Day 30 Birmingham (Tuesday 17 April)
As for once there were some interesting exhibitions on at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, I arranged to go this day, combining it with a visit to the Bull Ring Markets, and a bit of household shopping. The weather forecast was unpromising ("heavy rain" early and in the afternoon), so I amended my original schedule/transport arrangements. I'd go right into town and walk up to the Bull Ring and down to the Markets before St Martins church while I had the fine morning, then I'd get the bus back up to the gallery, then (phew) come back into town to shop.
Naturally it started to rain as I headed down the long open-air wide stairs to the market area! It didn't last long, though, and I discovered the formerly open to the skies fruit and veg market (last seen about five years ago) has a series of curving glass roofs sheltering both the stalls and the passageways between them. No local fruits on show as yet, just Spanish strawberries, reputed to be fairly tasteless. Lots of interesting vegetables, though, to cater to the interests of Indian, Caribbean and African cuisines.
The Rag Market is fine if you want curtains or sari materials etc. I became bored fairly quickly (though there's an astonishing array of what are called "notions" - I believe - on sale: ribbons and zips and buttons are just the start). The Indoor Market (a separate building) also sells that kind of stuff, plus fish, household utility stuff from tools to glue, stationery, bags of all sorts… I had hoped to find a replacement for the canvas shoulder bag I brought with me (the strap is a little, well maybe a lot, frayed), but no luck. I'll have to wait until they're in fashion again.
I made my way uphill. No one walks up the staircase if they can help it (that's quite a hill); people take either the lifts or escalators in Debenhams, or walk further over and do the same in Selfridges.
There were two exhibitions on at the gallery, but I couldn't summon up the interest to see Children's Lives. So after a good bowl of soup (parsnip and coriander) with an excellent roll (with bits of walnut in it), I went to the other: Style Africa, a display of West African textiles. Some older samples of traditional weaving and dying techniques, but mostly modern products, either from Africa or made in Europe for the African market. Very colourful! It was interesting to see all the stuff about symbols used on cloth, and to learn a little about the traditional stories or proverbs some designs convey. They also had half a dozen outfits, mostly made up to measure by Ghanaian seamstresses, to display what the more modern African woman might wish to wear. I'd have liked to see some traditional outfits too, but they did have (in glass cases) a couple of traditional outfits circular garments for the high status man.
I made my way slowly out, having a good look at the current version of the Staffordshire Hoard on display (the best is currently in Washington, but hey, with 3,500 odd pieces to choose from the curators had no problem filling the little glass cases). I also paid my respects to some of the very familiar Pre-Raphaelite paintings - Birmingham has a large collection.
Out the back door, across the Queensway, and bus back into town, to stagger around Tesco's and Marks with my shoulder muscles burning from the backpack (light though it was before I started shopping). I needed fruit tea, so I wound up buying three boxes of different Twinings fruit tea: the familiar raspberry, strawberry and loganberry, but also the new-to-me blackcurrant and nettle, and blackberry, ginseng and vanilla. I'm drinking the latter; it's tasty, and naturally comes out deep pink! I was able to stock up on fruit juice, but, tragedy! forgot to buy fruit to put in my breakfast Greek yoghurt. Breakfast is going to be a bit plain for the next three days, I can see.
Of course it started raining as I came out of M&S, but I found my way to Corporation St and the bus stop - via a West Midlands transport caravan advertising the changes in bus routes in the city centre from June. It looks as if getting to the principal shops is going to be a no-no, while they install a Metro Station in the centre. Everyone on our bus routes is going to be hiking up from the Markets (which for years have not been accessible by bus). I wonder what the bus service will be like in the summer of 2013?
When I arrived home I thankfully took off the backpack and lay down. We went to bed about 8:30, too tired to stay awake any longer.
Naturally it started to rain as I headed down the long open-air wide stairs to the market area! It didn't last long, though, and I discovered the formerly open to the skies fruit and veg market (last seen about five years ago) has a series of curving glass roofs sheltering both the stalls and the passageways between them. No local fruits on show as yet, just Spanish strawberries, reputed to be fairly tasteless. Lots of interesting vegetables, though, to cater to the interests of Indian, Caribbean and African cuisines.
The Rag Market is fine if you want curtains or sari materials etc. I became bored fairly quickly (though there's an astonishing array of what are called "notions" - I believe - on sale: ribbons and zips and buttons are just the start). The Indoor Market (a separate building) also sells that kind of stuff, plus fish, household utility stuff from tools to glue, stationery, bags of all sorts… I had hoped to find a replacement for the canvas shoulder bag I brought with me (the strap is a little, well maybe a lot, frayed), but no luck. I'll have to wait until they're in fashion again.
I made my way uphill. No one walks up the staircase if they can help it (that's quite a hill); people take either the lifts or escalators in Debenhams, or walk further over and do the same in Selfridges.
There were two exhibitions on at the gallery, but I couldn't summon up the interest to see Children's Lives. So after a good bowl of soup (parsnip and coriander) with an excellent roll (with bits of walnut in it), I went to the other: Style Africa, a display of West African textiles. Some older samples of traditional weaving and dying techniques, but mostly modern products, either from Africa or made in Europe for the African market. Very colourful! It was interesting to see all the stuff about symbols used on cloth, and to learn a little about the traditional stories or proverbs some designs convey. They also had half a dozen outfits, mostly made up to measure by Ghanaian seamstresses, to display what the more modern African woman might wish to wear. I'd have liked to see some traditional outfits too, but they did have (in glass cases) a couple of traditional outfits circular garments for the high status man.
I made my way slowly out, having a good look at the current version of the Staffordshire Hoard on display (the best is currently in Washington, but hey, with 3,500 odd pieces to choose from the curators had no problem filling the little glass cases). I also paid my respects to some of the very familiar Pre-Raphaelite paintings - Birmingham has a large collection.
Out the back door, across the Queensway, and bus back into town, to stagger around Tesco's and Marks with my shoulder muscles burning from the backpack (light though it was before I started shopping). I needed fruit tea, so I wound up buying three boxes of different Twinings fruit tea: the familiar raspberry, strawberry and loganberry, but also the new-to-me blackcurrant and nettle, and blackberry, ginseng and vanilla. I'm drinking the latter; it's tasty, and naturally comes out deep pink! I was able to stock up on fruit juice, but, tragedy! forgot to buy fruit to put in my breakfast Greek yoghurt. Breakfast is going to be a bit plain for the next three days, I can see.
Of course it started raining as I came out of M&S, but I found my way to Corporation St and the bus stop - via a West Midlands transport caravan advertising the changes in bus routes in the city centre from June. It looks as if getting to the principal shops is going to be a no-no, while they install a Metro Station in the centre. Everyone on our bus routes is going to be hiking up from the Markets (which for years have not been accessible by bus). I wonder what the bus service will be like in the summer of 2013?
When I arrived home I thankfully took off the backpack and lay down. We went to bed about 8:30, too tired to stay awake any longer.