Victoria Square - A Birmingham Gem!

Victoria Square was originally called Council House Square, but was re-named to Victoria Square after Queen Victoria in 1901, just 12 days before she passed away.


Where is Victoria Square?

Victoria Square is in Birmingham, B1

 

In brief

Originally named Council House Square (from 1874), it was renamed to Victoria Square in 1901, 12 days before the death of Queen Victoria, when her statue was unveiled. The square has had many changes since, the last major regeneration was completed in 1993, and the most recent ongoing in the 2010s and 2020s. The home of three major works of art: the Queen Victoria statue, River and Youth (and variations) and Iron: Man.

Victoria SquareVictoria Square, River and Youth to the Council House (January 2024). Photography by Jack Babington

 

More details about Victoria Square

Located in the heart of the City, Victoria Square is home to the Council House and the Town Hall, two wonderful architectural examples of Birmingham's fascinating history. To the south of the square is Victoria Square House and No 1 Victoria Square.

Victoria Square

Victoria Square (2019). Photography by Karl Newton

 

Connecting roads include New Street, Pinfold Street, Hill Street, Paradise Street, Colmore Row and Waterloo Street.

Victoria Square is a wonderful location in which to take in all that is happening in the city, and, as can be seen from the following, the Square is a magnet for keen photographers.  

The 'Iron Man', the Council House, the statue of Vicroria R, and 103 Colmore Row from Victoria Square courtesy Daniel Sturley

 

History of Victoria Square

Victoria Square was originally called Council House Square until it was renamed in 1901. The square has been remodelled several times, including in the early 1990s and more recently with the Westside Metro extension at the end of the 2010s. Going back in time, we find Christ Chuch (built 1805 to 1813, demolished in 1899). There was then a building called Christ Church Buildings  (also called Galloway Corner) on that site, but that too was later demolished in the 1970s. It occupied part of what is now Victoria Square, until it was demolished (this is where River and Youth is now). The Christ Church name survives today with Christ Church Passage.

Victoria Square

Christmas Eve 2020 in Victoria Square. Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Birmingham Council House

The Council House was built between 1874 to 1879, and was by architect Yeoville Thomason. It is a Grade II* listed building. It is home to Birmingham City Council.

Birmingham Council House courtesy Daniel Sturley

 

Birmingham Town Hall

The oldest building in the square was built between 1832 and 1834, and was designed by architects Joseph Hansom and Edward Welch. The Grade I listed building was refurbished between 2002 and 2007. It was the first example of the 19th Century revival of Roman Architecture in Birmingham.

Birmingham Town Hall courtesy Elliott Brown

 

Victoria Square House and No 1 Victoria Square

On the left is Victoria Square House, this was built from 1899 to 1901, and operated as the General Post Office until 1972 (when the Royal Mail moved to larger premises, which is now The Mailbox). It was later the headquarters of the TSB. It was saved from demolition by the Victorian Society, although the former sorting office behind was demolished in 1989. The present rear building opened in 1991. No 1 Victoria Square is on the right (corner of Hill Street and Paradise Street) and built between 1983 and 1985.

Victoria Square

Victoria Square House and No 1 Victoria Square (January 2020) courtesy Elliott Brown

 

125 and 130 Colmore Row

These two buildings at the end of Colmore Row and Waterloo Street, and are next to Victoria Square. 125 Colmore Row is home to Starbucks Coffee (on the ground floor), while 130 Colmore Row is currently home to Theatrix. 125 Colmore Row was completed in 2002. 130 Colmore Row was built in 1903 by Goddard & Co. of Leicester for the Alliance Assurance.

Victoria Square

125 and 130 Colmore Row from Victoria Square (winter 2017/18) courtesty of George Daley

 

Christchurch Passage

These steps leads up from New Street to Waterloo Street, has the name of the lost Christ Church and Christ Church Buildings. It has been in it's present form since Victoria Square was rebuilt in the early 1990s. From the early 1970s to the early 1990s there used to be shops down here, but they were gone by 1993.

Christchurch Passage

103 Colmore Row from Christchurch Passage (November 2020) courtesy Elliott Brown

 

Statues and public art

Two works of art that can be seen in Victoria Square are the statue of Queen Victoria erected in 1901 and The Rivert Art, more commonly known as 'Floozie in the Jacuzzi', by Indian sculptor Dhruva Mistry unveiled in 1993.

