I used to go out and about using my Pensioners Concessionary Bus Pass most Wednesdays and Fridays. “Why those days?” I hear you ask. Because on those days, my other half also goes out.
However, over the past few weeks, mainly because I don’t think that sitting still on a bus will do my knee much good, I haven’t been journeying out.
However, with my newly refund love of photography and wanting to go somewhere to grab a few shots, I ventured into Birmingham city centre – on the bus.
On the way into town a phone rang (as one so often does) and the bloke in front of me, whips out an old flip phone, then in a not particularly quiet voice answers with, “Hello – I’m on the Bus !!!” That did make me smile.
Instead of going to the terminus, I alighted a stop earlier and took a short walk (with my, now, trusty stick) to wait for the tram at what is known as Millennium Point.
At present, this is as far as the digbeth branch of the Midland Metro goes, due to the HS2 works at Curzon Street which is blocking any further progress. On the other side of HS2, in Digbeth, there are a few hundred metres of track waiting to be joined to the greater network.
The tram from Wolverhampton pulled in and after the driver had swapped ends, continued to rejoin the main line at Corporation Street before continuing past New Street Station and on towards Five Ways, Edgbaston.
I left the tram on Broad Street, outside of the International Convention Centre and made my way down to the canal at Brindley Place.
Once on the towpath, a further short walk took me under Black Sabbath Bridge to Gas Street Basin at the heart of the Birmingham canal network.
The centre of the basin is home to a pontoon where a number of boats are housed. Years ago, you could walk across the basin using this but it is now locked making it into a private area.
As I approached the gate leading to the moorings, a family were going through and I managed to blag my way through. I was warned that I would need to be let back out but the kind chap just told me to give him a wave when I’d done snapping.
I spent about a quarter of an hour taking what I hoped were decent photos before another guy appeared. I explained that I had ‘somehow’ gotten myself locked in and he kindly walked with me to the other end, unlocked the gate and I exited the other end.
Picking up a couple more photos, I returned to Black Sabbath Bridge (this time on the opposite towpath) before climbing back up to Broad Street.
Another tram and another bus took me back home.
I hadn’t been out long, meaning that I hadn’t been sitting for ages on a bus nor overexerting myself walking.
I even got off of my returning bus, to pick up a prescription before a final half mile walk which I logged on Strava.
