The Construction of One Centenary Way - March 2022 Update

One Centenay Way is externally complete all but the last few floors of windows and the parapet detail.

Construction photos covering late January to late February in this gallery.

16th January 2022

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20th January 2022

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3rd February 2022

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5th February 2022

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17th February 2022

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18th February 2022

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19th February 2022

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23rd February 2022

Photos taken on the 'Sky High Birmingham' trip to the 18th floor outside terrace of 103 Colmore for a special invite enthusiast photographer event at sunrise. Thanks so much to them for inviting us!

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Photography by Daniel Sturley

 

26th February 2022

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Photography by Stephen Giles

There are now nearly over 750 photos of the construction of this building and can be seen in reverse date order in the full gallery here: One Centenary Way Full Construction Gallery

ODEON Birmingham New Street - the second oldest cinema in the City Centre, used to be the Paramount Theatre

There has been a cinema / theatre on New Street in Birmingham for around 85 years. Originally the Paramount Theatre from 1937 to 1942. And then ODEON for the last 80 years and counting. The brick building has survived on the railway side from Birmingham New Street Station. Now has around 9 screens and a Costa Coffee. Built on the former site of King Edward VI High School for Girls.

The Paramount Theatre

After King Edward VI High School for Girls relocated to Edgbaston Park Road, vacating their former New Street premises in the mid 1930s (following the boys school - King Edward's School). The site was cleared and a theatre was built on the site, designed in the Art Deco style by Frank Verity & Samuel Beverley, and built from 1936 to 1937. The distinctive brick building at the back can still be seen from Birmingham New Street Station (either at road level or platform level).

The Paramount Theatre opened on the 4th September 1937. It was one of seven Paramount Theatres built in major UK cities by the American owned Paramount Theatres chain. It used to have a Compton 4 Manual / 10 Rank theatre organ. The Paramount had a large stage, dressing rooms and a café / restaurant. 

 

ODEON

On the 25th August 1942 it was sold to Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Theatres Ltd (about 9 months after his death). It was renamed to Odeon on the 29th November 1942. In the 1960's the Odeon was used for many 'One Night' concerts by pop groups, including The Beatles. In April 1965 the cinema was closed for a major modernisation, removing most of the original Art Deco style decorations, it reopened on the 24th June 1965. 

The Odeon closed on 25th May 1988 for a conversion into a six screen cinema, it re-opened by August 1988. But at this point the Compton organ was dismantled and sold. In 1991 two extra screens were opened in the former restaurant area and in a former bar in the basement. The last major refurbishment was carried out in 1998 when another screen was added. Costa Coffee opened up at Odeon in the foyer in the summer of 2015. 

Tickets can be purchased now either at the Minibar, or online via the website or app. You could collect you tickets at the Automatic Ticket Machines (using your card). As of 2021 onwards, you can present an E-ticket on your smartphone in the app, or in your email.

 

 

ODEON from New Street

Views of the main entrance to ODEON on New Street, seen at the end of December 2009. The Art Deco column above used to have PARAMOUNT on it from 1937 to 1942. But has had the ODEON name since November 1942 onwards. The phrase "Fanatical About Film" is still there now.

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The (then) new Costa Coffee, opened up on the left hand side of the foyer of ODEON Birmingham New Street by August 2015. In the years since, I have been to this Costa, if I'm seeing a film at this cinema. Also somewhere to sit if you arrive to early for your film, as there is no seats outside of the screens.

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View of the ODEON Minibar from Costa Coffee, during January 2017. This was where you used to be able to buy tickets, as well as snacks. The ATM's for collecting or buying tickets are on the far right (close to the exit doors to New Street). After all the lockdown closures and reopening, by mid 2021, the ODEON app had changed, and you can now have an E-Ticket with QR code to present to staff instead (of putting your card into the ATM to print off your paper ticket). Although I've only experienced this at ODEON LUXE Birmingham Broadway Plaza in Ladywood a couple of times in 2021. And I've been mostly going to Cineworld (Broad Street or Solihull) and using my E-Ticket (in the app or email) in recent years.

