The Proclamation of King Charles III outside of the Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square - Sunday 11th September 2022

Queen Elizabeth II sadly died aged 96 on the 8th September 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Her son automatically became King, taking the regnal title of Charles III. After the Accession Council at St James's Palace on the 10th September, and Proclamation, a day later in Birmingham, the Lord Mayor read it out at 1pm in front of the Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square.

Sunday 11th September 2022

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on Thursday 8th September 2022, after a 70 year reign as Queen of the United Kingdom. Charles, Prince of Wales automatically became King. Taking the title of King Charles III.

The Accession Council met at St James' Palace on the morning of Saturday 10th September 2022 to officially proclaim King Charles III. And the Proclamation was read out there.

The following day, Sunday 11th September 2022, the Proclamation was read out in Town's and Cities across the UK and the Commonwealth. Including here in Birmingham.

The venue was outside of the Library of Birmingham in Centenary Square. In the 20th Century, Victoria Square outside of the Council House was used, but was obviously unavailable due to PoliNations.

The City of Birmingham Brass Band was playing around 12:30pm, and by 1pm the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and other dignitaries came out. Including the Bishop of Birmingham and Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council Brigid Jones. Lawrence Barton from Southside was also there to introduce the proceedings.

 

Westside BID has posted and article with a link to a video HERE.

 

11 photos below taken by Elliott Brown. Full gallery of 30 photos on his Facebook page HERE.

 

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Photography by Elliott Brown

Brum's Big Splash, part of Birmingham Weekender at the Bullring

The Birmingham Weekender returned once again, this time the August Bank Holiday Weekend on the 27th and 28th August 2022. Down Central Street (St Martin's Walk) at the Bullring & Grand Central Birmingham, from Rotunda Square, going down was Brum's Big Splash. In association with the Birmingham Hippodrome. A long water slide basically.

Brum's Big Splash

Heading up St Martin's Walk at the Bullring & Grand Central Birmingham (renamed Central Street) was Brum's Big Splash. It was installed and tested the day before on Friday 26th August 2022. But opened on Saturday 27th August 2022, just after 12pm. People who wanted to ride it had to book up a space in advance, but was apparently some walk-up slots.

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I headed up to Costa Coffee in Next, and managed to get a window seat, and got these views, as I saw some people slide down the splash-way!

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This was all part of the Birmingham Weekender, which was held on Saturday the 27th and Sunday the 28th August 2022.

Photos by Elliott Brown

Victoria Square - View from 103, Key to the City

In June 2022, Elliott was gifted the Key to the City by the lady behind the 103 Colmore Row Twitter and Instagram accounts. He visited 103 Colmore Row for views from the 18th floor balcony four times between June and August 2022. Here are the changing views of Victoria Square. Including during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Having missed the February 2022 meet at 103 Colmore Row, Elliott was promised to get the key to 103 Colmore Row. He was gifted it by the lady who runs the 103 Colmore Row Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Between June and August, he went up four times. Usually as the view of Victoria Square kept changing. He always went on Saturday's.

Every time you arrive, you show your key to one of the Key to the City volunteers. The wait in the foyer could be anywhere between 20 minutes and 50 minutes (especially near the end of the Commonwealth Games). You would get a slot of 10 to 15 minutes to go up the fastest lift to the 18th floor, for views from the balcony.

It was an opportunity to get views of Victoria Square. When street art was painted ahead of the games, Elliott went twice on two Saturday's in July. And one final time in August on Super Saturday, while the 60th Jamaican Independence Day was being celebrated.

 

11th June 2022

General views down to Victoria Square from the 18th floor balcony of 103 Colmore Row.

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River and Youth aka the Floozie in the Jacuzzi was flowing again.

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Hew Locke reimagined the Queen Victoria statue as an artwork called Foreign Exchange (with the IKON Gallery). It would remain here for two months (until the middle of August 2022). Sir Antony Gormey's Iron: Man statue seen to the left.

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The Council House from above.

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Victoria Square House from above.

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The Town Hall from above.

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16th July 2022

Second visit to the 18th floor balcony, to see the artwork being painted called Connections by the artist Anjuli McKenna, in Victoria Square. It was half complete at this point.

