Birmingham and the Deviations

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Last night’s next door party finished at 5:30 am. It is another gloomy start but there are some promising breaks.

Jane has offered to take us to Birmingham so we sit back, relax and enjoy the drive. It is Sunday and all is relatively quiet on the roads. Perhaps everyone is still recovering from last night’s party. Everything is straight forward until we get to Junction 5. Closed! Deviation! Oh help. We drive on to the next exit and leave the motorway. We notice Jane wants us to return to Junction 5. We can see ourselves spending the day circulating between Junction 4 and 6. We just have to defy Jane’s instructions and follow the deviation signs. Perhaps we’ll have an understanding navigator who will soon pick up on what is happening and guide us to the centre of Birmingham. Thankfully she does. But oh no! More deviations. The centre of Birmingham is being redeveloped and roads are closed all around us. Deviation. Deviation. Deviation. We turn Jane off and follow a P sign to a wonderful car park in the Grand Central shopping centre.

We’re not sure what to expect on our visit to this very big city in the heart of the Midlands. Going by all the construction and deviations a lot is happening. Large new shopping centres have been constructed. We walk from one shopping centre to the next without needing to go outside. It would not matter if we did because it has not started raining yet. Still threatening though. Families are arriving and making the most of the last few days of the summer sales. Below Grand Central is one of the busiest railway stations in the country. Trains seem to be leaving every minute and it is a Sunday. We make a few purchases, have a little food, and decide we have had enough.

Today we do not visit museums or galleries, we visit one church, and pause a while at the memorial to the citizens of Birmingham who died during the Blitz.

Leaving Birmingham was the same sort of mission as arriving. Deviations! Eventually we get on the road that will take us back to Measham. Perhaps the authorities take the opportunity of the summer break to get all the road works done while there are fewer cars on the roads. To us the roads are crowded. How could they get any busier.

Tonight we explore the country lanes in search of a country pub. We find the Masons Arms in the next village and settle down to a roast dinner. We seem to have arrived at the end of the first sitting and the cauliflower cheese has disappeared and we have the last of the peas and corn. We do get lots of mashed potato, roast potato and gammon or roast beef. Back at our accommodation the party goers must still be asleep. All is quiet. We hope it stays that way.

Tomorrow we drive to a park and ride at Hooton for a train trip to Liverpool.
73. Birmingham and the DeviationsLast night’s next door party finished at 5:30 am. It is another gloomy start but there are some promising breaks. Jane has offered to take us to Birmingham so we sit back, relax and enjoy the drive. It is Sunday and all is relatively quiet on the roads. Perhaps everyone is still recovering from last night’s party. Everything is straight forward until we get to Junction 5. Closed! Deviation! Oh help. We drive on to the next exit and leave the motorway. We notice Jane wants us to return to Junction 5. We can see ourselves spending the day circulating between Junction 4 and 6. We just have to defy Jane’s instructions and follow the deviation signs. Perhaps we’ll have an understanding navigator who will soon pick up on what is happening and guide us to the centre of Birmingham. Thankfully she does. But oh no! More deviations. The centre of Birmingham is being redeveloped and roads are closed all around us. Deviation. Deviation. Deviation. We turn Jane off and follow a P sign to a wonderful car park in the Grand Central shopping centre. We’re not sure what to expect on our visit to this very big city in the heart of the Midlands. Going by all the construction and deviations a lot is happening. Large new shopping centres have been constructed. We walk from one shopping centre to the next without needing to go outside. It would not matter if we did because it has not started raining yet. Still threatening though. Families are arriving and making the most of the last few days of the summer sales. Below Grand Central is one of the busiest railway stations in the country. Trains seem to be leaving every minute and it is a Sunday. We make a few purchases, have a little food, and decide we have had enough.Today we do not visit museums or galleries, we visit one church, and pause a while at the memorial to the citizens of Birmingham who died during the Blitz.Leaving Birmingham was the same sort of mission as arriving. Deviations! Eventually we get on the road that will take us back to Measham. Perhaps the authorities take the opportunity of the summer break to get all the road works done while there are fewer cars on the roads. To us the roads are crowded. How could they get any busier.Tonight we explore the country lanes in search of a country pub. We find the Masons Arms in the next village and settle down to a roast dinner. We seem to have arrived at the end of the first sitting and the cauliflower cheese has disappeared and we have the last of the peas and corn. We do get lots of mashed potato, roast potato and gammon or roast beef. Back at our accommodation the party goers must still be asleep. All is quiet. We hope it stays that way.Tomorrow we drive to a park and ride at Hooton for a train trip to Liverpool.

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