Summer fun fair and The Big Sleuth at the Sandwell Valley Country Park (July 2017)

The only time I popped into the Sandwell Valley Country Park was when The Big Sleuth was on, so didn't go far. Saw a fun fair on the way to the Sandwell Park Visitor Centre. A tourist road train was also going round this part of the park. I've not got around to going back to this park. This visit end of July 2017. Not sure if I'll travel back here, is a long way to travel there

Do you miss the summer with all the Christmas festivities in winter? Lets go back a couple of summers to late July 2017.

On the 30th July 2017 I was following The Big Sleuth trail of painted bears from Dudley to Sandwell (via the bus). In West Bromwich I got the bears in the Town Centre, then headed through Dartmouth Park and entered the Sandwell Valley Country Park.

On the left was a summer fun fair.

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A couple of bouncy castles here. The one of the right was the Space Shuttle.

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Disney Cottage. Would guess that kids and explore it and see Disney cartoon characters?

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Crazy Caterpillar. A small rollercoaster for kids to enjoy.

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The blue tourist road train seen going round the park. Was close to the fun fair. The visitor centre seen in the background.

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It was called the Sandwell Express. All aboard, full steam ahead!

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It did several loops around this end of the park close to the fun fair.

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This is the Sandwell Park Visitor Centre. The Big Sleuth bear I was looking for was outside. While a selection of Little bears was inside. Was originally the Sandwell Park Farm.

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A Grade II listed building. Dating to around 1800. Near Lodge Hill Road. Built of brick with tile roofs. The farm buildings were built as the home farm on the Earl of Dartmouth's Sandwell Hall estate. Sandwell Hall was demolished in 1928.

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The only reason for this visit was to see The Big Sleuth bear called Uncle B. The artists was Louise Blakeley and Warren McCabe-Smith working with Cradley Heath Creative and was funded by Cradley Heath and Sandwell Council.

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The back side of Uncle B. Wishing he was at the fun fair.

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The other little bears were inside the Visitor Centre.

More photos on my Flickr here: Sandwell Valley Country Park.

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.

Birmingham, the Amazing Stained Glass Windows in St Martin in the Bullring - December 2019

I was lucky to visit the interior of St Martin in the Bullring during almost perfect conditions for photos of some the amazing stained glass windows, the low sun was shining directly through the south side windows and I got a few of the famous Burne-Jones window in the south transept.

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Photos by Daniel Sturley

Coca Cola Christmas Truck in Birmingham over the years

The world famous Coca Cola Christmas Truck used to make an annual visit to Birmingham (and other places across the UK). It will not be returning to Birmingham in December 2019 (instead to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre near Dudley). Instead enjoy this gallery of photos from the Bullring (2014 and 2016) and Eastside City Park (2017 and 2018).

St Martin's Square, Bullring, December 2014

I was first able to get photos of the world famous Coca Cola Christmas Truck at the Bullring in St Martin's Square on the early evening on the 11th December 2014.

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Was a crowd of people in the queue to get a free can of Coca Cola, or pose with the truck. Was near Selfridges, St Martin's Church and a Christmas tree.

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Views from the upper level balcony at the Bullring are best to see the Coca Cola Truck (and other things that park here).

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The Coca Cola Truck always drew a crowd of people.

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You know the "holidays are coming" when Santa brings his Coca Cola Truck to town!

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St Martin's Square, Bullring, December 2016

Thanks to Birmingham Updates for using one my 2016 photos on their Social Media posts, I now know that it wont be returning to Birmingham in December 2019.

I next saw the Coca Cola Truck when it returned to the Bullring on the 17th December 2016. This time got my photos in the daylight hours.

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Similar views as before, but you can see the Coca Cola Truck properly now. A Coke man takes a families photo with the truck.

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The Bullring's 2016 Christmas tree look rather artificial that year. This is the photo that Birmingham Updates used. Coca Cola Truck Bham Updates.

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Getting different views, but more of the same.

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Going round the side of Selfridges for this view of the Coca Cola Truck at the Bullring.

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Ice Skate Birmingham, Eastside City Park, December 2017

The next time I saw the Coca Cola Truck was when it visited Ice Skate Birmingham in Eastside City Park. This was on the 9th December 2017. This was the day before it snowed. I was coming back on the train from a day out in Bedworth. Not much of a view from the train, so I headed to Eastside after I arrived at Birmingham New Street Station.

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Close up view of the world famous Coca Cola Truck. New views with it included The Woodman pub and Curzon Street Station.

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This view with the Birmingham Big Wheel and the other rides that were at Ice Skate Birmingham. They found this site in 2017 due to the then redevelopment of Centenary Square (which took two years in the end).

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Slightly further back with the Birmingham Big Wheel. It would be nice to get something like this again in Westside, but the Coca Cola Truck isn't coming to Birmingham this year.

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Last 2017 view as the light faded. Masshouse residential blocks to the right. Rotunda in the middle and the Birmingham Big Wheel to the left.