 

Statue of Queen Victoria

The Queen Victoria statue was originally designed in marble by Thomas Brock in 1901, and was later cast in bronze by William Bloye in 1951. The sceptre were replaced in 2011. She last got a deep clean in 2018.

Statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square courtesy Daniel Sturley

 

Floozie in the Jacuzzi

Known as River and Youth, it was unveiled in 1993 and was sculpted by Dhruva Mistry. Known locally by Brummies by her nickname of the "Floozie in the Jacuzzi". There is also a a pair of Sphinx Guardians. The fountain was repaired between September 2021 and April 2022 (while the Floozie went into storage before returning). And was in full working order by May and June 2022.

'Floozie in the Jacuzzi' in Victoria Square courtesy Jack Babington

 

Iron:Man

The Iron:Man by Antony Gormley was unveiled in Victoria Square in 1993. It used to be outside of Victoria Square House, until it was removed to storage in September 2017 to allow the building of the Westside Metro extension to Centenary Square. The statue came back in February 2022, to a new location outside of the Town Hall.

Iron:Man Victoria Square

Iron:Man in Victoria Square (May 2011) courtesy Elliott Brown

 

 

Town Hall Tram Stop

Between 2017 and 2019, construction of The Westside Metro extension took in Victoria Square between Pinfold Street and Paradise Street. This included a tram stop on Paradise Street next to the Town Hall. 

Tram passing through Victoria Square courtesy Daniel Sturley




 

Events over the years in Victoria Square

Victoria Square hosts many events throughout the year, the largest and most popular being the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market. 

The Commonwealth Games and Birmingham Festival 2022

Courtesy Daniel Sturley

PoliNations

Between the 2nd and the 18th of September 2022, Birmingham hosted an amazing garden full of colour, beauty and natural diversity called PoliNations which has opened up many conversations.

'PoliNations' in Victoria Square courtesy Daniel Sturley

Queen Elizabeth 2nd Jubilee 2022

courtesy Daniel Sturley

Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market

The Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market has been taking place in Birmingham annually for over 20 years, every November and December. Stretching from Victoria Square down New Street.

BFCM Victoria Square

Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham (2019) courtesy Elliott Brown

 

The Big Hoot and The Big Sleuth

During the summer of 2015 and 2017 there was trails of owls and bears all around Birmingham. In both summers Victoria Square had quite a lot of them on display for 10 weeks. Before being auctioned off for charity.

Alf the Penguin Owl was by the artist Deven Bhurke. The sponsor was The National SEA LIFE Centre.

The Big Hoot Victoria Square

Alf the Penguin Owl (by artist Deven Bhurke) in Victoria Square (July 2015). Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Spock by artists Maria Shrigley and Patricia Shrigley. The sponsor was Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

Spock Victoria Square

Spock (by artists Maria Shrigley and Patricia Shrigley) in Victoria Square (July 2017) Photography by Elliott Brown

 

Lost Buildings of Victoria Square

Several buildings have gone up in the 19th and 20th Centuries in the area now called Victoria Square, including Christ Church, which got replaced by Christ Church Buildings  (also called Galloway Corner).

 

Christ Church

Christ Church was built between 1805 and 1813, on land between Colmore Row and New Street. It was built in the Classical style, but it was later demolished in 1899.

The drawing below was made in 1829 by the artist Thomas Radclyffe. The publisher was William Emans. In the collection of the Birmingham Museums Trust.

Christ Church

Public Domain Dedication image of Christ Church Birmingham in 1829 from the Birmingham Museums Trust collection

 

Birmingham City Transport buses in Victoria Square

This classic photo of Victoria Square dates to around 1932, from The Francis Frith Collection. The large print was at Metro Bank on High Street (near Rotunda Square). But is now at The Transport Museum, Wythall (in their cafe). It depicts a couple of classic Birmingham City Transport buses in or near Victoria Square, with the statues of Queen Victoria (still in marble) and King Edward VII. Galloways Corner would survive for almost another 40 years. The White Star Line had offices here.

