Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, December 14th, 2009 ( 23 responses )
Tags: Birmingham It's Not Shit, Bradford St, Coach Station, ian jelf, karen strunks, national express
The new National Express coach station on Bradford Street will be fully-functioning tomorrow. Some, like Karen Strunks are looking forward to the new station with its Starbucks, WH Smith and an Uppercrust bakery, which promises to be a vast improvement on the older model she’d photographed above. Others, like Ian Jelf, aren’t so pleased because it’s situated ‘that little bit “out” of the City centre in a still-not-very-brilliant area.’ Grrrr…
I’m very happy the plush new station is ready to go, if only because I’ll no longer get accosted by panicked-looking people with suitcases demanding to know, “Where’s the coach station?” The temporary move across the road seemed to be more than many could handle.
So happy, I’d quite like to spend some time in there, enjoying the luxuries it has to offer and talking to the passengers passing though, gathering tales of their journeys via Digbeth – where they’ve come from, where they’re going to, their reasons for travel and their experience of the new station along the way.
I suspect the most colourful tales could be gathered during the loud and lively party season that’s about to hit us, so I’m planning my sit-in for the liveliest night of them all. I’ll be arriving at the coach station at 6pm on 31st December and will be staying there until 6am on 1st January – seeing in the brand New Year in a brand new coach station, hopefully gathering some interesting stories from party-goers, commuters and coach station workers whilst I’m there. If you fancy joining me, I’d love some company, but won’t hold out too much hope on that score. If you’re passing through or near the coach station over that time, please seek me out and stop for chat!
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Written by Nicky Getgood on Monday, October 19th, 2009 ( Start discussion )
Tags: bvsc, cow vintage, data.tron, day into night, Fazeley Studios, Ikon Eastside, jordan mckenzie, karen strunks, manzils, nick booth, ryoji ikeda, social media surgery, Vivid
Last Thursday evening was an incredibly varied one for me. It started with the Social Media Surgery organised by Nick Booth in Fazeley Studios, where we gave social media advice and help to people from local voluntary and community groups. This was the Social Media Surgery’s first birthday and it’s come on in leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings as a one-off event in the BVSC building. Many happy returns.
I thought I’d also better check out the art launches of that evening – Ryokji Ikeda’s data.tron at Ikon Eastside (pictured above) and Jordan McKenzie’s live performance piece Day Into Night at VIVID.
Like the blurb said, Ryoji Ikeda’s video art is ‘truly engrossing’ – I found the rows after rows of data speeding by on the big screen kind of hypnotic and I kept glazing over, like my brain was tuning into its white noise. Or maybe I was just a bit tired. The exhibition is on until 8th Nov, shortly after which it will become part of the Ikon Eastside closing party on 12th Nov.
I popped into VIVID on my way back but found I couldn’t really get into it – Jordan McKenzie was in the corner of a cold, dark room repeatedly lighting matches off the wall. I think the best thing about it was the burnt-out match smell that hit me as soon as I walked into the room. You can re-watch VIVID’s recording of the piece.
After that I made my way to Manzil’s curry house for a spot of dinner, but found myself distracted by a late-night student sale at COW Vintage store. This is a great business booster of theirs – give the fresher students an after-dark party of beer, cakes and pumping music and rake in their student loans through the cash tills. It worked, too.
After purchasing a rather fetching yellow bangle, I made my way to Manzil’s on Digbeth High Street to celebrate photographer Karen Strunk’s birthday in style. The curry was up to its usual delicious standard and was nicely polished off with birthday cake and modeling balloons, courtesy of her magician friend Pat.
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