From Regeneration and Renewal (29/04/05)

The Birmingham Bullring shopping centre has won best new large centre in the annual International Council of Shopping Centres European awards.

The Bullring, completed last year, has been credited with playing a significant part in the regeneration of England's second city.

what did you say again? lol

Where did Corby come?

Didn't the Tricorn in Portsmouth win something simular 40 years ago?

Where did Corby come?

Corby was forwarded to the Worldwide awards where it scooped all the accolades going of course :yes:

By the way, what happened to those big coloured blocks they were going to put into the Bull Ring, sorry Bullring?

They're there with the water cascading down them, and lit up at night too.

They're there with the water cascading down them, and lit up at night too.

oopsie! I must have missed them on my little trip to Brummyland last week.

I really must write my comments, before I forget everything, but to the people that say the changies are happing too slowly, I've never seen anywhere change so much so fast!

And for the better! (in most cases!)

Cheers Stephen - we're taking everything for granted that's the problem. American friends of mine who come over a couple of times a year always comment on the changes made each time.

Cheers Stephen - we're taking everything for granted that's the problem. American friends of mine who come over a couple of times a year always comment on the changes made each time.

Well, I'm from Birmingham orginally, but being living near (and working in) Liverpool for the last 6 years, and compaired to Birmingham Liverpool dosn't seem to have changed as much (it has definaitly improver, well I'm there for a start off!), althought that could be because I only see it everyday.

In fact thinking about it, all the stuff down Duke Street, Ropewalks those not much cop Student flats that keep popping up everywhere, and the new Paradise Street shops IT HAS changed a lot!

From Regeneration and Renewal (29/04/05)

The Birmingham Bullring shopping centre has won best new large centre in the annual International Council of Shopping Centres European awards.

The Bullring, completed last year, has been credited with playing a significant part in the regeneration of England's second city.



What award did the Alan Partridge (In A Pear Tree) Building get Dinpy? :naughty:

What award did the Alan Partridge (In A Pear Tree) Building get Dinpy? :naughty:


Thats an easy one - the 'Aha - Take on Me' award :D

Fookin' smartarse :fart:

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_objectid=15890767%26method=full%26siteid=50002%26headline=%2dterrorist%2dthreat%2d%2dsparks%2dbullring%2dphoto%2dban-name_page.html

anyone read this?? i think it a BIG mistake, i'd rather security concentrate on the teenage yobs in the centre then this

Pathetic.

WTF? is that legal?

I had a similar thing happen to me 'last' summer. I was taking pics of St Martins Church and a security guard came over and asked me to stop, I honestly thought he was joking and was about to carry on when he phyically blocked my view....total jobsworth!

I was asked by a security guard to stop taking photos from inside the City Plaza shopping mall when I was out getting some shots for the BBC's photo competition. Their loss really, it would have only given them some free publicity - and that place needs it!
It seems a bit pathetic. If you were planning an attack, there's not much info you could get from a photograph. But it is their property, so you have to respect their wishes.

There's an interesting sign bolted to one of the "light wands" next to the bull statue. Has anybody else seen it? It says "This is not a public right of way" ... but we'll let you through so you can go shopping, otherwise our business would fall flat on its arse.
It's rather a strange disclaimer. I assume it's there to cover their backs should they need to close the outside walk-way that runs through the middle of the complex.

Sounds like someone had a sense of humour anyway! Im gonna look out for that sign now.

I'm gonna look for it and take a photo of it :)

I had a similar thing happen to me 'last' summer. I was taking pics of St Martins Church and a security guard came over and asked me to stop, I honestly thought he was joking and was about to carry on when he phyically blocked my view....total jobsworth!I think I worried security guard at CCT when I started taking pictures of the building. There were police all over the place shortly afterwards and I watched them from the HCT car park. I posted the pics on the day of the hacker and I think they should be enjoyed again.

Another time I think I may have set alarms off at new street taking pics from the roof ahem. Thats a story for another time. :runaway:

I'm always a bit wary when I use the city's multi storey car parks for photo oppurtunities due to the CCT and on hand security in these places but sod them I'm doing nothing wrong

It'll take more than a few security guards to stop me. It's a city for christ sake I'd understand if I was a military base.

bullring last night
http://tinypic.com/b4hua0.jpg

http://tinypic.com/b4hs93.jpg

http://tinypic.com/b4hu1w.jpg

That first shot with Selfridges, Costa Coffee and St Martins is pure genius. The juxtaposition there is astounding. Birmingham looking pretty fabulous in my opinion. Well Done!

That first shot with Selfridges, Costa Coffee and St Martins is pure genius. The juxtaposition there is astounding. Birmingham looking pretty fabulous in my opinion. Well Done!
Hear, hear!
Just brilliant. The blue curves are wonderful.

Amazing photos the square looks wicked at night.

Small but pretty significant news in my opinion.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is opening its first store outside London in Selfridges, Birmingham on 2nd September.
Krispy Kreme has been making doughnuts of the highest quality from a carefully guarded secret recipe since 1937. The new store will include the ‘doughnut theatre’ a viewing window where customers can watch the doughnuts being made from start to finish. When the neon Hot Light is on, it means that the Signature Original Glazed doughnuts are rolling hot off the line! There are 15 varieties of doughnuts on offer including iced, filled and cake doughnuts together with the full complement of teas, coffees and soft drinks.

^^ :?

