West Midlands Allotments

posted in: Participate, Use The Map | 3

After a steep learning curve with Maperitive and OpenLayers there’s a map of allotments in the West Midlands available here. It’s still rough around the edges but it forms the basis for further development (such as pop-ups with more data). … Continued

Birmingham prepares for winter

posted in: Observations | 0

This statue can be found in the heart of the Bullring retail complex right in front of the Rotunda. I was tempted to tag it with woolly_jumper=yes! For those of you reading this from outside the UK who think the English are … Continued

Birmingham’s Custard Factory

posted in: Observations | 0

If this statement is true, and I believe it is, then an OSM map of a city  is meta-art! This sign adorns the Custard Factory in Digbeth, close to the City Centre; now a thriving arts and media hub with many … Continued

Architectural Heritage in Edgbaston

posted in: Observations | 0

It seems that just about every other house in Edgbaston is listed! (for non-UK readers a listed building is deemed to be of architectural or historic merit and there are strict planning rules as to what you are allowed and … Continued

August Midland Mappers Meet

posted in: Mapping Party | 0

After some mapping activity in the area of Smethwick which is to the North West  of Birmingham we ended up in the excellent little pub The Black Eagle on the aptly named Factory Road. The pub is like a country … Continued

A Good Read

posted in: Observations | 0

This book, written by a couple of poets takes you to all those places that only mappers have visited repeatedly to lovingly survey and map every detail. Edgelands  addresses all those betwixt-and-between places that aren’t really urban and aren’t really … Continued

Going Going Gone!

posted in: Observations | 0

Stephenson Tower, a block of council flats built in the 1960s adjacent to New Street Station is currently under demolition brick by brick. The demolition method and the cocoon is to prevent  dust and protect signalling equipment and the telephone exchange in Hill Street. … Continued

Tolkien’s Two Towers

posted in: Observations | 0

These two towers – Perrotts Folly and the Edgbaston Waterworks Tower – are prominent landmarks about 600 metres apart in the Ladywood area of Birmingham. As a child, Tolkien lived in numerous addresses in Ladywood and it is reputed locally … Continued