I lost the thread, but Jim Beaver had asked for advice on "having fun"
in Birmingham, Engeland, the UK, the World. I spoke with a friend who
was an accidental tourist for a few months in Brum:
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The pre-raphaelites in the Birmingham museum are the best collection in
the world and well worth a visit. However, the last time I was there
they were down and replaced with a pedestrian collection of British
contem****ary. The pre-raphaelites were on tour around the world. I saw
them here in the states, and they caused quite a buzz.
One of the best independent, read non-state owned collections in
England, is at the University of Birmingham. It is small, but has quite
good pieces. It is called the Barber Institute. Has a web-site. Take a
look.
The Museum of Science and Industry is far better to see than the art
museum. It memorializes what Brum really is, which is the center of the
industrial revolution. You can see what I believe is the first Watt and
Bolton steam engine, which used to supply the canal system with water.
Also go to the crossing of the canal system, and they used to do a tour
of canal on a canal boat that is interesting if you care about industry
as it was created for a world model to follow. It was better before
they tore many of the old factory buildings down. The canals began in
Birmingham to haul materials to the mills in Brum.
Go for a Balti! It is the Birmingham idea of Pakistani Curry and must
be tried to be believed. (You can take that as good or bad depending on
your feelings about curry, but I love them)
Don't know where you are staying, but the eye hospital, is the best
place it town and not that expensive all things being equal. Food is
good there too, and there are other newer restaurants in the town
center that have sprung up and have decent reputations.
Hire a car. Go to Blenheim, which is not too far, and has the best
collection of French furniture in the world. Better than Versailles as
well as being a brilliant stone manse. Stratford on Avon in a 45 minute
trip by car, and if the theater is going, there can often be good
things to see there.
Last, Debenham's. The department store is now on the site of the former
Bullring. It is in the form of a gigantic blue dresser's dummy, and it
is of a sort of architecture coming out of London that is different in
the extreme. There is a su**** bar in the store. It should be seen.
Keep your hand on your wallet, and watch your butt. It is the poorest
city in Western Europe, but its significance in the Industrial
revolution makes in interesting enough to spend a day or two.
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--
Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig
how beautiful it is out here? Why don't you say something righteous and
hopeful for a change?
-- Oddball
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