AIBU to let you know Birmingham New Street Station is....

[Bea]

... Absolutely stunning!!
Anyone who had to go through the old New Street Station knew how grim it was and didn't help the reputation of Birmingham but if you could see it now!...
Hats off to all the builders architects etc! It is amazing!!

www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/grand-central-birmingham-opens-public-10121923

It used to be gigs at the hummingbird for me so I am probably showing my age now. Oh and the occasional drink in Coster mangers and of course the black horse in Aston. Ahh the memories ??

Sorry not sure what is going on with my iPad today

It's lovely. Busy, but lovely. I'm so grateful that it's opened the whole city up again - you can head out in many directions.

Prosecco bar looks handy. Food places look delicious - Pho and Tapas Revolution are on my list.

John Lewis is huge, but lots of staff. I found what I needed whereas previously I would have had to go to Solihull which I hate.

Biggest disappointment was the lack of lifts (DS in buggy) and the fact Tiger hasn't opened yet.

Lifts may be an issue for my wheelcair then Although tbh kind of getting used to that these days

Biggest disappointment was the lack of lifts

Ah. We went Sunday, before JL was open.

Little tip in shopping centres for lifts, is to use ones in store. The "public" lifts in the Bullring are permanently full of people who could use the stairs , but the ones in Debenhams are rarely used, and will get you to the same floors.

Thanks for the Brumhaus suggestion. Gonna get a couple.
Going to town (love that Brummies call the city centre, town) in a couple of weeks when hopefully the initial rush will have died down a bit.

Going to town (love that Brummies call the city centre, town)

When I lived in London (Harrow) it was the same - "going into/up town"

Although, compared to London, Birmingham is a town. And almost anywhere else a village.

I've been tweeting them about the lifts. Apparently there are 3, one set of which are in John Lewis. One other (by Carluccio's) was out of order and I couldn't locate another one. The John Lewis one took five minutes to come to New St level

Apart from all the lazy selfish cunts people who could do with using use the stairs, the other problem (which seems to be a "thing" in the past 10 years) is when it get's busy, people just jump into any lift. Which is why you will sometimes see the same embarrassed faces going down ... up ... down again.

If it's quite a full lift, I'll make sure MrsLH is in safely, and walk the stairs myself.

We used the lifts in John Lewis (also had our son in the pushchair!) without any problems. I thought they didn't have as much baby stuff as the Solihull one, the baby room was nice but small.

We were pretty impressed. I am a bit uncomfortable about Birmingham getting so fancy, but that's my own problem.

If anyone's on Periscope I did a broadcast yesterday from #newNewStreet. @OriginalCoolski is my handle.

Elle I know what you mean part of me quite proud but part is uncomfortable with how much it's changing.

I detest the German market. I wish they'd move it all down to Millennium Point, if they must have it at all. It makes it almost impossible to get anywhere.

DH 'made' us go on Sunday - his first comment was 'I'd hate to have to do the snagging on this project!'

It was good - as is the library and the Bull Ring imo. I think Birmingham is coming to life again!

Theres a john lewis in birm???

Visitng inlaws tmrw in bham. Cant wait!

Where do i find the prosecco on tap?

Considering its primary function is that of a railway station I think it is pretty amazing and an asset

We saw Henning Wehn last year at the Town Hall the day the German Christmas Market opened. He mentioned he'd wondered round it and "I had no idea so many Germans came from Romania"

I speak reasonable German, and one year asked at the bread stall for my favourite type of German bread (they have many & are pernickety about bread & its quality - the evening meal is called Abendbrot ). So I asked in my politest German for my favourite type, and got a broad Brum "I'm English, love."

I often have to go through New Street en route to other places and frankly at platform level and as an experience for a traveller it is just as bad as ever it was. They just built a load of shops on top of it.

Its just a property deal for developers and a piece of grandstanding by local council and development agency - not an improvement for passengers.

Oh and by the way, just outside the tiny central area Birmingham is a scene of utter continuing urban decay. It is no longer Britain's second city. Manchester-Leeds conurbation gained that crown long go.

Oh and by the way, just outside the tiny central area Birmingham is a scene of utter continuing urban decay

What utter rot. Where on earth have you got this drivel from?
Or have you just made it up?

People love to hate Birmingham

AH I have a special fondness for Birmingham :)

How can Manchester and Leeds be the second city? They are two separate places?

Hmm! Of course with any major city there are areas if "urban decay"... But to make such a comment is quite unnecessary!! Yes... Always room for improvement... And people are entitled to make opinions (it is AIBU!!) but to suggest outside the central area there is decay?? Hmm