Funder City at Moat Lane from Danter Attractions

Digbeth Fun Fair is back for the fourth year. Second time at the Smithfield Festival Site, but near Moat Lane (unlike the Beach @ Smithfield in Summer 2023 near Pershore Street). Started 14th March and runs to the 7th April 2024. In time for the up and coming Easter holidays.

FUNDER CITY THE DIGBETH FUN FAIR.

Danter Attractions is holding their fourth fun fair in Digbeth / Southside in four years, but the second year at Smithfield. It opened on the 14th March and is open daily until the 7th April 2024, during the Easter holidays period.

The same rides as before, some of which were last used at Ice Skate Birmingham. Others return from the last Digbeth Fun Fair, called at the time Beach @ Smithfield (July to August 2023).

The view from Digbeth near Enterprise Rent a Car, and the Eastside Metro extension (just before Alcester Street on the Digbeth High Street).

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From Mill Lane near Birmingham Coach Station, towards Bradford Street. Buildings on right were demolished recently, Bullring Autocentre (Strictly MOT before that) and Sutton Florists (previously the Leather Company, and Fonz Leathers before that).

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A carousel ride seen near Bradford Street.

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Fun House

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Birmingham Big Wheel returns again.

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Funder City from 14th March to 7th April 2024 open day, Moat Lane City Centre, B5 5BD. Best to get the bus here (or train), don't go in your car!

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Onto Moat Lane. The fun fair is where the concrete Moat Lane Car Park was until it was demolished a few years ago.

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The Welcome entrance, it's been used at many fun fairs in Birmingham over the years, even one that was at the Curzon Street HS2 site back in 2010!

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Upper Dean Street view, some demolition rubble.

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And to the Bullring, up to the balcony near St Martin in the Bullring for one last view before going into the West Mall.

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A few days later, and it was St Patrick's Day. View from the Bullring on the balcony behind Browns Birmingham.

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A view from Moor Street Car Park level 8 through the safety barrier fence.

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Funder City in full swing from Moat Lane, as I walked to check out the St Patrick's Day Parade on Bradford Street.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

The Chinese lion dragon dance at The Mailbox Canalside

It was the Lunar New Year on Saturday 10th February 2024. The Year of the Wood Dragon. The Choy Lee Fut Lion and Dragon Dance Team from Southside performed for about 20 minutes after 2pm at The Mailbox Canalside. Similar to what they have done around the City Centre in previous years, like in the Bullring in 2023. I was joined in getting images with Jack Babington.

CLFLion Dragon on Instagram.

The Choy Lee Fut Lion and Dragon Dance Team started the walk from The Mailbox on Royal Mail Street, then walked up Severn Street and Commercial Street to the steps up to The Mailbox Canalside.

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Enjoy this series of 20 photos of the performance, or watch my YouTube video compilation above.

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Photos and video by Elliott Brown

Preserved Midland Metro tram 16 at Very Light Rail, Dudley and West Midlands Metro tram 52 in service

On a walk around Dudley, I did not expect to find the preserved Midland Metro tram 16, one of the T-69 trams, to be at Very Light Rail in Dudley. Out of the 16 trams in service from 1999 to 2015, 13 have been scrapped, while three preserved including this one. The other two 07 and 10 are at Long Marston. The last West Midlands Metro tram 52, and was the last of the new Urbos 100 order.

I was in Dudley, during January 2024, for an update of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension, and was walking out of Dudley Town Centre, when I spotted this old tram at Very Light Rail.

The former Midland Metro tram 16, a T-69 which was in service from Wolverhampton St George's to Birmingham Snow Hill from 1999 to 2015, was moved from Long Marston to Dudley, for testing on the Very Light Rail tracks.

It still has The Metro, and original red, blue and yellow livery on it, as well as a Wolverhampton College advert dating to 2014. It arrived in Dudley in November 2023.

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The most recent tram to come into service was West Midlands Metro tram 52 in January 2024. The last of the Urbos 100 order. Currently there is multiple bus routes from Birmingham to Dudley including the 74, 87, 126 and X8. But by the end of 2024, the tram extension from Wednesbury to Dudley Town Centre might open.

Seen here leaving Edgbaston Village Tram Stop on Hagley Road, via the Five Ways underpass towards Broad Street and Five Ways Tram Stop.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

The Winston Churchill, Cadbury No 7 steam locomotive outside the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley

On a walk around Dudley in January 2024, I went down Tipton Road past the Black Country Living Museum, during a weekend when they were closed for maintenance, so the car park was empty. I saw a green steam locomotive called Winston Churchill, this was the Cadbury Bros No 7 steam locomotive. It arrived in 2012, on the spot where the Titanic anchor replica used to be.

First a repost on the Titanic anchor replica seen in 2011

The replica of The Titanic Anchor. It was made in 2010 by Sheffield Forgemasters International Ltd for a Channel 4 documentary. It was on loan at the time to the museum from Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.  The original anchor was made by N. Hingley & Sons Ltd in 1911 at their factory in Netheron, Dudley. The original anchor weighed 15.5 tons. In 2011 the Titanic anchor replica was seen outside of the Black Country Living Museum near the former Rolfe Street Baths building. But it was eventually moved to a more permenant location in Netherton where it remains today. It was replaced in 2012 by the Winston Churchill, Cadbury No 7 steam locomotive.

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Winston Churchill, Cadbury No 7 in 2024

The relocation of the Winston Churchill was made possible through the help and support of the local house builder Lovell Partnerships Ltd and The Friends of the Black Country Museum.

0-6-0ST Manning Wardle locomotive built at Boyne Engine Works, Leeds in 1923. It was ordered by the Cadbury Brothers, Bournville in February 1923, and was completed and sent to Cadbury Blackpole Factory by June 1923. It became their No 7 steam locomotive at the Waterside Site. It was moved to Bournville for a short time before it returned to Blackpole. And was named after Winston Churchill. By 1946 it had been replaced by diesel and was sold to Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn in Darlington. It arrived in Dudley at G Pitt & Co Ltd on the Pensnett Trading Estate later in 1946. It was eventually placed outside of the Black Country Living Museum in 2012 after the Titanic anchor replica was removed.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

The Beacon of Hope at St Martin in the Bullring

From the 15th to 27th January 2024 outside of St Martin in the Bullring is a temporary stained glass installation called The Beacon of Hope, by Ugandan artist Matt Kayem. It was commissioned by Christian Aid.

The Beacon of Hope

From 15-27 January 2024, beaming brightly in the grounds of St Martin in the Bull Ring, Birmingham, our stained-glass style ‘Beacon of Hope’ will create an awe-inspiring spectacle of light and colour with messages of hope to lift everyone’s spirits.

From Blue Monday, the Beacon will illuminate five powerful messages of hope about hunger, equality, health, climate, and injustice.

Each message of hope was brought to life by Ugandan artist, Matt Kayem, from and working in Kampala. Matt’s work explores identity, race, history, and culture through installations, collage-paintings and photography.

Working in his signature style Matt used recycled denim, sourced from the markets of Kampala then stretched onto frames, as the unique canvas for his vivid, colourful creations.

I first saw information about The Beacon of Hope, from this banner on St Martin in the Bullring. I was on the bus on the 12th January 2024 heading to my terminus stop. It tells you that it will be here from the 15th to 27th January 2024.

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A few days after the Lord Mayor of Birmingham unveiled The Beacon of Hope, I got a couple of photos of it, shortly after arriving at the Bullring. There is about four stained glass panels. Seen on the 17th January 2024.

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Photography by Elliott Brown