Mini-break in Birmingham
Apr. 4th, 2026 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heleninwalesFacebook's memories informs me that exactly 8 years ago today I was posting about returning from Eastercon in Harrogate. This year I'm not at Eastercon, but I did have a little trip to Birmingham to meet friends who are at the convention and went round the Birmingham Art Gallery & Museum with them.
I'd been meaning to visit Birmingham to see the Pre-Raphaelite paintings ever since I saw a post online last October saying that the gallery had reopened. But, as is always the way, I never actually got around to it. However, thanks to Farah posting about the planned group visit, I got my act together and booked train tickets and a hotel for a one night stay. I'm really glad I did because it made a nice little city break and gave me a chance to see a bit more Birmingham, which is a city I don't really know at all.
The convention is being held out by the NEC, but I booked a night in a Premier Inn just five minutes walk from New Street station. I arrived on the Thursday and, having paid a bit extra for an early check-in, could go straight to my room to freshen up, have a cup of tea and eat the sandwich I'd brought with me.
I then went out to find the art gallery. I hadn't really intended to, but as I didn't have anything else planned, I had a look around on my own. I didn't know how much I'd be able to concentrate on the pictures whilst also chatting with friends. When I'd been round the Pre-Raphaelite galleries and ventured upstairs to look at the history of Birmingham exhibits, I returned to the hotel, buying some food to eat en route from the Tesco Express I found in my wanderings.
Now G and I have discussed our differing feelings about travel and agreed that it's fine for me to go away for little breaks on my own, I must do this sort of thing every so often. I've already started planning a trip for May and thinking of other ideas for the future. With just one or at most two nights away you can pack in so much. Living where we do you have to go a long way for more spectacular scenery and I've never been one for lazing on beaches, so the occasional mini-break is what I want.
I'll post more about the Birmingham trip over the next couple of days, but for now I'll leave you with just two photos.
A sign in the art gallery. It's very true about the constant road works and construction.
And the artwork "The River" aka "The Floozie in the Jacuzzi", a fountain and sculpture in Victoria Square front of the city hall.
I'd been meaning to visit Birmingham to see the Pre-Raphaelite paintings ever since I saw a post online last October saying that the gallery had reopened. But, as is always the way, I never actually got around to it. However, thanks to Farah posting about the planned group visit, I got my act together and booked train tickets and a hotel for a one night stay. I'm really glad I did because it made a nice little city break and gave me a chance to see a bit more Birmingham, which is a city I don't really know at all.
The convention is being held out by the NEC, but I booked a night in a Premier Inn just five minutes walk from New Street station. I arrived on the Thursday and, having paid a bit extra for an early check-in, could go straight to my room to freshen up, have a cup of tea and eat the sandwich I'd brought with me.
I then went out to find the art gallery. I hadn't really intended to, but as I didn't have anything else planned, I had a look around on my own. I didn't know how much I'd be able to concentrate on the pictures whilst also chatting with friends. When I'd been round the Pre-Raphaelite galleries and ventured upstairs to look at the history of Birmingham exhibits, I returned to the hotel, buying some food to eat en route from the Tesco Express I found in my wanderings.
Now G and I have discussed our differing feelings about travel and agreed that it's fine for me to go away for little breaks on my own, I must do this sort of thing every so often. I've already started planning a trip for May and thinking of other ideas for the future. With just one or at most two nights away you can pack in so much. Living where we do you have to go a long way for more spectacular scenery and I've never been one for lazing on beaches, so the occasional mini-break is what I want.
I'll post more about the Birmingham trip over the next couple of days, but for now I'll leave you with just two photos.
A sign in the art gallery. It's very true about the constant road works and construction.
And the artwork "The River" aka "The Floozie in the Jacuzzi", a fountain and sculpture in Victoria Square front of the city hall.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-04 01:50 pm (UTC)I trust you said hello to Ozzy the bull?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-04 03:40 pm (UTC)I can't really criticise Birmingham for being in a constant state of flux because Manchester isn't much better. I was born and grew up there and I literally don't recognise most of the city centre these days. There's also now the Castlefield Roman Fort in central Manchester. As I said last time I visited, "That wasn't there when I lived here!" Well, of course it was, but it must have been buried and forgotten. Now it's been excavated and is open to the public.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-04 02:02 pm (UTC)That's an interesting mix of local mischief and affectionate irreverence for the alternate title. Is this a Birmingham thing?
And once a nickname like that sticks, there ain't no going back.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-04 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-04 05:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-05 08:01 am (UTC)But I enjoy the stimulation of visiting new places and seeing new things, or revisiting places I've enjoyed before. It helps provide inspiration for the writing muse. As I've done a fair bit of solo travel in the past, it was only feeling guilty that I was leaving G at home that was stopping me. Now I know he's perfectly happy to be left for a couple of days, I can plan more little trips with a clear conscience.