Victoria SquareVictoria Square, Birmingham circa 1932. Courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection. Public Domain

 

Galloways Corner

The Christ Church Buildings was offices built by Essex, Nicol & Goodman in 1901 in the French Renaissance style. It survived until it was demolished in the 1970 for an unbuilt part of the Inner Ring Road. Also known as Galloways Corner.

Galloways Corner

Galloways Corner in Victoria Square circa 1954. Photo copyrighted to Geoff Dowling

Project dates

29 May 2019 - On-going

Passions

Civic pride, Art; Culture & creativity, Modern Architecture
Squares and public spaces, Classic Architecture

Contact

Your Place Your Space

Jonathan Bostock

0121 410 5520
jonathan.bostock@ yourplaceyourspace.com

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Squares and public spaces
12 Mar 2023 - Elliott Brown
News & Updates

Victoria Square - Public Realm Works - March 2023 update

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Since January 2023, most of Victoria Square has been closed for more repaving of the square. The Floozie fountain has been turned off. Mostly the area in front of the Council House to the River statue, and the area below the Youth statue. The bit near the Town Hall was done in previous years. In 2022 they returned the Iron: Man statue and Floozie in the Jacuzzi fountain repaired.

Related

Victoria Square - Public Realm Works - March 2023 update





Since January 2023, most of Victoria Square has been closed for more repaving of the square. The Floozie fountain has been turned off. Mostly the area in front of the Council House to the River statue, and the area below the Youth statue. The bit near the Town Hall was done in previous years. In 2022 they returned the Iron: Man statue and Floozie in the Jacuzzi fountain repaired.


21st January 2022

The River and Youth statues in storage, while the fountain was repaired. It was back working in time for the Commonwealth Games that summer.

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10th February 2022

The Council House got a jet wash, while a spot in Victoria Square was being prepared for the return of the Iron: Man statue by Antony Gormley.

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28th February 2022

The Iron: Man is reinstated in a new position in Victoria Square, months before the Commonwealth Games, having been in storage for around five years.

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9th April 2022

Paving completed around the Queen Victoria statue.

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The River statue by Dhruva Mistry has been lowered back into it's basin. It was removed, back in September 2021, ahead of the repairs to the fountain.

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23rd April 2022

St George's Day with a massive flag on the Town Hall. Not long before the fountain was turned back on. The paving here looked tired after 30 years.

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11th June 2022

View from 103 Colmore Row, during Key to the City. The River and Youth fountains were back on. As you can see the paving around the fountain had yet to be done, this would have to wait until early 2023, due to events coming up, such as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games that summer. It was at this time that the Queen Victoria statue was transformed by artist Hew Locke (Foreign Exchange).

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23rd July 2022

During the Commonwealth Games, local street artists painted over the old paving, as can be seen from 103 Colmore Row (during Key to the City).

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13th August 2022

After the end of the Commonwealth Games, Victoria Square was returned back to normal. This would not last long before PoliNations was installed here.

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8th October 2022

After PoliNations ended, this was the last time Victoria Square was fully opened, before the return of the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market. Before that was Diwali on the Square in October. Work to resume renovating the square, only started up again at the end of December 2022.

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12th January 2023

A few weeks after the end of the last Frankfurt Christmas Market closed, most of Victoria Square was fenced off again for repaving works.

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22nd January 2023

The route past the Town Hall and Iron: Man statue is open from Victoria Square towards Chamberlain Square.

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Hoardings have gone back up again around the Council House, Council House Extension, Museum & Art Gallery again, the renovation and rewiring works will take until sometime in 2024.

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Near Starbucks, Colmore Row and Waterloo Street. Pedestrians can enter the path either side of this gate. It is the construction site entrance.

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A view to the Council House entrance. It will be closed until the renovation works here are completed by 2024.

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8th March 2023

From the bottom of Victoria Square, a view to the Council House through a gap in a gate. The lower paving looks almost complete.

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A view from Christchurch Passage, past one of the Sphinx guardian statues. Can't see much here other than the steps.

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During the week is workers on site, so didn't want to get my camera over the high fence, this is the path from Colmore Row / Waterloo Street, through the top of Victoria Square towards the Town Hall and Chamberlain Square.

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12th March 2023

From the top of Victoria Square, near the Council House. There is a gate and high fence, so bit hard to see what is going on up here.