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Zemeckis Cube standee from Ready Player One, seen at the top of the stairs from the foyer, taken while I was in Costa Coffee during March 2018. Up the stairs is screens 3, 4, 5 and 6. The layout of the cinema is a bit weird with all the corridors, and stairs. Probably a relic of the layout from the Paramount Theatre. The screens as they are now are a bit small. And the lights go up during the end credits, so maybe a bit hard to see any mid or post credits scenes here. One year I watched the Tolkien biopic here, thinking that J.R.R. Tolkien went to King Edward's School close to where the cinema is now (the site that is now King Edward House). Ready Player One itself was filmed around Birmingham in places such as Digbeth and the Jewellery Quarter back in 2016.

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When Covid hit, ODEON like other cinemas in the country closed shortly before the start of the first National lockdown in March 2020. Costa was closed as well. Birds of Prey was one of the last movies I saw in this cinema around February 2020 (I think).

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ODEON, like other national chains reopened in July 2020. But there wasn't many new films on. So they showed previously released films. And when No Time to Die was postponed into 2021, ODEON once again closed by the middle of October 2020. This was the view of ODEON on New Street during the second lockdown in England (I was heading to work at the time) in December 2020.

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Most cinema chains reopened by the Spring of 2021, this included ODEON. In August 2021, there was a photography exhibition around the City Centre. It was called "Celebrating Britain 70 Amazing Years", for the Queen's up and coming 70th Anniversary in 2022. The Beatles performed a concert at the ODEON on New Street in the mid 1960s. So this photo was of The Beatles posing with local policemen, wearing their helmets. Seen on the morning walk up to the office.

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ODEON from Birmingham New Street Station

Before the redevelopment of Birmingham New Street, I got these views of the back of ODEON near St Martin's Queensway, at the end of December 2009. You could still see the old Victorian dark brown brick railway wall below the cinema.

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View of the back of ODEON take during October 2010. Scaffolding had gone up the brickwork, and early signs of building the Moor Street Link Bridge. The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station had begun.

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In March 2012, on a train for a day out in Tamworth. A view of the back of ODEON, with scaffolding for the building of the Moor Street Link Bridge. While another photographer was on a platform that is my spitting image (but is not me of course).

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During September 2012 at Birmingham New Street Station. The Moor Street Link Bridge was forming under ODEON. I was getting a train to Witton (for more photos around Villa Park in Aston at the time).

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The Moor Street Link Bridge was more or less almost complete by February 2013, in these views of it below ODEON, from St Martin's Queensway. The Pallasades wouldn't become Grand Central for another two years at least.

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By April 2013, the Moor Street Link Bridge (below ODEON) was almost ready to open to the public. Half Time Switchover took place at Birmingham New Street at the end of the month, where half of the new station opened, while the other half, yet to be rebuilt closed to the public. This included opening up the Moor Street Link Bridge between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Moor Street station's for the first time.

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It is now August 2013, and ODEON had their own billboard in use above the Birmingham New Street Living Wall. Back when Orange Wednesday's still existed. They also had Film Fan Monday and Bargin Tuesday at the time.

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On the train during April 2014, leaving Birmingham New Street for a day out in Coventry with my camera. Views out of the train window of ODEON and the Moor Street Link Bridge from below.

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In May 2014, returning to Birmingham New Street from Erdington on the train. Above view of the Moor Street Link Bridge and ODEON.

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Around September 2015, from the Bullring link bridge (later Link Street). A view of ODEON and the Moor Street Link Bridge. This was the last few weeks before Birmingham New Street Station would fully reopen. This view would later go when they installed the pop-up shop retail units on the bridge, so it's no longer possible to get this view.

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View of ODEON from Grand Central Square taken during April 2016. The billboard on the right had been taken over by Costa Coffee.

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A September 2017 view to ODEON and the Moor Street Link Bridge, with a London Midland Class 323 train. I was on the Cross City Line at the time on another Class 323 heading towards Aston, to attend the Civil War Siege event at Aston Hall, during Birmingham Heritage Week. The London Midland franchise ended in December 2017, being taken over by West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway).