There's a Krispy Kreme box in my living room.

Where the fuck did that come from if they've got no stores outside London?!

I'll have to ask me mate.

^^ :?

There's a Krispy Kreme box in my living room.

Where the fuck did that come from if they've got no stores outside London?!

I'll have to ask me mate.

Don't get me started, a friend and i were in Birmingham a few weeks ago and we started to see people walking around with boxes, turns out they brought a load of vans to Victoria sq. and were giving them away, by the time we realised this they were cleared out! gutted. Your mate must have got lucky.

amazing pictures

Don't get me started, a friend and i were in Birmingham a few weeks ago and we started to see people walking around with boxes, turns out they brought a load of vans to Victoria sq. and were giving them away, by the time we realised this they were cleared out! gutted. Your mate must have got lucky.
I was in town with my girlfriend when they were handing out boxes opposite M&S (outside that racey shop). All I can say is "Mmmmm, yum, yum". They gave out vouchers too: "Buy 12 doughnuts, get 2 free coffees" - thus expecting the average customer to eat 6 at a time!
Does anyone remember the doughnut stall in the old Bullring - near the Rotunda, at the top of the ramp that lead down to the markets. The smell used to get trapped in the subways and would greet you as you came down into the Bullring from New St. So strong and sweet, it made a lasting memory from my childhood.

Amazing photos the square looks wicked at night.

Small but pretty significant news in my opinion.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is opening its first store outside London in Selfridges, Birmingham on 2nd September.
Krispy Kreme has been making doughnuts of the highest quality from a carefully guarded secret recipe since 1937. The new store will include the ‘doughnut theatre’ a viewing window where customers can watch the doughnuts being made from start to finish. When the neon Hot Light is on, it means that the Signature Original Glazed doughnuts are rolling hot off the line! There are 15 varieties of doughnuts on offer including iced, filled and cake doughnuts together with the full complement of teas, coffees and soft drinks.

There use to a place in the old Bull Ring where you could watch them make Donuts!

(remind me to read ALL the message I'm replying to, before writting!)

Rather old tek, it was next to Summit Records. BTW where are all the Reagge record shops in Brum? That was two that we lost with the old Bull Ring.

Rather old tek, it was next to Summit Records. BTW where are all the Reagga record shops in Brum? That was two that we lost with the old Bull Ring.


surely that shows how bad the bull ring had got. 2 regga record shops in a major shopping centre?!? Im sure they must have moved else where in the city.
I do look back at the old centre with nostalgia.

I was in town with my girlfriend when they were handing out boxes opposite M&S (outside that racey shop). All I can say is "Mmmmm, yum, yum". They gave out vouchers too: "Buy 12 doughnuts, get 2 free coffees" - thus expecting the average customer to eat 6 at a time!
Does anyone remember the doughnut stall in the old Bullring - near the Rotunda, at the top of the ramp that lead down to the markets. The smell used to get trapped in the subways and would greet you as you came down into the Bullring from New St. So strong and sweet, it made a lasting memory from my childhood.
yeah I remember that shop. It was actually a chip shop. Images of downtrodden folk sitting around the Nelson statue with loads of chip papers flying everywhere. What a dump it was in actual fact! :)

There's an interesting sign bolted to one of the "light wands" next to the bull statue. Has anybody else seen it? It says "This is not a public right of way" ... but we'll let you through so you can go shopping, otherwise our business would fall flat on its arse.
It's rather a strange disclaimer. I assume it's there to cover their backs should they need to close the outside walk-way that runs through the middle of the complex.

Sadly this is the price of regeneration and private commercial interests over public access. It exists because it is a private right of way and unlike the old bull ring if the shopping centre owners do want tramps, cyclists, 'undesirables' etc then they can remove them. Where previously space reflected society with a mixture of people there is now an implicit you and I to space. The worst bit is Centenary Square, Victoria square etc. Public squares they're not - more like 'quasi-public' as some books call them. At any time the council can decide to exhibit x y or z on them and joe bloggs public has to go around the space.

Don't get me started, a friend and i were in Birmingham a few weeks ago and we started to see people walking around with boxes, turns out they brought a load of vans to Victoria sq. and were giving them away, by the time we realised this they were cleared out! gutted. Your mate must have got lucky.

What a bastard. He never gave me one. Cheeky runt.

surely that shows how bad the bull ring had got. 2 regga record shops in a major shopping centre?!? Im sure they must have moved else where in the city.
I do look back at the old centre with nostalgia.
Personally I would have thought that a couple of Good Quaility specialised Record shops was a very good sign. Much better than a bland HMV/Virgin selling the exact same stuff as everywhere else. I mean, where am I going to get my Ninjaman 12"s now? :(

Whever or not Don Christly (?) or Summit WHERE good record shops is open to debate, but there was more chance of people travling to go to them from,say, Manchester than another Borders.

It wasn't like they were the sort Rainbow Wig place that the old Bull Ring seemed to specialise in. I wonder where you would get them from these days?

Oh, and I remember buying some chips from that donut place, just as the Bull Ring was getting really run down, but just before the Bull dozers had moved in, my god it was horrible, horrible chips, that poor statue and all the seats covered in pigeon droppings, everything tagged, and NO chilled out choons from Summit. Oh, and a bloke selling fruit having a wizz on a wall, and returning back to sell fruit, urgh!!

I thought at the time the Bull Ring needed a little "rebranding". And didn't it get it?