Birmingham - a City of Culture

To invoke a common cliche, Birmingham is a city of contrasts.
Well, it is.
Really.

This city has some strikingly beautiful spots interspersed by large areas of heavy red-brick industrial-era buildings and separated by poor ghettos of dense housing or shopping strips.

Much of the older architecture gives the city a heavy and cloistered feel. Buildings are spaced close together on a flat landscape to produce a city with limited views. The canals are closed in and hidden behind walls, so it is nigh impossible to enjoy the canal from any vantage point. There are few trees to add colour to the red and grey buildings. Criticising the hasty post-war development that many now lament, a local reporter once said, "What the Luftwaffe began, arrogant, philistine town planners finished off."














Originally developed during pre-automobile times, roads are narrow, with many only one-way. Parking spaces are non-existent. I must say that, despite my usual geographical ability to know my way around, the streets of Birmingham have beat me, and I get lost too frequently.

As with any city, there is a tension between preserving the historical features of the city and clearing enough space to develop new projects. The Parisians cleared wide boulevards in the 19th century, and the same was done to sections of Rome during Mussolini's tenure. Despite the upheaval, both cities are the better for it. But an opportunity was lost during the rebuilding of Birmingham following the devastating blitz.


The local council is determined to transform the city into a modern, vibrant international city of which locals can be proud. Development of the city's famous Bull Ring shopping centre has been widely acclaimed; balancing a modern centre around the old church at its heart. And the new space-aged Selfridges is a sign of confidence in the future.



Brindley Place was a wonderful discovery found last week when we went for a canal boat trip. It is a magnet for those in search of a meal or after-work drink.

The magnificent, modern Symphony Hall is the legacy of the world-renowned conductor, Simon Rattle. It is a concert hall designed from the inside-out, with acoustical integrity as a top priority in its initial design brief. Rattle, Elgar and Gustav Holst all have links to this city. JRR Tolkein is another favoured son.


These new developments give this city some hope. Birmingham has aimed to shake off its industrial past and become a city of culture. Concerts, theatre, ballet, music festivals and other arts promotions are regularly held to transform not just the architecture, but the attitude of the locals.

So, last weekend was our cultural time in Birmingham, beginning with the Birmingham Symphony orchestra concert on Friday evening. On Saturday we visited the art gallery, toured the canals by boat and attended the flautist James Galway's wonderful 70th birthday recital celebrating a professional career that began here. Not to let up the pace, a Sunday trip to beautiful (and sunny) Stratford-upon-Avon was taken to immerse ourselves in Shakespeare's birthplace and homeland.

Birmingham has made the final short-list of four cities competing for the UK City of Culture, and is inviting local residents to participate in this bid. A win would give it the respect it craves, and perhaps deserves.

Let Nature be your teacher

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
Come, hear the woodland linnet,
How sweet his music! on my life,
There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
He, too, is no mean preacher:
Come forth into the light of things,
Let Nature be your teacher.
- William Wordsworth



In the 19th Century, Sir Hugh Munro compiled a list of Scottish mountains with heights above 3000ft. With Ben Nevis the most famous of all the Munros, this list has become a challenge for many an intrepid British walker. They aim to hike up all 283 mountains on the complete list, known as "Munro bagging". To make things complicated, there are 538 summits, and debates rage to determine what qualifies as a separate Munro. Revision lists are published periodically to set the record straight.

England is not blessed with the craggy mountains of Scotland but, not undeterred, the English have their own south-of-the-border list of peaks. Published as the Wainwrights, over 2 million copies have been sold listing the 214 peaks of must-climb English hills.


You see the Brits out walking each weekend. Well equipped with rainproof backpacks and hiking poles, they clamber over styles, traverse fields, climb steep hills, wade through streams and slosh in mud; all in the foulest of weather that would deter the uncommitted. Indeed, some seem to relish the challenge of venturing out and up during the harshest wintry weather.

We have had three walking weekends in the best of English countryside. Close to Birmingham are the Lickey Hills, while nearby Elgar country boasts the Malvern Hills; each popular destinations for walkers.

I was also able to fulfill a childhood dream and visit Arthur Ransome's Lake District. This protected part of beautiful English countryside is a must-see for any visitor, with its picturesque hills peering down across shining bodies of water known as lakes, waters and tiny tarns.

Having enjoyed the aerobic exercise, we entered the Peak district the following weekend to go on a 15km guided farming country walk over rolling limestone lands. England's green and pleasant land is a pretty place from on high. And we can now say we have bagged our first Wainwright - Old Man's Peak above Coniston.

Only 496 peaks left to go!

Mad Dogs, Englishmen, and Politicians

This is election week in Britain; that five-year event when the Britons suffer hyper-politics and decide to remove a government. British elections are nowhere near as fascinating as the US presidential race; since they seem to be without a Palin-factor or those Messianic Revivalist gatherings seen and best left in America.

Nanny is still very much alive here in the UK, caring for her dependent population. Some parts of Britain, such as in Wales, have a massive 70 percent of the economy supplied by government-generated operations. Employment problems are solved by job-creation schemes, but the entire economic structure is highly dependent on the financial strength of London and was left severely exposed during the GFC of recent years. Oh... and also rock music, Britain's biggest exporter.