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Ice Skate Birmingham, Eastside City Park, December 2018

Spending a section festive season in Eastside City Park, Ice Skate Birmingham once again hosted the return of the Coca Cola Christmas Truck. I saw it on the early evening of the 15th December 2018, in rainy sleety cold and freezing weather!

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Despite the weather conditions, the resulting photos looking quite Christmasy, even thought it wasn't snowing. The Birmingham Big Wheel to the right. With The Woodman pub seen behind.

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For 2018, they parked the Coca Cola Truck in a slightly different position. Also Ice Skate Birmingham were further to the right, as the land they used previously was now HS2 land.

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Probably due to the weather, there wasn't many people around.

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Still the sleety rain added to the effect of a Coca Cola Christmas!

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I hope people at Merry Hill enjoy it. Never been there myself. Although I know that you can get a bus from Cradley Heath Station (which is on the Snow Hill lines). According to the Birmingham Mail, it will be in Merry Hill on the 6th and 7th December 2019. Coca-Cola Christmas truck 2019 heads to intu Merry Hill.

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.

Birmingham, the Frankfurt Christmas Market - November 2019

I went down to the edge of the Frankfurt Chrismas Market, a bit too intense for me to venture inside on the first weekend but I got some more magical scenes of this fantastic attraction in Victoria Square.

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Photos by Daniel Sturley

More of the Frankfurt Christmas Market...

My Favourite 50 Photographs in Birmingham - July - October 2019

Here's a gallery of my top 50 favorite photos that I've taken in Birmingham between 1st July & 31st October. On October 5th I caught the Black Sabbath Bridge monument on Broad Street in great light, looking moody but bright & jolly too.

 

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The 'Secret Garden' atop the Library of Birmingham - 11th July

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The 'Secret Garden' atop the Library of Birmingham - 11th July

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The 'Secret Garden' atop the Library of Birmingham - 11th July

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On the Roof of Fort Dunlop - 12th July

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The City Skyline from Fort Dunlop - 12th July

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Looking Towards Hodge Hill from the Roof of Fort Dunlop - 12th July

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The City Skyline at Dusk from Fort Dunlop - 12th July

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The Full Moon Over Arena Central - 16th July

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The 'Birmingham Family' Statue in Centenary Square - 25th July

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Looking Over Brindleyplace in the Westside - 27th July

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Multi-coloured Lights on the Top of Bank Tower Two on Broad Street  - 7th August

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The Hyatt Regency Hotel - 12th August

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Looking Down Great Charles Street from the Hyatt Regency Hotel - 12th August

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One Chamberlain Square and the Snow Hill Complex from the Hyatt Regency Hotel - 12th August

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One and Two Chamberlain Square from the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Dusk - 12th August

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Crane, Moon and Jet Trails Over Arena Central - 16th August

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The Concrete Core of 103 Colmore Row from Highgate - 24th August

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The Birmingham City Skyline from Egg Hill in Frankley 6 miles to the South West - 24th August

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The Westside City Skyline just before Sunset - 25th August

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One and Two Chamberlain Square - 27th August

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The 7th Floor Interior of One Chamberlain Square - 28th August

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Architectural Detail in One Chamberlain Square - 28th August

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The Library of Birmingham at Night - 31st August

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The Crane at Paradise Birmingham with the Library - 1st September

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One of the New LED Lamp Poats at Arena Central - 1st September

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Arena Central - 1st September

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'New Growth' from the Library of Birmingham - 8th September

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The Library of Birmingham - 8th September

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The Ikon Art Gallery Tower Reflected in the Water Feature in Oozells Square at Brindleyplace - 11th September

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One of the New Light Masts in Centenary Square - 14th September

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The Closest I get to a Selfie

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Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha / Saint Michael's Parish Handsworth - 14th September

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Smethwick Jamia Masjid with Dudley Castle in the Distance from the Library of Birmingham - 14th September

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The Moon Over the Hyatt Regency Hotel - 15th September

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The Moon Over Arena Central and Beetham Tower - 15th September

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The View Down Suffolk Street Queensway from the Library - 15th September

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The New Pool in Centenary Square from the 'Secret Garden' atop the Library - 16th September

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A Crane Struugles with the Removal of the Concrete Core Over-run from 103 Colmore Row - 19th September

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The Westside City Skyline at Sunset - 20th September

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The Westside City Skyline at Dusk - 21st September

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The Concrete Core of 103 Colmore Row - 22nd September

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One Chamberlain Square Reflected in Two Chamberlain Square - 22nd September

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The 'Secret Garden' atop the Library - 5th October

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Baskerville House in Centenary Square - 6th October

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Moody Sky Over Arena Central - 6th October

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Crane at 103 Colmore Row - 20th October

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The Water Feature in Central Square in Brindleyplace - 20th October

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The Ferris Wheel in Centenary Square - 28th October

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The Ferris Wheel in Centenary Square - 28th October

Photos by Daniel Sturley