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Hew Locke's Foreign Exchange artwork with Iron: Man as it was meant to be seen.

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The Town Hall again, this time with a Perry the Bull banner on Beneficial House behind.

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23rd July 2022

One week on, and the Victoria Square Fan Zone was almost complete, several days before the start of the Commonwealth Games. Also to see the Connections street art in Victoria Square fully complete. There was now a stage in the square, and would be the finish point for the Birmingham Marathona week later. The West Midlands Metro trams were also now running all the way between Wolverhampton St George's and Edgbaston Village.

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West Midlands Metro trams passing Victoria Square and stopping at Town Hall Tram Stop, in both directions.

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See more of that day here Riding trams in Zone 1.

 

6th August 2022

Super Saturday, and the final weekend of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the City Centre was very busy. It was also the 60th anniversary of Jamaican Independence which was being celebrated in Victoria Square at the time. This would be my final visit to 103 Colmore Row, before Key to the City ended the following day.

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Thank you to 103 Colmore Row, the Key to the City volunteers, to Fierce and Yale Locks.

 

Next up is PoliNations in September 2022, but will have to get views from Victoria Square itself.

 

Photography by Elliott Brown

The World Reimagined - a painted globes trail around Birmingham City Centre

The World Reimagined is a trail of painted globes in Birmingham and other UK cities, from mid August to the end of October 2022. There is eight globes to find in Birmingham City Centre.

 

The World Reimagined Birmingham trail

 

St Martin in the Bullring at St Martin's Square, Bullring

Spirit of the Diaspora by Pauline Bailey

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Cathedral Square - corner of Temple Row and St Philip's Place

Dear Archives by Glory Samjolly

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Unity by Gabriel Choto

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Hippodrome Square at Hurst Street, Southside

A Code For A Better Future by Jess Perrin

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City Centre Gardens off Cambridge Street, Westside

Sacred Healing Wisdom by Gayani Ariyaratne

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The Golden Square near Vyse Street, Jewellery Quarter

The Love From Africa by Kassessa Gandara

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Augusta Street at Warstone Lane, Jewellery Quarter

Voyage Of The Guineamen by Donna Newman

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St Paul's Square, towards Ludgate Hill, Jewellery Quarter

Abstraction Be Damned by Tamika Galanis

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Outside of the City Centre there is two more on the trail in Newtown. And there might be more inside of Millennium Point, the Library of Birmingham and at the Roundhouse.

 

Photography by Elliott Brown

Walk with Little Amal in Birmingham on the 23rd June 2022

Little Amal is a 3.5 metre puppet of a ten year old Syrian refugee girl. She walked around Birmingham on Thursday 23rd June 2022 from Victoria Square via Chamberlain Square to Centenary Square. Lots of people followed her, and school children were there as well. She has travelled through over 70 cities in 12 countries. The UK tour of 19th to 27th June 2022.

The Walk (Little Amal)

New Steps New Friends is a tour of the UK from the 19th to 27th June 2022.

She started her remarkable journey in 2021 crossing the Syria / Turkey border, across Europe in search of her mother and to fine a new home. She travelled over 8,000km representing all displaced children, many separated from their families and carried the urgent message "Don't forget about us".

She has travelled through over 70 cities in 12 countries and has been welcomed at more than 160 events, reaching 875,000 people along her route and millions more online.

In June 2022, one year on from leaving Syria she is exploring her new country, visiting towns and cities across the UK, meeting old friends and making new ones.

Today hundreds of thousands of children who have fled war and persecution need our support to get an education and to rebuild their lives. To try to help they have launched The Amal Fund with Choose Love. Visit walkwithamal.org/the-amal-fund/ to find out more.

 

Little Amal walks around Birmingham

Little Amal was in Birmingham City Centre between 11:30am and 1pm on Thursday 23rd June 2022.

The schedule was for people to gather in Victoria Square at 11:30am.

Then the walk began at 12pm and would last until about 12:50pm.

After Victoria Square, she would go around Chamberlain Square.

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Then up Centenary Way past Paradise Birmingham.

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Ending in Centenary Square.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

 

After Birmingham, Little Amal visited Bristol, London, Stonehenge and even the Glastonbury Festival! She ended her journey at Folkestone on the 27th June 2022.