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An October 2021 view towards ODEON from Grand Central Square in the rain. The Birmingham New Street Station sign on the wall had been changed into Birmingham Pride colours.

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A look at ODEON on Boxing Day, December 2021. Near the end of the year it had been quite foggy / misty. This view taken from St Martin's Queensway.

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A late January 2022 view of the back of ODEON from near Grand Central Square, in this view with the Rotunda, Living Wall and Moor Street Link Bridge. The red brick reflecting the sunlight, the sunshine even bounced off the ODEON sign.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

The rebuilding of University Station - progress from May to December 2021

University Station originally opened on the Cross City Line in 1978 to serve the University of Birmingham, and now the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Work began to build the new station buildings around Spring 2021. By Winter 2021-22 the main buildings are taking shape and getting cladded. The old station remains open throughout the works. Three photo updates from Elliott.

University Station - West Midlands Railway

First some photos of University Station in the years before the redevelopment.

View of University Station from platform 1 during March 2012. This was my first time getting off a train here.

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Below a view from Westgate taken in January 2013. Sometimes also called University Road West.

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In July 2017, a view of a London Midland Class 323 Electric Multiple Unit train, as seen from platform 2. By December of that year the franchise transferred over to West Midlands Railway. 323208 was the number.

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By December 2019 there was a new West Midlands Railway sign outside the station on Westgate, replacing the old Network West Midlands one.

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In August 2020, a view of University Station, after restrictions were being lifted at the time, but was no access to the University of Birmingham's Edgbaston Campus to members of the public who were not members of staff or students.

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29th May 2021

First views of the new University Station getting built from the Worcester & Birmingham Canal near the University of Birmingham in Edgbaston.

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The old 1978 station building remains open from the Westgate with a view of Old Joe (before the clock hands were removed).

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View from the bus stops of the site from New Fosse Way. The new station buildings would be built alongside Vincent Drive, near NHS Blood & Transplant Birmingham and the Birmingham Research Park.

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6th August 2021

In the summer of 2021, I got a train down from Birmingham New Street Station. West Midlands Railway 170509. In a purple livery (as it will soon transfer to East Midlands Railway).

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Behind the train you could see the structure of the new building going up.

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Heading down Vincent Drive.

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It was possible to see Old Joe behind the new building before it was complete last summer.

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Now on Pritchatts Road from the bridge over the Cross City Line and Worcester & Birmingham Canal. There will not be access to the station from this end.

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28th December 2021

Starting this time from Pritchatts Road, after checking out Old Joe (now with clock hands reinstated), the same view as 5 months earlier from the bridge over the Worcester & Birmingham Canal and the Cross City Line. The new station building has a new footbridge. When complete it will have an entrance to Westgate.

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Heading up Vincent Drive to a more complete looking station, although a lot to complete.

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Near the bus stops on New Fosse Way. Work was still going on here during the Christmas - New Year holidays.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

Perry Barr Station in 2012 and 2022

Since May 2021, Perry Barr Station has been closed to passengers for redevelopment ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The last station building was built in the 1960s and was very tired and dull looking after 55 years. Outside roadworks after the Perry Barr Flyover was pulled down in 2021. Should be complete by May 2022. Only time Elliott got a train here was August 2012.

Perry Barr Station history

The first station was built by the Grand Junction Railway in 1837, and is one of the oldest continually served stations in the world (until the 2021-22 redevelopment).  The GJR became part of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), later the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), who all owned the station in turn, before the nationalisation of the railways in 1948 under British Railways in 1948 (later British Rail). The station was rebuilt in 1966 when the line was electrified towards Walsall. After privatisation in the 1990s, the station was run by Central Trains (from 1997), then London Midland (from 2007), and now West Midlands Railway (from 2017).

 

The station is on the Birchfield Road in Perry Barr, near Walsall Road and the One Stop Shopping Centre.

 

The visit of August 2012

The only time I got a return train journey to Perry Barr was in August 2012, for my then first photo walk around Perry Barr. Arriving on London Midland 323220.

