06/12/13 - Dead Centre of Birmingham

Distance - 7.48 Miles
Geocaches - 5
Start - Hamstead
Finish - Sutton Coldfield

Stage 6 of the Brummie Ring

BrummieRing - Phase 6

What an unusual day.  I find myself on short term career break, between jobs like a resting actor.  Having driven to Birmingham to hand in my laptop, pass and (thank the lord) mobile phone, I can have a go at being retired for December.

How should I take a bit of time for reflection?  I know, I'll go and add a stage to the Brummie Ring.

And my planets are aligned.  I get the last free of charge parking space in Sutton Coldfield Station.  Are you watching Kidderminster?  Then I get to the platform and the ticket man has shut up shop so he can scuttle off to the loo.  His gait suggested a big job in store.  Get on the platform and try to buy from the machine on the platform.  Massive queue.  Maybe it was his number 2 number 2?  The first train pulls up, so I think I will buy it from the conductor.  He doesn't come.  So free parking and a free ride.

I will donate the £2.30 to charity.

Alight at Hamstead station and head uphill for more canal walking.  It does give me the opportunity to replace the cache I inadvertently destroyed on Stage 5.  Not totally altruistic, as I can grab another smiley.

A couple of caches along the canal require me to text home from a non smart phone to decipher clues.  Do you know what Bathmophobia means?  Seriously hope my new job comes with an iPhone.  If not, I think I will be off to carphone warehouse.  Or I could confiscate Alex's when he is next naughty.

In the main, the canal is fine.  We have a drop of 106ft at Perry Barr Locks, pass the Alexandar athletic stadium and a nice reservoir.  However, GZ for cache three of the day is a bit grim.

Who dumps shoes at a canal?

Fortunately, it mainly looks like this

At long last, I say goodbye to the canal.  The rules of the BrummieRing are that refreshment stops cannot be passed by.  Even when they are as rough as this.

Unsafe and nowhere to moor your boat

It is surprisingly busy.  Not my sort of place, they have no real ale.  Of any type.  Honestly, what sort of a pub is this?  I settle on a Guinness.  Well I say I settle, the bar lady pour 2/3rds of it and leaves it on the bar before heading off.  This is fine practice but it only works when they come back to finish it. 

I am left staring at my celebratory pint for an age.  Probably longer than it takes me to drink it and head into Witton Cemetery.

Birmingham's Largest Cemetery

It may be ghoulish, but i do like a good cemetery.  Head through it, reading the dates on the gravestones.  One is adorned with a big fat santa claus.

The walking continues to surprise, as we pass Witton Lakes and then head into the recreational ground.  Middle of Birmingham and I am managing to cut a green a leafy trail through it.  Just what I hoped for the Brummie Ring.

Stop off for an urban cache with TB drop off.

Ping Pong in the Park

I now I have a bit of main road walking to contend with and I try and break it up by heading through a housing estate.  Hit a dead end.  OS Maps are good, but they don't help with alleyways.  However, it is worth it.  I am accosted by a lady who has just got off the mobility bus.  She asks me, "Do you know anything about that?" in an angry voice.  I ask what. She points at a Satellite dish.

It transpires that someone has erected a dish on the side of her house and she knows nothing about it.  I suggest that a) she follows the cable to find the culprit and b) she doesn't target future domestic disputes at ramblers.

The road walking is worth it, as we head into Sutton Park.  I have walked here before and you could spend days exploring.  A superb location and a great place to end the walk.

We are in Birmingham

And here I am

Another excellent stage added onto my odyssey.

I drive back and get stuck in the usual M6 traffic.  And what can I see - Witton Cemetery and the Safe Harbour pub.  I shall notice it every time from now on.