Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit.
Tough decision Saturday morning, wether to watch the Olympic swimming heats sat next to “The Flozzie in the Jacuzzi” or to take our group of guests on our Saturday City Walking Tour. Walking tour won, but of course the Olympic theme was woven into the walk. Finished in time to see a bit of the men’s Gymnastics with local 23 year old Kristian Thomas. We’ll be looking out for him in the men’s finals on Monday.
As the crowds pour into the Olympic stadium to watch the opening ceremony, a respectable number of devoted volunteers gather at The Shakespeare on Lionel Street, for the first meeting of the supporters of Newman Brothers Coffin Fittings Factory, since the granting of planning permission to bring the Victorian factory back to its former glory. Although this time as a Museum and office/workshop space. Lots of hard work ahead and a bit more money to be raised.
The newest addition to our Walk and Meal section, The Rose and Crown Warwick is the start and finish point for our quarterly Warwick Ghost Walk. It meets all the criteria of the pubs we work with, it must be haunted, it must serve great food and drink and it must have great staff, the Rose and Crown ticks every box.
We finish our monthly Graveyard Ghost Walk outside the Red Lion in Warstone Lane. They have been the host for the last 2 years post Halloween Ghost Walk party.
A very colourful sceptical met those that had come along to join our Books and Writers, Sunday Walking Tour. Preparations were in full swing for the start of the Ratha Yatra International Society for Krishna Consciousness biggest street festival. The photo shows a huge wooden chariot which is pulled by hand in a grand procession. The procession ended back in Victoria Square where there was a stage show, a festival and a vegetarian prasadam feast.
On Saturday morning the route of our regular Saturday morning walking tours of Birmingham was cordoned off in preparation for a special service. 20 US athletes and 10 Jamaican athletes were among more than 200 people at the service held at St Philip’s Cathedral.
The US track and field team have been based at the Alexander Stadium whilst the Jamaican team have been training at the University of Birmingham.
Of course we will be cheering for Team GB, but we will be keeping an eye on both the Jamaican and US teams and cheering for them when they are not up against a GB team member.
Hope to catch the opening ceremony on the big screen in Victoria Square.
The walkers gathering to start the regular Saturday morning Birmingham City Centre walking tour were treated to a steady procession of Zombies. Far from being flesh eating monsters, they were raising money for charity by taking part in this the 4th annual Zombie walk, raising money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Let’s hope they have similar success to that of a previous series of charitable events that started in 1784. The newly completed General Hospital on Summer Lane needed funds to keep it running and for 128 years the Triennial Music Festival took place in Birmingham to raise funds and keep the hospital running for the benefit of all of the people of Birmingham, no matter what their finical circumstances were. It is the reason the Town Hall was built as the then town needed a 2,500 seater venue, Zombie numbers have been growing, 1,800 attend last years event, we look forward to hearing how many walked in the great weather this year.
We will be donating half our takings for Saturday’s walk to the Children’s Hospital, and hope that the yearly Zombies procession continues its good work.
We start our Graveyard Ghost Walk and finish our Sinister City Ghost Walk close to The Old Joint Stock.
On the Friday before Halloween we ran a joint Meal and Ghost Walk. The meal started at 7:00 p.m. and we told a few Ghost stories between courses before departing for the Ghost Walk around 8:30. We hope to repeat the combination again soon.
With a break in the weather, 13 boys from a Birmingham Secondary School, joined one of our Ghost Walking Guides on a ghoulish walk around Birmingham City Centre. The boys heard of morgues below cinemas, 1870’s gangs and how they got their comeuppance with a public hanging. They learnt a little of the history around hanging at Winsom Green with the story of the crime of the first man to swing there. One of the boys was particularly interested to hear that a man who shared the same surname as him, met his end at the end of a rope 48 years to the day before the lad was born. Then a quick story of rioters and looters ghosts from the 1790’s, before heading off to a graveyard to hear of body snatchers and the part that young boys played in committing this crime. Finally the boys spent some time and some money in Waterstones on New Street to see what other stories they could find. I must contact the teachers and ask if one boy in particular spent his money on the book “Hanged in Birmingham”.
When two of the twelve guests turned up to our specialist Sunday walking tour, 1000 tastes 1 city, with coffee from one of the chains, I had no option but to introduce the group to the thriving Birmingham Independent Coffee scene.
We departed from Victoria Square walking past Ginger’s Bar to our first stop outside Purnell’s in Cornwall Street. I shamelessly retold the stories that Glynn had so generously taken the time to share with our walking group the day before.
Having got them thinking about good food it was onto Urban Coffee Company in Church Street to ween them off chain store coffee. Long time Barista Simon, spoke in his soft Irish lilt to the assembled group. He spoke with great enthusiasm about each stage of the process in making the perfect cup of coffee. First choosing a single Estate bean, Columbian Tinana, grinding it to the correct size, carefully checking the temperature of the water, then carefully controlling the flow of the precisely measure volume of water through the coffee grounds. Simon then urged the group to slowly sip and taste, then to allow the coffee to cool a little before tasting again. His precise coaching, allowed the group to experience the subtleties of a first class coffee. Independent Coffee Shop twelve Chain Coffee shop Nil.
Having shared many more stories of the great brands and tastes that were born or found their way to Birmingham, and having left the group in Brindley place, I headed back to Urban Coffee Company for a cup of Columbian Tinana before heading back home.
Michael, Midlands Discovery Tours