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First view of the 1966 station building, with a pair of steps up to the exit.

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The train I got off continues towards Walsall.

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There used to be a ramp exit on both sides.

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View from the steps towards platform 2.

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The old British Rail Station Perry Barr sign was there for a long time.

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Plus at the time the Network West Midlands station sign for Perry Barr.

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There used to be a subway under the road here which you could use to get to Birmingham City University's City North Campus.

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Later after my walk, heading down the steps to platform 1, to catch a train on the Chase Line back to Birmingham New Street.

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Waiting for my train.

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Time to leave Perry Barr on London Midland 323202.

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2nd January 2022

Been so busy over the last 6 months, that I've had no time to travel up to Perry Barr. Traffic always seemed busy, if you were going to the cemetery at Witton.

 

On the second day of the new year, I caught an X51 bus to Perry Barr. An express bus service towards Cannock. First wanted to check out the Alexander Stadium / Perry Park, and the stop was near Perry Avenue. Bit hard to see the stadium or proper park access, so walked down Walsall Road past the One Stop to check out the new station building.

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The new station building is partially complete / cladded. But at least five more months work to complete it, ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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Temporary bus stops on the Birchfield Road.

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I went down Wellington Road at one point, so much traffic, and realised that there wasn't a distant bridge view of the station, so crossed over and headed back up to the island.

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Heading up Wellington Road, behind the new station building was the construction site of what was formerly going to be the Athletes Village for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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After crossing at the temporary lights over Birchfield Road (subways and footbridge have gone). Got this view from near Aston Lane.

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Heading onto the other side of the Birchfield Road, for one last view of Perry Barr Station, before waiting to catch a no 51 bus back to the City Centre. I wonder how they will deal with the crossing of this busy road, no subways, no footbridge!

dndimg alt="Perry Barr Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Perry Barr Station 02012022 (7).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

It is a bit of a walk from here to Perry Park, for visitors going to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games from July - August 2022. A lot of roadworks are still unfinished. Hopefully they will finish everything here on time, fingers crossed.

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown

UB40 launched Musical Routes at Hall Green Station back in November 2021

(Late News). Near the end of November 2021, surviving members of UB40 were at Hall Green Station to unveil the first Musical Routes sign. The project is the brainchild of the Birmingham Music Archive founded by Jez Collins. While Birmingham We Are's Elliott Brown was at work that day, on the following Saturday morning, he got a few photos of the sign, with the thawing snow.

dndimg alt="UB40 Hall Green" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/UB40 Hall Green Station WMR.jpg" style="width: 100%;" />UB40 launch Musical Routes at Hall Green Station. Photo courtesy of West Midlands Railway. Friday 26th November 2021.

 

Saturday 27th November 2021

After hearing about this in the local news, the day after UB40 was at Hall Green Station, I walked here, before heading to catch the no 6 bus on the Stratford Road to the City Centre.

View from the footbridge of Hall Green Station. I normally get on from Welby Road (there is a path from Brooklands Road).

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

In the station car park is the new Musical Routes sign below the new West Midlands Railway sign for Hall Green Station.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

The map of Hall Green features Moseley & Kings Heath, Sparkbrook, Springfield (Sparkhill) and Hall Green. The map shows locations where famous Brummie musicians first started out, such as Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, UB40, Ocean Colour Scene, Bev Bevan and Laura Mvula.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Overnight had been some late November 2021 snow, but by the time I went out, it was thawing. The Musical Routes sign is near the disabled car parking spots.

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Heading out of the Hall Green Station car park towards the Stratford Road, to catch a no 6 bus. It's been a while since I last caught a train from this station (due to cancellations as a result of a shortage ot train drivers and other reasons). 

dndimg alt="Hall Green Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Musical Routes HGS (Nov 2021) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

National Express West Midlands is just a bit more reliable now than West Midlands Railway.

 

There will be other Musical Routes signs at other railway stations around Birmingham, but as yet, have not seen any more (or had time to visit any of them, other than my University and Perry Barr station rebuild updates).

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown can also be found on Twitter: ellrbrown