shopping again

The day started well with the rubbish chute unblocked, and working again, and my bag of kitchen waste made a satisfying woosh followed by deep bonk as it landed in the bin 7 floors below.

I took the 97 bus in to the outer ring road around Birmingham
I was late setting out so did not get any snaps until I go to this new 11e 11c bus stop

complete with rebranding and an extruded aluminium post


Birmingham Outer Circle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Buses on the Outer Circle travel both clockwise (service 11C) and anti-clockwise (11A).
Operated by National Express owned Travel West Midlands with new Wrightbus Volvo double decker buses, although a few other company's buses occasionally serve small parts of the route.

The number 11 is Europe's longest urban bus route and first came into existence in 1923."
2 hours 20 minutes - about the same as a trip to London by train.


In fact I was catching 11a on this side of the road - someone did not check their work or a student prank has occured.

the oak tree is one of my favourites
typically no timetable

I experimented with rotating one of the above in the videophone picture editor in order to test the new blogger see the results photographs and walks: testing portrait with bus stop 11 Outer Cricle

leaving the 11a just after Erdington high Street and Banks has an impressive frontage



and real bargains at the end of their SALE
an old fashioned double breasted jacket for £1

no shirts left to fit - this is the old shop, but they have a fine new customer toilet with room for a wheel chair

I am down from a 7XL to a 6XL too since my last visit

and 8 pairs of underpants for £10

Mail order from their printed catalogue by phone
Order Line: 0121 373 5450
is a major part of their business but the internet is beginning to catch up I was told.

Banks Big Man, Men with Large Feet. The BIG MANS Clothes Shop.
machine washable suit jacket and a budget trouser

Map of B23 7JE United Kingdom | Multimap.com

Banks (Menswear) Ltd: About Us: "Banks Ltd, is celebrating more than fifty years of successful retailing in Birmingham.

The company has its origins in 1954, when husband and wife team Thelma and Brian Banks started their first shop, a DIY store, in Park Road, Aston."
I took the bus into Brum under Spaghetti Junction and past Aston
and walked rapidly towards the Bullring


on my to do list - to visit another landmark old building which has been recycled from the Dunlop tyre factory FORT DUNLOP flash movie

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Limited - About Us - Company History: "In 1889, John Boyd Dunlop founded the Pneumatic Tyre Company and Booth's Cycle Agency, which were to become the Dunlop Rubber Company Limited.

The company became involved in aviation in 1910, when Dunlop Rubber Company introduced a wire-spoked wheel with a beaded tyre specifically designed for the aviation market."
Dunlop tyres cutting edge tyre technology for family saloon, 4x4's, SUV's, racetrack, & classic vintage market: "headquarters are at Tyre Fort in Birmingham, a stone's throw from the original Fort Dunlop, the one time global headquarters of the Dunlop Tyre Compan"


and the big red nose for Red Nose Day 2007 from Comic Relief. BBC - Red Nose Day The official BBC website
this bull is well used and loved

and getting quite polished

everything a girl needs in one pack at H&M

H&M - Press
and next door she can get a mp3 player too


apple store - Google Search

I wanted a firewire hard disk but got the wrong one
20 mbs when this bus runs at 80 mbs
so I will have to return it.


heading for the vegetable market - I took the short cut through Debenhams
to the back lift which I blogged at Christmas

now geared up for Mothers' Day on 18 March


I got off one floor too soon
this will be my next TV - when the price falls far enough in 7 or 8 years time


Sony of course