Back in December, Carl contacted National Express to see if a much-needed cashpoint would be installed in the new Birmingham Coach Station. They answered that ‘there are plans for a cash machine to go in early 2010′, which made Digbeth residents very happy.
A few days ago I was reminded about the awaited coach station cashpoint by promoter of all things Brum Pixie Sixer, so I emailed National Express asking if there were still plans for one and when it might be installed. I received a reply saying they thought it would be ‘coming soon’, but they’d check things out and get back.
Unfortunately their investigations established that it won’t be coming as soon as many of us might like. A lovely lady wrote to me explaining that she had ‘Had a chat with our man in charge of the cash machine. He informs me that banks aren’t installing new points at the moment because of the economic climate.’ Oh dear. It seems we must wait for the banks to recover from the credit crunch before they treat the coach station (and Digbeth) to a cashpoint. Until then, we’ll need to keep paying that extra £1.50 or get cashback with that.
However, as Dave Harte commented yesterday, ‘As much as we’ve all moaned about lack of signposting and cashpoints perhaps having neither is your greatest asset’ in preserving the ‘industrial/arts balance’ of the area. So it could be a cloud with a silver lining.
If you buy a copy of this week’s Birmingham Post you’ll find inside a supplement all about Digbeth: Soul of the City, with articles about that Big City Plan, Digital District things and places like South Birmingham College, The Bond, Fazeley Studios and the new Birmingham Coach Station. You’ll find some spectacular photos from yesteryear on pages 4 and 5 and on page 16 there’s an article by yours truly, all about a few if my favourite Digbeth things. In a newsagent near you until Wednesday.
The ticket machines are not cash machines – the coach station does not have those yet. Unfortunately they look a lot like cash machines, which meant throughout the night revelers would run towards them like they were the holy grail, only to walk away looking confused and disappointed. The staff at the Information Desk said they get asked ‘countless times‘ each night, “Where’s the cashpoint?”
"Where's the cashpoint?"
Patience, travelers. The cashpoint is coming soon and rest assured, this momentous occasion will be marked with the pomp and ceremony it deserves. Watch this space…
I got chatting to Kurt shortly before midnight about his book – it’s great to meet another Stephanie Meyer fan. Seventeen year-old Kurt was on a mammoth train journey from Banbury to see his girlfriend in the Isle of Man, which included an overnight wait in Birmingham. As New Street Station closed for the New Year’s Eve night, he was told by staff there to wait in the 24-hour coach station instead.
Kurt's ticket for the long journey from Banbury to the Isle of Man
Kurt was about to settle down to sleep when I spotted him, but he ended up staying up all night with us, enjoying the delights of the coach station and chips with mayonnaise from the nearby Salt ‘n’ Peppers takeaway.
Me and Kurt at 6am, by ChimeraX
At 6am Alan and I walked Kurt back to the train station, showing him a few Birmingham sights along the way.
Kurt conquers the Bull, by ChimeraX
I do hope Kurt got to his destination safely, and he’ll come back to visit us in Birmingham again one day.
Mark a.k.a @cybrum, popped by the coach station quite early in the evening to keep me company before getting a Chinese takeaway on his way home.
Arrivals, by Katchooo
Mark lives in Smethwick and is a regular user of National Express its recent acquisition Travel West Midlands. Being in the station compelled him to start telling me some of his bus-related observations:
There is a National Express coach stop in Bearwood, at one of the bus stops opposite the Kings Head pub on Hagley Road. Only coaches going to Wolverhampton seem to go past the Bearwood coach stop.
Mark has never seen anyone get on or off a coach at Bearwood, and has never seen a coach stop there. “And I’ve spent quite a lot of time at these bus stops.”
Mark would like to know what will happen to the old temporary York Road coach station. Mark quite liked the York Road site, despite the narrow roads making it tricky for coaches to get in and out. Mark thought it would make a good Stagecoach station, to give Birmingham two coach stations next to each other, just like London’s Greenline and Victoria Road Station.
Departures, by Katchooo
Then Mark announced he had a story about a Megabus journey to tell me. About how since then he’s been more of a fan of National Express, though definitely not one of Travel West Midlands, who he describes using a very rude word indeed. You have been warned. Here it is:
This is Spider. Spider arrived at the coach station shortly after midnight looking to get a coach back to Coventry after dancing the night away at a Ska gig in Birmingham. Unfortunately the coach driver felt he’d had a little too much New Year’s cheer, so he was told to get the 3am service instead with a clearer head.
Spider has a number of tattoos but this one on his hand is his favourite:
"E is for Equality"
He’s also a massive Anthony Burgess fan:
Spider's Clockwork Orange badge, by ChimeraX
Spider waited in the station, talking to us and partygoers on their way home.
Spider waits, by ChimeraX
Sadly for Spider the 3am coach he waited for was full. He was understandably not happy about this and stormed out of the station. I have no idea how he got home.
Here are some of the passengers who were in transit at the stroke of midnight, and arrived at the coach station ten minutes later to be welcomed by myself and Karen Strunks wishing them a Happy New Year. I think it had come from London, and for many it was the end of a very long journey.
Tomasz is a Polish breakdancer originally from Warsaw, who was on his way back home to Richmond, London on the 3am coach. I think he was traveling home after spending the festive season with his mother in Manchester and needed to get back in time for his job in Tesco. Tomasz once performed live on stage with Robbie Williams. He kindly agreed to dance for us, using Alan Colson’s iPod to set the pace. Here he is shaking his stuff.
Tomasz dancing, by ChimeraX
And when he wasn’t throwing some moves, he was teaching us a little Polish:
A lot of people going through the coach station were on their way to or from a night of clubbing in the New Year. These four had traveled by coach all the way from Essex to go to Gatecrasher. They said they’d be catching the 5.45am coach back but I didn’t see them again before I left.
"Where's there a cashpoint?"
Many clubbers on their way out were in search of a cashpoint. Unfortunately for these two likely lads on their way to Irish Centre, there isn’t one yet.
Home to Wolverhampton
Early in the night people were on their way out to a night out, but of course later in the morning they were making their weary way home. This couple were eager to get back to Wolverhampton after a night out at The Rainbow.
Party feet
These girls had been to the Carling Academy to see “some DJ”. Their heels had become too painful so they waited barefoot to give their feet a break whilst they waited for their coach home. Others put their feet up, kicked back and relaxed.
