Luminate at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Another lights trail at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, on Westbourne Road in Edgbaston. During the Christmas 2022 season. Tickets need to be bought in advance. I went with a group on Tuesday 6th December 2022 between 7pm and 8pm in the evening. The trail was a bit different to the Magical Lantern Festival I'd previously seen here. At least it wasn't raining. But it was cold.

LUMINATE, BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS, CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TRAIL 2022

 

Arriving at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Westbourne Road in Edgbaston. We didn't park here, so we had a bit of a walk from Frederick Road via Calthorpe Road.

The main entrance of the Botanical Gardens, with Christmas trees, where we waited for other members of our group to arrive.

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There was several Christmas trees in the foyer, these ones, near the exit to the shop.

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Later on near the end of the visit was the #BBG hashtag in the foyer and one of the Christmas trees. These are more to do with the Botanical Gardens than Luminate.

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After the group tickets were shown, one of the first things you see is this Luminate sign.

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On the main lawn was these lights that kept changing colours.

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There was a full moon that evening over the Botanical Gardens. The Cold Moon apparently. It was still full two nights later.

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The rainbow ribbon suspension bridge.

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The enchanted fairyland.

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The Glitterball Solar System.

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The rainbow light path.

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The Square light tunnel.

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Spotlights from the Viewpoint near the Refreshments area.

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The Globe lights canopy above a path.

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Bright white reindeer trail.

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The warped light tunnel. This was popular.

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The light bulb beads, you had to walk through these.

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Near the end. The Alpine Yard with lit up greenhouses.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

The Ribbons: Birmingham AIDS & HIV Memorial in Hippodrome Square

Until now, there has been no memorial sculpture to those people who lost their lives to AIDs & HIV. Garry Jones came up with it after watching It's a Sin on Channel 4, and his design was sculpted by Luke Perry. It was unveiled in Hippodrome Square on Hurst Street in Southside, outside Genting Casino on the 1st December 2022. It is two interlaced red ribbons.

For more on The Ribbons go to the Birmingham AIDS & HIV Memorial website.

The community and city of passionate individuals worked tirelessly over 18 months to deliver a lasting and symbolic memorial in the centre of the UK, in our hometown of Birmingham. It was unveiled on World AIDS Day on the 1st December 2022.

The Red Ribbons sculpture was created by Garry Jones, and was sculpted by Luke Perry. Also involved was co-founders Phil Oldershaw and Andrew Bentley-King.

 

The plinth, October 2022

In the last couple of weeks of October 2022, work took place to install the plinth in Hippodrome Square on Hurst Street, Southside in front of the Chinese Quarter shops: Sohair, Ying Wah, Happy Lemon and Mr Egg.

dndimg alt="BAHM" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BAH%20Memorial%2029102022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown

 

The Ribbons sculpture arrives wrapped, November 2022

With less than two weeks to go, The Ribbons: Birmingham AIDS & HIV Memorial is installed on the plinth, but will remain under wraps until the evening of the 1st December 2022.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Unveiling of The Ribbons, 1st December 2022

While Birmingham We Are's regular contributor Elliott Brown, was unable to attend the event that evening, Daniel Sturley and Jack Babington were able to attend.

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dndimg alt="BAHM" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_0751b_HIVM.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Daniel Sturley

 

The Ribbons, a few days after unveiling, December 2022

Elliott had always planned to return a couple of days after the unveiling to get The Ribbons: Birmingham AIDS & HIV Memorial in the daylight, and without anyone in the way. It is quite inspiring to see, and had flowers on the plinth below.

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dndimg alt="BAHM" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/BAHM%20Ribbons%2004122022%20(5).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown

Moseley Farmers Market over the years

Usually held on the last Saturday of each month is the Moseley Farmers Market on St Mary's Row, near Moseley Village Green. It can be seen from the following bus routes: 1, 35 or 50. Takes place in the morning until at least midday before it closes. Gallery of the farmers market, as seen mostly from the no 1 bus, top deck on St Mary's Row. But also from the 50 on Alcester Road.

Moseley Farmers Market is usually held on the last Saturday of each month on St Mary's Row, near Moseley Village Green. There is also market stalls on Alcester Road (but on the pavement between the former Boots and Subway stores) the Moseley Arts Market. You can get the no 1, 35 or 50 bus routes to the market. But there is sometimes a lot of parked cars on the pavement on Salisbury Road, which makes it difficult for the no 1 bus to get past between Moseley and Edgbaston.

 

26th April 2014

Bottom deck views of Moseley Farmers Market in late April 2014, from the no 1 bus, heading onto St Mary's Row from Salisbury Road, in the direction of Wake Green Road. Held on the Saturday between 9am and 1pm.

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27th May 2017

I next photographed the Moseley Farmers Market from the top deck of the no 1 bus, on St Mary's Row in late May 2017. This was before 10am in the morning. Plenty of fruit and vegetables, and bread for sale at the time.

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29th July 2017

The next time I saw Moseley Farmers Market was at the end of July 2017. When the ex Barclays Bank was a Costa Coffee (now Wafflings). No 1 bus view again. Flowers in full bloom.

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29th June 2019

At the end of June 2019. The first view taken from the no 1 bus before 12:30pm while it was still open. Later caught the 50 back towards Kings Heath, and they were packing up before 3pm. The Moseley Farmers Market on St Mary's Row as usual, while the Moseley Arts Market would have been on the Alcester Road pavement between Boots (now closed) and Subway.

