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The Outer Circle

I did that a couple of times in the 70's on a sleepy summer Sunday afternoon. Also did it with my wife and two children in the early 90's, when we came up to visit my parents in Acocks Green, to show them the diverse city that I had been born in. Had to catch it when I went to the 'Yew Tree' when I went to Garretts Green College and I used to race it down to Acocks Green village to catch the No 1 bus. beat me a few times but it was a great feeling when I won as I saved a bus fare :)
The best times though (or worst1?!?) was when we went to Villa Park for the match. Manic!!
 
farmerdave said:
Awful news. The round-around number 11 Outer Circle bus route is an icon of Birmingham. The next thing to happen will be the filling-in of canals so that we have fewer than Venice! Dave.
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If I were travelling home to Yardley from Kings Heath, as I did as a school boy, I would have to change buses at Acock's Green
 
The reason for the splitting of the route is the road work at Perry Barr and it should be only whilst the new road works are ongoing. I remember the building of the underpass and the flyover further to the north. The Buses kept running then. So why now do passengers have to change at Perry Barr now ?

May be there is different kind of councillor now who decided these things!
 
Heartland said:
The reason for the splitting of the route is the road work at Perry Barr and it should be only whilst the new road works are ongoing. I remember the building of the underpass and the flyover further to the north. The Buses kept running then. So why now do passengers have to change at Perry Barr now ?

May be there is different kind of councillor now who decided these things!
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I suspect that during the underpass building, the roadway was kept open on one side while the 'new' other was being built. Nowadays the whole site needs to be hermetically sealed for health & safety reasons (!). Quite how the passengers are supposed to walk from one side to the other will doubtless be explained later,
 
The plan is to remove the roundabout at Birchfield Road/A4040 and replace it with a straight carriage way with traffic lights. The underpass is to remain in place.

They are creating a public realm, what ever that is, perhaps for the cyclists, scooter riders to accelerate through!

It seems the vision of the 1960's has been altered, or abandoned. May be the pedestrian subways have gone and now the flyover and soon the roundabout. Tarmac is making the alterations, but as to the architect responsible they seem to be in hiding at present.

Now, this could all be a success, but then the chaos at present being endured raises a question will the new alterations be the worst solution.

Perry Barr changed with the 1960's road works, shops were lost and a community was changed. What next is store for this area?
 
Public Rea;m sounds like something from the communist or fascist playbook- meant to impress, but means nothing
 
mikejee said:
One like Margaret Thatcher who does not deign to use buses, but prefers limousines
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A version I heard was that Prime Minister Edward Heath was at 10 Downing Street and advised that he should be seen travelling on buses. His response was "Oh very well. Have one sent round for me".
 
farmerdave said:
A version I heard was that Prime Minister Edward Heath was at 10 Downing Street and advised that he should be seen travelling on buses. His response was "Oh very well. Have one sent round for me".
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There is "Ring and Ride" which does come and pick you up from home.
 
I think New Street in Birmingham falls into the term Public Realm and for black lycra clad Tour de France style riders the contest seems to be how fast then can pass from Victoria Square to the Rotunda.
 
“The term ‘public realm’ is often used loosely….”

www.designingbuildings.co.uk

Public realm

Public realm - Designing Buildings - Share your construction industry knowledge. The term ‘public realm’ is often used loosely, sometimes interchangeably with ‘public domain’, to refer to external urban spaces that are publicly accessible.
www.designingbuildings.co.uk www.designingbuildings.co.uk
 
Pedrocut said:
theironroom.wordpress.com

Number 11: Know Your Place

Exhibition by Prof Kathryn Moore and Dr Alex Albans, Birmingham City University The ‘Number 11: Know your place’ exhibition was designed to help people discover a sense of pride, belonging and curi…
theironroom.wordpress.com theironroom.wordpress.com
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Just read your post to the Iron Room thread :)
What a brilliant idea - the bit about Carl Chin talking non stop for three hours made me smile, I can just imagine it!!
 
Pedrocut said:
theironroom.wordpress.com

Number 11: Know Your Place

Exhibition by Prof Kathryn Moore and Dr Alex Albans, Birmingham City University The ‘Number 11: Know your place’ exhibition was designed to help people discover a sense of pride, belonging and curi…
theironroom.wordpress.com theironroom.wordpress.com
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Rode that bus many times just to spend an afternoon. I would be excited to see the fold out route map when it’s available so that I can better understand where I went :). And having Carl Chin as the narrator must have been the “icing on the cake”!
 
Skiprat1965 said:
Hagley Road Birmingham. The hairdressing shop is now boarded up.View attachment 195416
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Hagley Road, approaching the Kings Head. The New Talbot (Dirty Bet's) in the background. The barber's shop. previously named Bernards, was where I asa youngster used to go for my fortnightly 'short back & sides'! I remember the chap there being so proud of his first new car, an Alfasud. Bet he regretted that purchase later!
 
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