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The 1993 paving has been removed and they are repaving from the Council House towards the top basin of the River and Youth fountain.

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The stone spheres / balls appears to have been removed. Is a lot of repaving needed here.

dndimg alt="Victoria Square" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Vic%20Sq%20PRW%2012032023%20(3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Photography by Elliott Brown

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17 Aug 2022 - Elliott Brown
Gallery

Victoria Square - View from 103, Key to the City

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In June 2022, Elliott was gifted the Key to the City by the lady behind the 103 Colmore Row Twitter and Instagram accounts. He visited 103 Colmore Row for views from the 18th floor balcony four times between June and August 2022. Here are the changing views of Victoria Square. Including during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Related

Victoria Square - View from 103, Key to the City





In June 2022, Elliott was gifted the Key to the City by the lady behind the 103 Colmore Row Twitter and Instagram accounts. He visited 103 Colmore Row for views from the 18th floor balcony four times between June and August 2022. Here are the changing views of Victoria Square. Including during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.


Having missed the February 2022 meet at 103 Colmore Row, Elliott was promised to get the key to 103 Colmore Row. He was gifted it by the lady who runs the 103 Colmore Row Twitter and Instagram accounts.

Between June and August, he went up four times. Usually as the view of Victoria Square kept changing. He always went on Saturday's.

Every time you arrive, you show your key to one of the Key to the City volunteers. The wait in the foyer could be anywhere between 20 minutes and 50 minutes (especially near the end of the Commonwealth Games). You would get a slot of 10 to 15 minutes to go up the fastest lift to the 18th floor, for views from the balcony.

It was an opportunity to get views of Victoria Square. When street art was painted ahead of the games, Elliott went twice on two Saturday's in July. And one final time in August on Super Saturday, while the 60th Jamaican Independence Day was being celebrated.

 

11th June 2022

General views down to Victoria Square from the 18th floor balcony of 103 Colmore Row.

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River and Youth aka the Floozie in the Jacuzzi was flowing again.

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Hew Locke reimagined the Queen Victoria statue as an artwork called Foreign Exchange (with the IKON Gallery). It would remain here for two months (until the middle of August 2022). Sir Antony Gormey's Iron: Man statue seen to the left.

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The Council House from above.

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Victoria Square House from above.

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The Town Hall from above.

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16th July 2022

Second visit to the 18th floor balcony, to see the artwork being painted called Connections by the artist Anjuli McKenna, in Victoria Square. It was half complete at this point.

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Hew Locke's Foreign Exchange artwork with Iron: Man as it was meant to be seen.

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The Town Hall again, this time with a Perry the Bull banner on Beneficial House behind.

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23rd July 2022

One week on, and the Victoria Square Fan Zone was almost complete, several days before the start of the Commonwealth Games. Also to see the Connections street art in Victoria Square fully complete. There was now a stage in the square, and would be the finish point for the Birmingham Marathona week later. The West Midlands Metro trams were also now running all the way between Wolverhampton St George's and Edgbaston Village.

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West Midlands Metro trams passing Victoria Square and stopping at Town Hall Tram Stop, in both directions.

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See more of that day here Riding trams in Zone 1.

 

6th August 2022

Super Saturday, and the final weekend of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and the City Centre was very busy. It was also the 60th anniversary of Jamaican Independence which was being celebrated in Victoria Square at the time. This would be my final visit to 103 Colmore Row, before Key to the City ended the following day.

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Thank you to 103 Colmore Row, the Key to the City volunteers, to Fierce and Yale Locks.

 

Next up is PoliNations in September 2022, but will have to get views from Victoria Square itself.

 

Photography by Elliott Brown

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Victoria Square almost empty over the past decade

Post image

Apart from when major events such as the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market is there, Victoria Square is empty. On certain Bank Holiday's, the square can look empty and deserted. There has been changes in recent years with the building of the Westside Metro extension to Centenary Square (which is now open and more or less complete). So there is new paving and steps. It looks good.

Related

Victoria Square almost empty over the past decade





Apart from when major events such as the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market is there, Victoria Square is empty. On certain Bank Holiday's, the square can look empty and deserted. There has been changes in recent years with the building of the Westside Metro extension to Centenary Square (which is now open and more or less complete). So there is new paving and steps. It looks good.


