Peaky Blinders by Mr Murals at Digbeth Loc. Studios

During November 2024, the street artist Mr Murals painted a Peaky Blinders mural on Montague Street in Digbeth for the Digbeth Loc. Studios, of Steven Knight, who is making the Peaky Blinders Netflix movie on the site. It was formerly a Birmingham City Council Environmental site with the waste fleet of bin lorries until 2023.

You can approach Montague Street from Great Barr Street in Digbeth. It's near the Birmingham Central Bus Garage of National Express West Midlands, and the Grand Union Canal (Digbeth Branch).

The whole artwork was painted in several weeks by Mr Murals (Daniel Russell-Ahern).

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PEAKY BLINDERS WELCOME HOME THIS IS YOUR CITY BY ORDER OF DIGBETH LOC. STUDIOS

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PEAKY BLINDERS Ada Shelby (Sophie Rundle) WELCOME HOME

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Ada Shelby (Sophie Rundle) 

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THIS IS YOUR Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) CITY BY ORDER 

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Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy)

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OF DIGBETH Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy) LOC. STUDIOS

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Alfie Solomons (Tom Hardy)

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The full mural from right to left.

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* Note they asked Mr Murals to repaint Ada as looking older. 

See also Jack Babington's photo blog.

Photography by Elliott Brown

Brum's Reindeer

Brum's Reindeer a trail of 9 painted reindeer from Wild in Art, sponsored by Shopping in Birmingham, over November and December 2024. During the Christmas period. Donner was initially in the Great Western Arcade before being moved to the Christmas in Cathedral Square Craft Market (will be moved back when it ends).

Blitzen at Grand Central Birmingham

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Comet in the Piccadilly Arcade

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Donner in the Great Western Arcade (now at the Christmas in Cathedral Square Craft Market)

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Cupid in the Great Western Arcade

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Vixen in Cass Art on Corporation Street

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Rudolph inside of Selfridges

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Dancer in The Mailbox

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Dasher at Ice Skate Birmingham in Centenary Square

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Prancer at Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market in Victoria Square

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Photography by Elliott Brown

Three Chamberlain Square - August 2024 update

Here is a selection of photography taken by followers of Three Chamberlain Square during August 2024. 

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For the full feature on Three Chamberlain Square go HERE

For the map of three Chamberlain Square go HERE

The Shakespeare Express returns for the summer 2024 holiday season

Vintage Trains has put The Shakespeare Express back on, starting Sunday 21st July 2024, and for every Sunday to September 2024. Video of 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe at Solihull Station and photos of it at Birmingham Moor Street Station.

 See my YouTube video clip of The Shakespeare Express - video link Shakespeare Express - 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe flies through Solihull Station.

That was about 13:18 on Sunday 21st July 2024 at Solihull Station platform 2 (I checked Real Time Trains before I headed out).

A 15 minute wait for my train to Birmingham Moor Street (13:35). The Dorridge to Stourbridge Junction service. I got to Birmingham Moor Street and saw steam behind the West Midlands Railway 172004 I had just got off. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe was waiting at platform 1, as the WMR train to Stourbridge Junction had to go through the Snow Hill Tunnel first.

Once it had gone, was able to get a few photos of the steam locomotive at Birmingham Moor Street (I've previously photographed it at Birmingham Snow Hill and at the Tyseley Locomotive Works in the past).

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dndimg alt="The Shakespeare Express" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/5043%20EoME%20BMSS%2021072024%20(5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />Photography by Elliott Brown

Link to previous Shakespeare Express post:

Shakespeare Express 2022 and 2023

Taking off from Birmingham Airport in June 2024

Leaving Birmingham Airport on a Ryanair Boeing 737 8200 for Santander Airport in Spain on Friday 21st June 2024. An early start, for the 6am BST flight. Managed to get the window seat going to Spain. But coming back had the aisle seat. Was a clear view of Birmingham City Centre taking off. Ended up landing in Spain to rain! 

Friday 21st June 2024

With no sleep, we got the taxi to Birmingham Airport after 2am. The Ryanair check-in was self check-in with the hold luggage. Then up to security! No queues before the lifts. So when we got upstairs, the queues around security took around 40 minutes to clear before we reached Duty Free and the Departure Lounge. Our Ryanair flight to Santander Airport left shortly after 6am BST. For the Basque Country holiday (coach tours and walking trips around San Sebastian, Burgos, Bilbao, also Pamplona, and into France to Bayonne, and the La Rhune train, on one day). Mixed weather rain some days, sunshine others.

There is new West Midlands artwork near the gates, but found it hard to get without people in the way, so just at the time made an in camera panoramic.

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After leaving the Departure Lounge for the Gate, it was sunrise (we left home in darkness in the taxi). Was TUI and KLM planes outside.

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Heading to the gate, saw a Ryanair plane outside the window.

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This was probably our flight to Santander.

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After showing the boarding pass and passport to Ryanair staff (was a long queue, even for Non Priority), you head out down some stairs and outside, then heading to the rear door of the plane.

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The morning sunrise from the plane window.

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Here we are taking off with Ryanair Boeing 737 8200 over the City of Birmingham shortly after 6am BST.

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In the distance is Birmingham City Centre.

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Zooming in was a bit hard to focus, but could see the BT Tower and other landmarks as we headed up to the clouds.

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The Library of Birmingham was the last thing I spotted before we left the Midlands.

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The last major thing to see in Birmingham was an HS2 site at Washwood Heath.

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Friday 28th June 2024

We left Bilbao in Spain in the coach before 6am CEST, to head back to Santander Airport. Raining again. The coach ride in the rain and darkness, we reach Santander Airport shortly after 7am CEST. Santander Airport is smaller and much quieter than Birmingham Airport, security didn't take as long to get through. The departures area only has one Duty Free shop and cafe. As I had to sit in the aisle seat, I couldn't get any window views from the Ryanair plane back to Birmingham. We landed just before 10:30am BST. Got this view of a Air France plane before heading to Arrivals, Passport Control and baggage claim.

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By the time we left the airport with our luggage, it was just before 11am BST. The tent canopy things for the departure security queues were empty as we got a taxi back home.

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Photography by Elliott Brown