farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
It was a dump, but it was a strangely comforting timewarp type dump. Nothing says Birmingham like New Street station.
Birmingham New Street named as Britain’s worst railway station
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It was a dump, but it was a strangely comforting timewarp type dump. Nothing says Birmingham like New Street station.
Sea Star
have you ever explored your dark side?
Not absolutely certain yet but I'm looking at the area around Halesowen, which is where my other half is from.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Even that has been rebuilt recently and is now quite pleasant
The Birmingham of 20 years ago is long gone.Oh god. Digbeth Coach Station. I always ended up with a 40 minute standover there, those 40 minute breaks went on forever. Glad it's gone none.
Dogsauce
I’ve got Skol but I’m not a Scholar
They've done quite a few of them up over the last couple of decades, Bristol & Leeds are no longer car parks with a couple of portacabins. Victoria is still a festering turd that's too far from the end of the M1 though.
I got quite familiar with the chippy over the road at Digbeth.
BCBlues
Lend us a Twenner
Birmingham does also have Moor Street, which is one of the nicest major stations I can think of.
It *almost* counts as a modern station too, in that it was originally just a terminus and the platforms on the through lines were only added when it was reopened in the 1980s.[/QUOTE]
Snow Hill too. It's not as nice as Moor St but better than New St. It's more useful for links into the Black Country including the Metro. There's a small newsagents just outside run by a couple of Chinese women who make some excellent pastries and rolls.
Some great views of North Brum too if you walk down the platforms.
It *almost* counts as a modern station too, in that it was originally just a terminus and the platforms on the through lines were only added when it was reopened in the 1980s.[/QUOTE]
Snow Hill too. It's not as nice as Moor St but better than New St. It's more useful for links into the Black Country including the Metro. There's a small newsagents just outside run by a couple of Chinese women who make some excellent pastries and rolls.
Some great views of North Brum too if you walk down the platforms.
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Dieselpunk2000
Well-Known Member
I used to use New Street a lot in the late nineties(bunking off college and getting a train into Brum to go record shopping). For some reason, I used to really love the tatty old Bull Ring(complete with it's disorienting layout, orange escalators and faint air of menace) and the dark, gloomy feel to the Pallasades. Standing on platform 12a with a bloody cold wind howling through the badly-lit station, listening to Aphex Twin on my headphones, watching water dripping from the soot-black ceiling whilst waiting for a Class 150 Sprinter to take me back home was a regular thing.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
The ceiling is still pitch black - it would look a lot brighter if they painted it white.
Mapped
London town
I used it today and yesterday and stayed at the premier inn right next door. I'm sure Brum city centre will be great once they've finished digging it up, whenever that might be. The station seemed to be less annoying than in the past, maybe it was my timings, but it felt less congested.
Worst thing to me about Brum city centre (and I don't have that much experience) is the public realm/access between the city centre and the ICC/Library area, with the massive ring road separating the two. Currently the best route is through that crappy shopping centre, which gets shut at night, causing much confusion to non-brummies like me and the 50 Irishmen following me last night.
Worst thing to me about Brum city centre (and I don't have that much experience) is the public realm/access between the city centre and the ICC/Library area, with the massive ring road separating the two. Currently the best route is through that crappy shopping centre, which gets shut at night, causing much confusion to non-brummies like me and the 50 Irishmen following me last night.
aqua
made of cheese and gin
Go down past the mailbox
BigTom
Well-Known Member
Being redeveloped atm, 2017 iirc it'll be finished and the old library and shopping centre will be gone, the space will be opened up like you want. Steel and glass office buildings and a laughable renaming from Paradise Circus & Paradise Forum to simply Paradise
I think it'll be good though, the council are gradually working on getting rid of the inner ring road and trying to open up the city centre, after this it's getting the jewelry quarter linked up (plan is called Birmingham Connect iirc).
Mapped
London town
Go down past the mailbox
i'll try and locate it next time, although next time I'll try and avoid Broad St entirely to be honest.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Wise advice for any visitor to Birmingham
Wise advice for any visitor to Birmingham
No, Broad St is hilarious. Nothing beats having a wander down there at 11pm on a Saturday night - there are sights to take your breath away.
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
I'd rather eat glass tbh
I'd rather eat glass tbh
Well, you can do both if you look at someone the wrong way. Fun times.
SikhWarrioR
And the Worms ate into his brain
Given the general destruction and rebuilding of stations on the WCML in the sixies it amazes me how my parents local station Stoke On Trent managed to survive virtually untouched
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
I like Stoke station - especially how the roof casts patterns below when the sun shines.
A bit breezy to have to wait for a train in winter, mind.
It always makes me smile when the train passes the Shufflebottom & Sons factory just outside the station.
I hate newstreet. Platform changes, train changes, the never ending building work.... Only good thing about it is that no ticket inspectors in the evenings so you can travel for free
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
Not always true, I've seen a few people recently getting pulled up by inspectors at various times of the evening...I hate newstreet. Platform changes, train changes, the never ending building work.... Only good thing about it is that no ticket inspectors in the evenings so you can travel for free
I
I've never seen anyone asking for a ticket after 8ish. Must have been a random inspection.
Artaxerxes
Look out, he's got a gnu!
Got to admit I never really minded New Street pre-2000's, before it was torn up and turned into a construction site. Went there the other day and its a real mess with all the working going on.
I am here now. It's a dive 
aqua
made of cheese and gin
I am here now. It's a dive
Fortunately the train is on time so no hanging about.
farmerbarleymow
I'm Petee's spirit animal
So am I. It's a fucking dump.I am here now. It's a dive
buscador
culturally dominant
It was the 1970s when I was going through it every day on the way to school. I don't remember any good bits of the 70s . A Birmingham City fan once tried to beat me up when I was listening to a Villa match in the bar in New Street one evening on my way home from hockey practice.