Victoria Square

The square was formerly known as the Council House Square and was renamed on the 10th January 1901 to honour Queen Victoria who died just 12 days later. The marble statue of Queen Victoria was unveiled at the time and was designed by Thomas Brock, it was later cast in bronze by William Bloye in 1951. Other statues used to be in the square, such as the statue of King Edward VII which later moved to Highgate Park in 1951, but it was restored in 2010 and moved outside of Baskerville House in Centenary Square. The statue of Robert Peel moved to Calthorpe Park, but is now outside of Tally Ho! in Edgbaston on the Pershore Road (now the training HQ of the West Midlands Police). The Joseph Priestley statue was moved to Chamberlain Square, but it moved to storage in 2016. The George Dawson statue was moved to Edmund Street, but is now at the Birmingham Museum Collections Centre.

The most recent redevelopment of Victoria Square took place between 1992 and 1994. The River also known by Brummie's at the Floozie in the Jacuzzi, by Dhruva Mistry was unveiled in 1993. Antony Gormley's Iron: Man was also unveiled in 1993, but has been in storage since 2017 (due to the construction of the Westside Metro extension).

The Westside Metro extension was built in Victoria Square between 2017 and 2019 from Pinfold Street to Paradise Street, which included a tram stop on Paradise Street next to the Town Hall. This opened to Centenary Square during December 2019.

 

The following photos taken over the last decade or so. The square almost empty.

Victoria Square during the early May Bank Holiday weekend 2011 (May Day). Union Jack bunting left over from the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate (now the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge). Birmingham Central Library was still there at the time (it would close in 2013 and get demolished in 2016). Seen between the Town Hall and Council House. This was from the New Street end of Victoria Square.

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View towards the Town Hall. Was plenty of bollards here at the time. The pair of red phone boxes near Victoria Square House and Pinfold Street had yet to be removed, as was all those trees.

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This was during the snow of the middle of January 2013. Christmas tree still on the right. This was from the New Street end of the square.

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A wet afternoon in Victoria Square on New Year's Day 2017 (1st January 2017). Raining in the morning, and the square still looked wet and empty when I passed through it. The square is always like this, days after the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market packs up and returns to Germany.

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More snow in Victoria Square, but during March 2018. Some Council workers were laying salt grit in the square. It was around this period that the World Indoor Athletics Championships were being held over at Arena Birmingham. So was direction signs to the Arena. This view towards the Town Hall with the Council House to the right. By this point, construction of the Westside Metro extension was well under way, and the Iron:Man was now in storage.

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One year on in March 2019, and I passed through Victoria Square during a hail storm. Saw white hail stones coming down. This view towards Victoria Square House. Was already new paving around the statue of Queen Victoria, which was done with the Metro extension.

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Heading down the steps towards New Street, as the hail was getting heavier. The Metro extension behind fences, but you could still get to the pavement on Pinfold Street.

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A complete contrast a month later! A stunning blue sky in Victoria Square during April 2019. It was very hot for that time of the year. This photo was taken 10 years to the day when I first started taking photos of Birmingham, including in Victoria Square. Council House on the left, the statue of Queen Victoria, with new paving, to the right.

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Boxing Day during late December 2019. And this was several days after the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market had closed (again) and been dismantled. I approached the square this time from Hill Street. Here you can see the newly complete paving and steps that was built as part of the Westside Metro extension to Centenary Square. View towards Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the Council House. You can also see the core of 103 Colmore Row.

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New Year's Day 2020 and heading up to Victoria Square on the very first day of January 2020 from New Street. Quite a contrast from my earlier photos, as the tram tracks curves around to the left from Pinfold Street towards Town Hall Tram Stop on Paradise Street. Most of the bollards to the right have survived. Was temporary tarmac to the left, where during the BFCM, there was security barriers. Another new view is to Paradise Birmingham with Two and One Chamberlain Square. Also compared to the earlier view, the Floozie is now in a flowerbed instead of a cascading fountain (although that could get repaired again in the future).

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I originally created this post during early January 2020. So adding one more photo taken at the Council House on the 14th January 2020. Works on the Metro extension have resumed (finishing touches around Victoria Square). Would assume the Iron:Man will be installed in the area to the right near the Town Hall.

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Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown.

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