The well-respected BBC seems to add to this government dependency. Just like Australia's ABC with a leaning towards the social justice end of the political spectrum, the BBC gives oxygen to many worthwhile causes. However, they focus on micro-stories of people not getting all they want from the national health Service, school, police force, or local government office.

Each morning, the daily breakfast show has a theme of the day, when a new person will get to tell their story, such as:

• Those trapped in the Eurotunnel with their tales of woe
• A family member who has died of some rare disease for which the NHS has refused expensive treatment
• Drivers complaining of Council inaction on repairing snow-caused potholes in roads
• Ineptitude of social workers when a child has died due to parental neglect
• Ineptitude of social workers when a child has been removed from neglectful parents
• Travellers affected by volcanoes complaining of airport authorities not informing them of latest developments
• Workers complaining that the government is not paying them for time off work due to the same travelling disruptions

The newspapers are no better and present this same message of appeal to government to solve today's crisis. Today's typical headline: 'Betrayed by the NHS'.

The number of causes appears endless, and I suspect there is a list of future stories awaiting their turn. It appears that the way to get some government action for your cause is to get your story in the media to gain public sympathy. And the reporters then ask for more funding for this cause du jour.

No politician is going to win here in Britain by announcing, Kennedy style 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.' Not if they want to survive.



The last of the election debates was held 400 metres from our cottage, when Brown, Cameron and Clegg, the leaders of the major parties, had their final chance to win over uncommitted voters. The security was intense, with rooftop snipers, sniffer dogs shooing out rats from drains, and policemen by the hundreds keeping the quiet crowd ... um .. quiet. It was fascinating to watch so close up when we, for a short moment, were at the centre of the British political scene.

Being a British citizen, I have the right to vote in this election. But I will not do so, since I do not have to live with the consequences of my voting preference.
(p.s. Can anyone else see some irony in the Conservatives election poster, advocating change?? The lower photos were taken outside our home when the Prime Minister arrived for the debate)

Arriverderci Roma

Our travel of 25 days through this European magic land has left its indelible mark on us. This journey will be the yardstick by which all future trips will be measured and life will never be the same again. Others can more eloquently express what I wish I had the talent to say, and I have instead settled on seeing Italy though a lens.


Travelling is the ruin of all happiness! There's no looking at a building after seeing Italy. - Fanny Burney



Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life. - Anna Akhmatova


Open my heart and you will see graved inside of it, Italy. - Robert Browning



This trip has been so powerfully stimulating. Although I avoid the trashy tourist trinkets, preferring to use the camera for my souvenirs, it has been difficult to resist the strong urge to buy a t-shirt that reads 'I love Italy'.

La Vita Bella

The Creator made Italy from designs by Michaelangelo
- Mark Twain
A look at shop windows reflects Italian style.

A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum

Our 18 day trip to Italy has been wonderful and far exceeded expectations in so many ways. The Italians have been friendly, welcoming and proud of their cultured country and I have loved feeling I have been invited to one great Italian party. I have found myself saying 'wow' so many times and it has not stopped yet.


Highlights include:
The picturesque coasts of Sorrento, Positano, Capri and Cinque Terre.
The mountains / lakes of Como and Garda.
The historical cities of Rome, Florence and Venice.
The quiet towns of Orvieto and Siena.
The Vatican museums just impressed me again and again as we progressed from room to room. How can I ever enjoy another museum again?
The Uffizi art work was a great lesson on the development of art from medieval through Renaissance. The Doges Palace was outstanding to behold, while the Galleria Academia was also a treasure.



But, just as we were readying ourselves to say 'arriverderci' and return to the UK, a funny thing happened. That Icelandic volcano with that unpronounceable name erupted; causing massive concerns regarding ash cloud particles in European skies and grounding all planes.

And so, we are stranded in Venice. Or rather, we have had a one-week extension to our holiday. We moved out of Venice to sunny Sirmione, and now Verona. This geological event has significantly impacted on travellers across Europe, and yet has claimed no victim (and hopefully that will continue).


Not satiated with Italy yet, I shall return one day and visit the Dolomites and Assisi, but next time it will be at a slower pace so we can savour the culture. My attempts at speaking in Italian have improved. I am now confident about constructing sentences to talk to the locals, usually in the form of asking for assistance and directions. In the first weeks, after my feeble question, they spoke back in English. Now, they answer in Italian; much to my enjoyment.
The problem occurs when they think I am more proficient than I really am, and I understand about half of the reply. But it is fun and I persist, despite some of the replies getting lost in translation.

When in Pisa, do as the Tourists do

Wall poster translation: La sostenibile Pesantezza del non essere = The Heaviness of not being sustainable


This was our quick visit to the famous Torre Pendente di Pisa. Not much to say that's new, but we loved the event. While the attendant was hurrying everyone down for the next group, I stayed at the top after most left and took some last-minute panorama shots. What a view!




Also got a little time to straighten the tower, much to the chagrin of local retailers. A quick exit across town and the Arno to the station, and we were off to La Spezia.