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Victoria Square

Onceabrummie said:
What is the Big Sleuth? Saw one near the Bull Ring on Friday

Bob
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A trail of painted bear sculptures all around Birmingham, Sandwell, Dudley, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield. For the Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity.

Olly the Octobear can be found near the bottom of the square.



At the top facing the Council House are:

Solar Polar



Art + Believe = Sunrise City



Spock



Sun and Moon Bear



If you go to the top of New Street, you will find

Marcus Bearlius




The trail ends on 17th September 2017. They will be auctioned off for charity in October.
 
ellbrown said:
A trail of painted bear sculptures all around Birmingham, Sandwell, Dudley, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield. For the Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity.

Olly the Octobear can be found near the bottom of the square.



At the top facing the Council House are:

Solar Polar



Art + Believe = Sunrise City



Spock



Sun and Moon Bear



If you go to the top of New Street, you will find

Marcus Bearlius




The trail ends on 17th September 2017. They will be auctioned off for charity in October.
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Thank you, I do enjoy your photographs by the way, they are always so crisp and clear

Bob
 
It is there every Month on a Wednesday, it was much better when it was a Farmers Market, the stalls then carried on down New St sadly because of the work on the Gas Main in the Square they have had to reduce the number of stalls, this crack is thought by some to be a result of the digging trenches in the Square https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofar...ist-U2tXEq-LwQUee-K3Ddxm-qMbPoz-dMggNK-dGLbFE






ellbrown said:
Thanks Bob!

For some reason this market was in Victoria Square today. Not sure what for though!

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Stitcher. Looking across the Square in the opposite direction in 1883 this is John Bright arriving at a reception at the Council House. It actually looked like an important square pre-modern development. I think the removal of Christ Church, then the later 1960s development changed all that, especially the demolition of Galloways Corner which replaced Christ Church.

Looking at Ell's new images it looks like in more recent times there have been moves to put the heart back into it. But can't really tell how far this has succeeded. It certainly looks busier (with people) than I remember it in the 80s. Viv.
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Looks like it Lady P although not for the reasons you'd expect !!! Viv.
 

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Viv, Victoria Square had it's last major redevelopment in 1993.



Notice the balcony on the council house - where the Christmas tree and the poppies were (in 2010).

 
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I think this one ha been posted before, I looked but could not find it so I posted it.
 
Victoria Square seen from Eden Place from Starbucks. This was before it started to rain this morning. The Floozie in the Jacuzzi is visible from here. While sitting there, saw the new lady Lord Mayor and various veterans walk past.



Diversion to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery for pedestrians is still one while Chamberlain Square is completely closed off for the Paradise Birmingham works.
 
Ell,

I take it that the old Westminster Bank on the corner of Eden Place is now Starbucks then?

Maurice
 
The building is quite new. Saw a sign inside saying Lloyds. So assume offices above are for Lloyds Bank.

This is the building at 125 Colmore Row. The NatWest Tower at 103 Colmore Row is now demolished.

 
Ell,

Thanks for your reply, but way back in the late 1950s this corner (opposite the City Treasurer's entrance) was occupied by the Westminster Bank, before it became part of NatWest. This isn't the old red sandstone building, so I presume that was demolished a while ago. The original building was a squarish boring-looking building. One more hits the dust, though as a building it was no great loss.

Maurice
 
The replacement building (Westminster Bank/Nat West) looks well thought through, reflecting some of the features/curves of the Council House next door. Viv.
 
Maurice - this is in the Pevsner book for Birmingham

No. 125, offices by the Sidell Gibson Partnership, 1999-2001. Tactful but less adventurous than their No. 5 Brindleyplace. The frame is heavily expressed in reconstituted stone, enclosing grey anodized metal windows, and a corner turret reflects a traditional Birmingham form.
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The new 103 Colmore Row hasn't been built yet.

This was the view of the site from the bus several months ago.

 
Thanks for that, Ell. I had to look up the definition of reconstituted stone, and after wading through all the baloney, it amounts to a form of posh concrete! But it looks quite good and is obviously cheaper than quarried stone. It seems that is now the way it is going to go if you're prepared to pay that little bit extra.

Maurice
 
Colmore Row is a bit like a Parisian boulevard now. Especially with the restored Grand Hotel and 55 Colmore Row.

Most of the buses turn down Newhall Street past the 103 Colmore Row site.
 
Many or these postcard firms did not have bases in the towns they portrayed. Maybe in this case they were getting mixed up with queen's square, wolverhamptoin
 
Hi All,
Or perhaps they had forgotten the name of the Queen. Now what was it?
Old Boy
mikejee said:
Many or these postcard firms did not have bases in the towns they portrayed. Maybe in this case they were getting mixed up with queen's square, wolverhamptoin
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This is the same view but many years earlier (from Birmingham Mail but no date given). Looks like the railings of Christ Church are still there to the right. And I don't think the Art Gallery had been built at this time (no clock tower in view). Also horse and carts in use. Was this taken in/pre 1880s? Viv.

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Birmingham Weekender was in Victoria Square from the 22nd to 24th September 2017. Quite busy when I went past the council house last week.



 
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