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24th September 2022

Late September 2022 view from the top deck of the no 1 bus on St Mary's Row, just after 12pm that day. Both markets were looking busy.

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26th November 2022

The last Saturday in November 2022, also the final market before the one they will have in the middle of December before Christmas. The usual views from the top deck of the no 1 bus, as it approached the traffic lights before going down Salisbury Road towards Edgbaston and Five Ways.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

Museum of the Moon at Lichfield Cathedral

Another Luke Jerram work of public art on display. Museum of the Moon was at Lichfield Cathedral from the 21st September to 31st October 2022. Elliott got a train on the Cross City Line to Lichfield City (on the 30th October 2022), and after a Costa stop at Three Spires, walked to the cathedral. During the day the entry ticket was free (paid evening tickets were sold out).

See also Gaia at Millennium Point (February 2022)

I was first aware of Museum of the Moon after Birmingham People with Passion Damien Walmsley and later Jack Babington visited and took photos at Lichfield Cathedral.

 

Museum of the Moon is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram.

Measuring seven metres in diameter, the moon features 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1:500,000, each centimetre of the internally lit spherical sculpture represents 5km of the moon’s surface*.

Over its lifetime, the Museum of the Moon will be presented in a number of different ways both indoors and outdoors, so altering the experience and interpretation of the artwork. As it travels from place to place, it gathers new musical compositions and an ongoing collection of personal responses, stories and mythologies, as well as highlighting the latest moon science.

The installation is a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones. Each venue also programmes their own series lunar inspired events beneath the moon.

 

It has been over six years since I last got a train from Birmingham New Street to Lichfield City. Back then I did a spire climb at St Mary's in the Market Square.

I found out that this moon exhibit in Lichfield Cathedral was ending on the 31st October, so I got the train up on Sunday the 30th October 2022. It got in around 12:30pm, and was there around 20 minutes, including a look around the inside of the Cathedral on the ground floor.

It appears that there is other moons at other venues all around the world, same with Gaia, the Earth sculpture.

Submitted one photo to the Birmingham Post & Mail Flickr group, and it got published in the Birmingham Mail readers letters page on Tuesday 1st November 2022, you can see that photo at the end of the gallery below.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

A visit to Orelle Restaurant on the 24th floor of 103 Colmore Row

In early October 2022, photographers, bloggers etc got a chance to go up to the 24th floor of 103 Colmore Row to go to Orelle Restaurant. I mainly went up for the views. In this post we will look at the interior of the restaurant and the stunning views from the windows (taken in the morning). A lift takes you up to the 24th floor. There is also a cafe bar on the ground floor. 

July 2022

On the 10th July 2022, I saw a sign on the ground floor of 103 Colmore Row below the Equinox sculpture. Orelle was going to open here during the autumn of 2022, located on the 24th floor with 360° views over Birmingham.

dndimg alt="Orelle" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/103%20CR%20ORELLE%2010072022.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Daniel noticed Orelle about a week before I did, on the 3rd July 2022.

dndimg alt="Orelle" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/IMG_4392b_103CR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Daniel Sturley

 

October 2022

On Saturday 8th October 2022, I went to Orelle, after getting permission a couple of days before to go up at 11am, although I arrived early, went up, and spent around 10 minutes or so getting my photos (mostly of the views).

After I left, for a photo walk around the City Centre, I got this view of 103 Colmore Row from Suffolk Street Queensway, near Holloway Circus, showing the location of the 24th floor and where Orelle Restaurant is.

dndimg alt="Orelle" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Orelle%20103%20CR%2008102022%20(12).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Reverse order here, took the exterior of Orelle Restaurant from Colmore Row after I left.

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A view of the Orelle entrance and outdoor seating area, taken on the 24th October 2022 (just over two weeks since my visit).

dndimg alt="Orelle" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Orelle%20103%20CR%2024102022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Back to the 8th October. The ground floor bar of Orelle, after heading down the lift, and before exiting to Colmore Row.

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When I got to Orelle, I told staff at the entrance that I got permission to photograph on the 24th floor at Orelle, and a member of staff took me up the lift. Then I went around taking photos of the interiors, plus the amazing views. There was only one side I did not get, the view towards Victoria Square, saw a door, and thought it was a private staff area. Well at least I got three sides, plus the view towards the BT Tower and Cathedral Square.

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Views from the 24th floor of 103 Colmore Row

Westside

Library of Birmingham and Utilita Arena Birmingham.

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Ladywood

Edgbaston Reservoir.

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Jewellery Quarter

BT Tower.

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Great Hampton Street

The Gothic and King Kong in King Kong Park.

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Colmore BID

Birmingham Snow Hill Station to Cathedral Square.

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Colmore Square

West Midlands Metro tram, The Wesleyan and the Forward Together sculpture.

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City Core

Towards the Rotunda, Birmingham New Street Station etc.

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Holloway Circus

Towards the Beetham Tower, The Sentinels, Orion Building and The Mailbox.

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Digbeth

Chiltern Railways Class 168 trains parked on the Bordesley Viaduct. Can also see Selfridges and the Custard Factory.

dndimg alt="Views from 103 Colmore Row" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Bordesley%20Vduct%20Orelle%20103CR%2008102022.JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown