“Witton Road, under a railway bridge. Where am I now? I genuinely have no idea.”

Doh: Villa Park of course.

“Emerging from South Yardley. Big graveyard here, looks old. I wonder how old?”

According to Birmingham City Council, South Yardley Cemetary only dates back as far as 1883:

“In 1883 the 8 acre Yardley Cemetery was opened to relieve the churchyard of Yardley Parish Church.”

“Who was George Dixon?”

We passed an interesting complex containing three schools bearing the name of  ‘George Dixon’. Originally called ‘George Dixon Schools’, they are now known as George Dixon Primary School, George Dixon Lower School, and George Dixon International School & Sixth Form Centre.

George Dixon was born in Yorkshire in 1820 and moved to Birmingham in 1838. He was elected Mayor in 1866 but resigned the following year in order to represent Birmingham in Parliament, with the goal of establishing a general education system.

George Dixon died in 1898. The schools date from 1906 and were named after him.

• George Dixon (MP) (Wikipedia)
• Public Education (British History Online)

“‘Exelda Works’. Wonder what that was?”

Oops. I mis-spelt on the bus: it’s actually Excelda Works. It’s in Handsworth and, if my memory is correct, it looks like an old and disused factory or warehouse.

My limited research though leaves me confused. It seems that recently it has been used as a clothing warehouse (at least that’s what Google seems to think), but was originally the home of W H Collins. What they did is unclear: they seem to have registered a silvermaker’s mark in 1948, and it appears they may have been in the business of making retractable pencils. A bit more digging is needed on this one.

“Sign reads ‘Kestrel Powder Coating’. Is that a tasty, meaty topping? Or something else entirely?”

Something else entirely, of course.

Kestrel Powder Coating Ltd in Aston specialises in coating aluminium and steel. They provide ‘Quality powder coating of aluminium extrusion and pressed metal’. They also provide ‘friendly efficient service’ and ‘excellent powder availability’. Look out for their monthly special offers.

• Possibly related posts

  1. Today I shall be spending 11 hours on the bus

Because today I shall be taking part in Jon Bounds’ brilliantly mad idea to spend eleven hours on the Number Eleven bus on the eleventh day of the eleventh month. 2008. (Nothing’s perfect.)

Why? If we really need a reason, here’s Jon’s:

“The idea is that a snapshot of the real Birmingham from a number of different people will emerge, one that’s unedited, unspun, and unwashed. Circling the city will force the gaze inward, focussing our attention exclusively on our municipality. It’ll also freak out the drivers, who normally expect passengers to have a destination in mind”.

We shall all be documenting it in our own way. I still don’t know what my way is, but I shall at least attempt to blog live. I doubt anyone will read it, but if you are you can contact me too; it’s a two-way thing y’know.

The day starts, not surprisingly, at 11am. And that is when my blogging begins.

Update

Well, we did it. And I blogged live from the bus. It turned out not to be a ‘two-way thing’ because I was using my phone to blog and so that meant I didn’t have the full functionality of the blogging tool. So apologies if you tried and failed to interact.

Anyway, below is a transcript of that liveblogging (with duplicates removed, in case you’re someone who might notice).

11-11-11

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11:02

Well it’s 11 o’clock but I’ve just missed a bus. Hopefully another along in a few minutes.

11:14

On the bus at last. Stinks of fag smoke; glad I’m not upstairs. But that’s Birmingham buses for you.

11:17

Padded grips in front of seats: an aid for the elderly maybe?

11:18

Just swerved to miss a knob driver

11:20

Cadbury World. Still not visited. Not sure it’s worth the entry fee.

11:23

I’m not the only person doing this by the way: http://www.elevenbus.co.uk

11:26

And yes, I actually took the day off to do this.

11:26

Selly Oak Sainsburys & its ludicrous road system.

11:31

Someone getting off the bus hesitated, emptied a bottle of juice onto a seat, placed the bottle on top, then got off. WTF?!

11:32

Harbourne.

11:35

My limited knowledge of my local area now totally fails me: I need a guide. Hopefully I won’t be alone all day.

11:37

Heading towards Bearwood, it sems. We’re all going clockwise, by the way.

11:40

If you take your earphones out you won’t need to shout, love. I’m sure the person sitting NEXT TO YOU can hear fine.

11:44

‘Temporary Stop’. We had one of those: for five years. It’s now permanent.

11:45

George Dixon International School, complete with what looks like a sort of temple.

11:48

Summerfield Park. Big green space with fancy(ish) gates.

11:49

I’m now officially in Winson Green.

11:54

HMP Birmingham.

12:01

Some knob in a 4×4 drove along the pavement & stopped in front of a shop door.

12:04

Apparently it’s playtime at Rooky Junior School

12:08

Laurel Road Community Sports Ground has a climbing wall, which at first glance I thought was a strange sculpture

12:10

Handsworth Wood. Suddenly I’m seeing BIG houses

12:10

And suddenly some really grotty flats.

12:13

That was close: nearly hit a bollard.

12:19

I wish I dared to get my camera out. Sadly I’m not that brave.

12:21

Witton Road, under a railway bridge. Where am I now? I genuinely have no idea.

12:22

Now under a road bridge.

12:25

Marsh Hill Primary School. STILL playtime? Or lunch maybe?

12:26

I’m doing all this on my phone you know. Email, blog, Twitter, all in the palm of my hand.

12:27

Did I just go through Perry Bar without noticing?

12:28

School kids on bus. Must be lunchtime.

12:33

Bus seems to be emptying. Not sure why; maybe shops nearby?

12:35

Oh, shops. Lots of them. It helps to look out of the window.

12:38

‘Buffet Island’. What a great name. Strange, stranded Chinese restaurant in what looks like (mock?) Tudor building.

12:40

About to go under the M6, and over the railway.

12:41

Oh no, I missed Star City. Shame

12:46

Fox & Glove Shopping Centre. You could mark out this route with shopping centres. Maybe I’ll try that later.

12:47

Some yoof have just got on.

12:48

Now heading towards the airport.

12:50

Over a railway.

1:00	Off the bus in South Yardley. Stretch my legs & get some food. We are allowed off for up to an hour at a time.

1:22	Back on the bus, but this time facing backwards. Not ideal, but it does change the perspective. Oh, and I have sandwiches

1:23	Facing forwards again. Much better.

1:27	Emerging from South Yardley. Big graveyard here, looks old. I wonder how old?

1:30	I hear Travel West Midlands’ famous blogging bus driver has joined Jon Bounds on a bus ahead of me.

1:32	Car sat across roundabout lane waiting for a parking space. Stupid driver, but also stupid place for a ar park.

1:34	It appears I’m now leaving Acocks Green. No peurile puns, thank you.

1:36	Shame on my spelling: of course that should have read ‘puerile’.

1:37	Passing Lidl and through Hall Green.

1:38	Sign for ‘Monica’s Florist’. Where’s MY florist?

1:39	Fox Hollies Children’s Centre. Can’t see any children; maybe lunchtime’s over.

1:41	Heading towards Kings Heath. Man changing ad poster at bus stop.

1:45	More big houses. Passing Sarehole Mill, of Tolkein fame.

1:49	Green & quiet around here.

1:49	Nearly in Kings Heath. Hope to get off the bus to meet some folk.

2:16	In the lovely Kitchen Garden Cafe drinking tea. There’s a rather embarrassing video somewhere now that Jon Bounds just shot.

2:49	Back on the bus. Had a few technical problems but sorted now. In Cotteridge. Jon (Bounds) reckons Cotteridge is approching Party Shop Event Horizon.

2:50	Just passing the Quaker Meeting House.

2:51	I should have said that I have completed one full circuit.

2:53	About to pass my vet. My cat’s vet, to be more accurate

2:53	Passing the end of my friend David’s road.

2:55	‘Welcome to Bourneville’ has picture of George Cadbury.

2:56	Bourneville Green: Bourneville Junior School with its carrilon, & Bourneville Quaker Meeting House. Yes, another one. Already.

2:59	School day ending. Lollipop Lady just stopped the bus, outside the hospital (that’s not significant).

3:01	New hospital in the distance. Wow, some building. Will try & link to one of my companions’ photos later.

3:01	Bourneville Green: Bourneville Junior School with its carrilon, & Bourneville Quaker Meeting House. Yes, another one. Already.

3:06	Don’t know how I managed to re-post an old message. Hopefully that won’t happen again.

3:07	Up the hill in Harbourne.

3:09	‘Harborne Cricket Club & Hockey Club’. Says it all. And shows I’ve been spelling ‘Harborne’ wrong.

3:15	‘Old House at Home’ pub. Very interesting building.

3:17	Leafy suburbs; huge houses; ‘Lordswood Tennis Court at Lordswood Boys School’.

3:19	Crime prevention poster: “If you’re not in, don’t let everyone know”. Ok, I’m at home. Right now. I’m not on a bus. Don’t rob my house.

3:20	Now in Bearwood. Funny how the scenery changes so quickly. Feels poorer but livelier than a a mile back.

3:23	Now in Sandwell.

3:25	Very straight road. Roman, perhaps. ‘City Road’. Back at the International School.

3:26	George Dixon school(s) again. Who was George Dixon?

3:27	City Road is the A4040.

3:30	City Road Primary School & Nursery.

3:34	Sign with an arrow pointing upwards. Text said ‘Skyline’.

3:36	Potholes. More noticeable on the top deck.

3:37	Back at the prison. Strange building.

3:39	Apologies, by the way, if you’ve sent messages. Because I’m using my phone I have limited functionality with the liveblogging facility. I will try to get to any later.

3:41	Hello Handsworth. Again. Streetlights are very angular here.

3:43	Ooh, but these streetlights are funky. Look a bit like spears.

3:44	Kids pissing around in the middle of a busy road. Police just watching.

3:44	Hooray! At last, tinny music at the back of the bus.

3:45	‘Exelda Works’. Wonder what that was? Will look up later.

3:49	‘Thank you for visiting’ unlit lights. Now leaving Handsworth.

3:52	‘The Grove’ pub. ’1894′. There are some lovely random old buildings in Birmingham.

3:53	Apparently we’re actually still in Handsworth.

3:56	Over a railway.

3:58	Yoofs singing along to their phone music. Bless.

3:59	About to pass near Ozzy Osborne’s house. Apparently.

4:01	The house he grew up in, that is. Apparently the owner sold the front door on ebay because Ozzy had written his name on it.

4:07	Under train bridge, originally claret and blue (now very faided) & painted, says Jon, by a couple of Villa players.

4:08	Tame Valley Canal.

4:20	Erdington. I’m awake this this time.

4:24	Another thing about Birmingham buses: it’s not just tobacco they smoke on the top deck. It’s wafting down to us: apologies if my writing gets even stranger.

4:26	Getting dark now. About to go beneath M6 again.

4:28	There are currently six of us & a baby on this bus. Others are out there though: we have made contact.

4:29	Under the motorway & over the railway. I love that bit. Horrid for bus drivers though, I’m told (by a bus driver).

4:31	We have an artist with us, who’s doing a project about buses. And taking some great photos.

4:37	I’m going to slow down with these posts in order to conserve the battery life of this machine. (It would be a shame to run out of juice before the end.)

4:50	At Swan Island. Sounds idyllic. It’s a traffic island, with no swans.

5:12	Swanhurst Park. Apparently the best dog-walking area in Moseley/Kings Heath

5:33	Off the bus for another little break, this time in the Red Lion, Kings Heath.

5:35	Very sporadic phone signal here.

6:43	I’m back, & TRYING to catch a bus. Currently 6 of us in this group.

6:51	Back on the bus.

6:53	We’ve promised to acknowledge the allotment of Dave Harte (Digital Birmingham), coming up soon.

6:58	It’s too dark to see much now.

6:59	Hello Dave Harte’s allotment!

7:06	Back up the hill into Harborne.

7:11	We’re off the bus again. Trying to stretch out this run to ensure we arrirc back in Kings Heath at 10pm.

7:13	Oh dear, an ambulance. We’re in Harborne now.

7:18	That last post was misleading: as far as I know Harborne has no reason to be infamous for ambulances. It has a Waitrose in fact.

8:21	Back. Again. Buses are few and far between. And it’s now quite chilly. I hope a bus arrives soon.

8:24	In Harborne still, by the way

8:28	Oh, we’re going to end up at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath at 10pm.

8:37	Back on the bus.

8:39	Again, sorry if you’ve sent messages. As I’m my phone to do this I don’t have access to the interactive features. I will try to process them later.

8:42	It’s all a bit dark & quiet, not much to comment on at the moment. Back on City Road (A4040). Didn’t recognise it because it’s so quiet.

8:47	We reckon we’re just passing the bus stop nearest to the town centre; it’s outside Summerfield Community Centre. Opposite Summerfield Park.

8:49	We’re in Winson Green by the way.

8:50	Ace view across along the canal to the lights of the city centrei

8:52	My scribbling hand is getting tired. Apologies for silly mistakes.

8:57	Oh no. Jon has now got me interested in manhole covers. Apparently Bill Drummond says there seem to be no round ones in Birmingham. So now I’m looking. And noticing that while they’re not round they do have different patterns.

8:58	Front top deck of bus is great for spotting manhole covers. Helps that the roads are empty.

9:00	Soho Road. School warning sign painted on road is stretched, to allow for angle it’s being viewed from.

9:00	We’re in Handsworth, in fact.

9:02	Christmas lights are on in Handsworth.

9:04	T-Mobile, your service is rubbish.

9:07	There are manhole covers with round patterns, though the object itself is square.

9:09	Passing the Crown & Cushion. Tinny rap music from a mobile phone entertains us.

9:13	That’s the third time I’ve managed to miss Villa Park.

9:15	Sign reads ‘Kestrel Powder Coating’. Is that a tasty, meaty topping? Or something else entirely?

9:21	We’ve miscalculated. We think we’ll be about half an hour late. We’re just coming up to Erdington.

9:33	Stetchford.

9:35	Outside the Fox & Goose in Stetchford.

9:43	Passing the DVLA in Yardley. Phone battery low, but may just make it.

9:51	Lovely, people smoking at the back.

9:52	Acocks Green.

9:54	We will be late, bnt probably no more than 15 minutes. And since my first bus didn’t arrive until 11.15, that’s pretty good.

9:55	Kid just asked us for a lighter.

9:56	I may have been too optimistic: they appear to be changing drivers, or waiting for something.

9:58	Moving again. Passing Acocks Green bus garage.

10:04

Moseley. Just passed Sarehole Mill.

10:05

Turning into Yardley Wood Road.

10:07

Billesley. Car stopped dead in front of bus with hazards on. No attempt to move it.

10:08

Kings Heath! Yay!

10:10

Next stop Hare and Hounds. That’s it! Over! Sorry if yon sent messages, I had limited technology; will try to respond later. All done. 11 hours on the 11 bus route. Thank you for watching.

10:11

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