Art has this mini trail in Birmingham City Centre within Central BID Birmingham. A year before Bulls in the City.

1. Great Western Arcade. Bobby by Jenny Leonard

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2. Corporation Street. Groovy Bear-by by Caroline Daly

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3. Grand Central. Luna & the Moon by Marnie Maurri

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4. Piccadilly Arcade. Jester by Amanda Quellin

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5. New Street (Victoria Square). Biodiversity Bear by Jodie Silverman

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6. Mailbox Steps. We Are Bear-mingham by Ekaterina Sheath

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7. John Bright Street. A Walk on the Wild Side by Rachel & Phillipa Corcutt

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8. Station Street Steps (Birmingham New Street Station). Clarence the Climate Bear by Mary & Janice

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9. Bullring (Rotunda Square). Mother Paw'd by Jessica Perrin

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10. Selfridges. Spectrum by Christine Jopling

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Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Birmingham, We're going on a Bear Hunt - Trail Map

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dndimg alt="Bear Hunt" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/WiA%20BwgoaBH%20trail%20map%20(2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Trail map created by Wild in Art and We're Going on a Bear Hunt in association with Central BID Birmingham

Taking off from Birmingham Airport in June 2024

Leaving Birmingham Airport on a Ryanair Boeing 737 8200 for Santander Airport in Spain on Friday 21st June 2024. An early start, for the 6am BST flight. Managed to get the window seat going to Spain. But coming back had the aisle seat. Was a clear view of Birmingham City Centre taking off. Ended up landing in Spain to rain! 

Friday 21st June 2024

With no sleep, we got the taxi to Birmingham Airport after 2am. The Ryanair check-in was self check-in with the hold luggage. Then up to security! No queues before the lifts. So when we got upstairs, the queues around security took around 40 minutes to clear before we reached Duty Free and the Departure Lounge. Our Ryanair flight to Santander Airport left shortly after 6am BST. For the Basque Country holiday (coach tours and walking trips around San Sebastian, Burgos, Bilbao, also Pamplona, and into France to Bayonne, and the La Rhune train, on one day). Mixed weather rain some days, sunshine others.

 

There is new West Midlands artwork near the gates, but found it hard to get without people in the way, so just at the time made an in camera panoramic.

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After leaving the Departure Lounge for the Gate, it was sunrise (we left home in darkness in the taxi). Was TUI and KLM planes outside.

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Heading to the gate, saw a Ryanair plane outside the window.

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This was probably our flight to Santander.

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After showing the boarding pass and passport to Ryanair staff (was a long queue, even for Non Priority), you head out down some stairs and outside, then heading to the rear door of the plane.

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The morning sunrise from the plane window.

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Here we are taking off with Ryanair Boeing 737 8200 over the City of Birmingham shortly after 6am BST.

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In the distance is Birmingham City Centre.

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Zooming in was a bit hard to focus, but could see the BT Tower and other landmarks as we headed up to the clouds.

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The Library of Birmingham was the last thing I spotted before we left the Midlands.

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The last major thing to see in Birmingham was an HS2 site at Washwood Heath.

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Friday 28th June 2024

We left Bilbao in Spain in the coach before 6am CEST, to head back to Santander Airport. Raining again. The coach ride in the rain and darkness, we reach Santander Airport shortly after 7am CEST. Santander Airport is smaller and much quieter than Birmingham Airport, security didn't take as long to get through. The departures area only has one Duty Free shop and cafe. As I had to sit in the aisle seat, I couldn't get any window views from the Ryanair plane back to Birmingham. We landed just before 10:30am BST. Got this view of a Air France plane before heading to Arrivals, Passport Control and baggage claim.

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By the time we left the airport with our luggage, it was just before 11am BST. The tent canopy things for the departure security queues were empty as we got a taxi back home.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

Across the entire West Midlands, more communities are being empowered to nurture pride of place in a major digital initiative

Let us introduce you to the most innovative, pioneering and sustainable digital initiative ever to be devised as a collaboration between community, business and the public sector.  

Using a digital product called Community Passport, the entire West Midlands region is being mapped in a neighbourhood led programme that empowers, equips and skills people in the shaping and promotion of the places they live in and grow up in.

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With a regional focus and digital devices at every location where people meet or make their travel connections, projections are that views of our digital content will increase from between 60,000 and 100,000 to over 500,000 every month.  The support this will give to the region, economically and socially, will be huge. 

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Every neighbourhood, by having access to a Community Passport and with the option of setting up its own Centre for Pride of Place, will be engaged and involved in creating and sharing their own content that can be used in the shaping and promotion of their neighbourhood.  

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Here are the locations of the first Centres for Pride of Place we propose opening along the Metro line between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

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This will result, we predict, in a 5% increase in the volume of trips made by residents to experience what their region offers and will dramatically increase the number of visitors coming to the region.  The Pride of Place generated by engaging and involving community will result in an increase in businesses locating to the region, an increase in the value of real estate and greater investment in the West Midlands.

Birmingham's real estate is already mapped and featured

Take the link HERE to view our map of Birmingham's real estate

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A platform dedicated to the coverage of all of Birmingham's real estate can be found at www.ItsyourBuild.com 

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Developments that engage and involve the local community we will feature as Centres for Pride of Place.  By inviting the local community to follow the build, this rich locally created content we can process and map at It's your Build, a public expression of the pride people have in the buildings rising up around them. 

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Birmingham's culture, and increasingly its hospitality, is mapped, featured and searchable

Take the link HERE to view our map of Birmingham's culture.  

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Every neighbourhood will be mapped and showcased in this totally inclusive initiative.

HERE for example is Sparkbrook mapped and featured. 

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In Sparkbrook, as with all the region's neighbourhoods, there is some wonderful culture and great community assets to introduce people to.  The maps are not just for people who live in the area to see what's on offer, but aimed at everyone, inside and outside the West Midlands. 

For example here's a wonderful open green space in Sparkbrook called Farm Park.  Take the link HERE for our coverage of Farm Park.

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How many people knew that Sampson Lloyd, founder of Lloyds Bank. lived in Sparkbrook.  Now, more people do.  Go HERE for more images. 

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There's amazing art on the outside of the Concord Youth Centre. 

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There's some great history in the classic architecture across Sparkbrook.

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There's a Peace Garden in memory of those who lost their lives at the Carlton Cinema. 

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The rich culture of Ladypool Road can be mapped as more businesses get involved. 

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By mapping and featuring major developments taking place such as this housing development by Morro Partnerships on Highgate Road, more people can be engaged and involved in the future of their neighbourhoods. 

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All of this with a community that's engaged and involved because they are empowered and given the tools and the support they need to help shape and promote the places around them. 

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Centres for Pride of Place to spring up all over the region

With more mapping of neighbourhoods, and with more Centres for Pride of Place opening up to engage and involve people in the rich culture around them, just think what this can bring to local communities, to cities and towns and to the region, socially and economically.

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An Academy and A Society for Pride of Place

Within Community Passport is everything needed for gathering and analysing the rich insight that will come from all those engaged and involved in nurturing Pride of Place.

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With both an Academy and a Society for Pride of Place, this wealth of valuable insight will be pooled, analysed and made available for all to use in the drive for more cohesive and inclusive communities, improved health and wellbeing and shared prosperity.

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For more details, contact:

Jonathan

jonathan.bostock@yourplaceyourspace.com

07432 637322