Packs of four BiNS badges — including the never seen before BRUTAL Central Library badge — now available from the Created in Birmingham shop in the Bull Ring. It’s sort of opposite the Apple shop, top level — towards Debenhams if going in from by the bull. Top value:
The council’s bin men have obviously got an even harder job in these conditions, but whoever is supplying information to the Weather disruption page on the website is living in a fantasy land. “If your collection was missed today please remove the bags or boxes from the roadside where feasible and store them as usual. We will endeavour to collect your items as soon as possible or on the next scheduled collection for the particular service affected.” “We are committed to clear any backlog over the next few days, weather permitting.” A fantasy land of the past where bin men got bags from your bins rather than you having to put them at the edge of the road. If they’re going to come round as-and-when to clear the backlog they you obviously need to leave them out.
A piece of classic Brum I spotted today on the Dudley Road. Legendary record shop/barbers Summit now has a takeaway too. The’ve called it: (with apologies for the appalling photo) “Summit To Eat”. Yay.
Whether to stop Victorian dads getting all excited by a glimpse of shapely moulding, to cover up a council branding incident, or just to prettify, these bins covers spotted in Roxie Collins in Stirchley: “I was walking home last Thursday night and saw these nicely made clothes for bins… unfortunately they are no longer there” BiNS bins of the year — unless you know different. More shots after the jump
Spotted by regengirl, “the oldest bins in Birmingham?”. West Midlands County Council was abolished in 1986.
They’re building a new library, it’s going to be shorter than they first said (but still contain the same amount of space – how so?). But despite the planning app not having been submitted as yet, digging has commenced. It’s okay though, it’s not building it’s archaeology. The diggaging at the site is in the hands of proper archaeologists and everything: “Plans held in the Central Library’s Archive already gave us pretty accurate ideas as to what would be uncovered during the excavations, and so far there have been no surprises. The excavations have revealed a former canal arm and extensive remains of Winfield’s Cambridge Street Works which was built in the 1830s. Robert Winfield was principally a brass manufacturer and the works produced items such as brass bedsteads, but also carried out metal rolling, gas fitting, carpentry and wire manufacture.” Is there a time delay before “digging” is archeology? Less than a hundred years doesn’t seem worth getting Baldrick and his Time Team involved — especially when you’ve got the plans — I just couldn’t work out what the fuss was about. I’ve searched hard for a conspiracy theory — digging to make the site look in progress...
For our BBQ summer, you need a new BiNS T-shirt. And these are now made and shipped from the Midlands, keeping it in the family. We’ve teamed up (well they do all the hard work) with the people behind Bostin shirts to open a new online shop: There’s even a new shirt available right now, featuring something you may recognise:
Sort of. At WxWM2 (a gathering of Brum interweb interested types) I did a brief talk about how I came to start BiNS — it was improvised and I wandered wildly off topic. Thanks to the wonderful guys at Rhubarb Radio (where I also do the Saturday breakfast show, plug plug) it’s now available as audio. Listen to download it if you like. There are also all of the other talks too, not fair of me to pick one out — you will probably enjoy them all.
Have been remiss posting this, but here’s the listen again link to this week’s Big Paws in which the banal mundanity of existence is contemplated, and there’s an awful joke about Stephen Hawkins. News of this week’s show, hosted by a special guest.
