Commonwealth Games

[larmen]

Weren’t they in the UK recently? Glasgow? Aren’t they moving though the commonwealth, at least the big countries like Australia, Canada, … ?

 

[Golfmmad]

Clearly you don't know much of it.
It's just about the highest city in Britain.
The Hawthorns is the highest football ground in England at 550 feet.

Birmingham is best for trees anywhere you can name.
https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/news/article/823/birmingham_earns_tree_city_of_the_world_status_for_second_year#:~:text=The Food and Agriculture Organisation,for the second year running.

There are wonderful parks and open spaces.
Sutton Park is one of biggest urban parks in Europe.
Sandwell Valley Country Park has lakes and tracks leading out from West Bromwich town centre.
Cannon Hill Park on the opposite side of the road from Edgbaston is where they will holding the T20 cricket.
Walk down there into the Rea Valley country park.

Gas Street basin the centre of the canal system.
The Black Country is a geopark that I never lose interest in exploring.

I could go on forever but my fingers are starting to ache.

Thanks for all the info, but from some of the replies on here I think you're banging your head against a brick wall.
I don't know Birmingham that well but when I went to the Christmas Market some 5 - 6 years ago it was well worth the visit!
What stood out for me was the diverse and multi national people, young and old. The atmosphere was vibrant and exciting without a hint of trouble.
Although on our way to an evening meal one night we witnessed a kerfuffle at a pub door, out fell two old boys, smartly dressed but having had a few too many, and trying to swing a few punches at each other!
We stopped and thought, nah, leave them to it and went on to enjoy our meal and laughing about it.
But, that was the only trouble we saw all weekend.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

They did a great job at Glasgow with the infrastructure.
Transport to venues was well organised and free.
Loads of helpful volunteers from all around the UK.

I would imagine Brum will be the same.

 

[Bazzatron]

Tickets for me and the boy to see the hockey next week. Ticket includes an England game and an India one so both bases covered for us.
The cycling road race passes through our area too so I'll sack work off for a bit and take some of that in.

 

[stefanovic]

Indeed there's a serious drug problem there.
And while being awarded 'tree city of the world' status is positive, the pretty near inner london area of Camden was also granted that status, so not particularly outstanding

I can't even find Birmingham in the top 10 for drug problems in the UK.
But I see places in the north east and London boroughs like Camden are in the top 10.

All I can say is that if some of you you find Birmingham repulsive, then don't go there. Then you won't even have to look in your rear view mirrors at this "godawful" place.
For those of you that are coming to the games, I feel sure you will have a great time.
Btw, they even have trams running now from the city centre to Edgbaston village along the length of Broad Street.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-62305022

 

[RRidges]

I can't even find Birmingham in the top 10 for drug problems in the UK.
But I see places in the north east and London boroughs like Camden are in the top 10.

All I can say is that if some of you you find Birmingham repulsive, then don't go there. Then you won't even have to look in your rear view mirrors at this "godawful" place.
For those of you that are coming to the games, I feel sure you will have a great time.
Btw, they even have trams running now from the city centre to Edgbaston village along the length of Broad Street.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-62305022

Couple of years old, but I don't see the situation changing much.
London and Manchester are worse, as would be expected from larger cities.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/more-35000-people-west-midlands-17834362
Nice to see some folk have pride in their city though, even if through rose-tinted specs.

 

[2blue]

I'm off down there this Sun & Mon with 4 Sikh friends on our annual visit to their cousins & playing golf at Sandiwell GC & Handworth GC but having to stay in Wallsall due to sky-high accommodation prices due to CG.
Looking forward to another Curry to die for.

 

[Bazzatron]

I'm off down there this Sun & Mon with 4 Sikh friends on our annual visit to their cousins & playing golf at Sandiwell GC & Handworth GC but having to stay in Wallsall due to sky-high accommodation prices due to CG.
Looking forward to another Curry to die for.

Both lovely courses considering where they are. I'll need a curry review please in case it's somewhere I haven't been.

 

[Aztecs27]

Weren’t they in the UK recently? Glasgow? Aren’t they moving though the commonwealth, at least the big countries like Australia, Canada, … ?

Glasgow 2014 then Gold Coast 2018. Going back to Victoria in Australia in 2026. No idea how they pick the host city.

Looking forward to it. My wife has tickets to the netball semi and final, which she’s buzzing for, but will be a logistical nightmare with a 2 week old newborn ??

 

[Captainron]

Love these events. Always something on to watch.

 

[Neilds]

Glasgow 2014 then Gold Coast 2018. Going back to Victoria in Australia in 2026. No idea how they pick the host city.

They have to consider which countries have the infrastructure to host the games and a lot of the commonwealth countries are smaller. Also, they have said they won’t go to countries where gay rights etc aren’t what they should be so that narrows it down even more

 

[AmandaJR]

Love these events. Always something on to watch.

Agreed and usually find myself engrossed in a sport I'd never really bothered with before.

 

[stefanovic]

having to stay in Wallsall due to sky-high accommodation prices due to CG.

Never heard of Wallsall, but Walsall is okay. I recommend a walk through Arboretum Park.

 

[2blue]

Both lovely courses considering where they are. I'll need a curry review please in case it's somewhere I haven't been.

Last visit we ate at The Royal Oak in West Brom...... simply outstanding & these Sikh guys obviously really know their curry houses. Don't know where we'll be this time.

 

[2blue]

Never heard of Wallsall, but Walsall is okay. I recommend a walk through Arboretum Park.

Ah, well you'll find it's very near there. ????

 

[Bazzatron]

Last visit we ate at The Royal Oak in West Brom...... simply outstanding & these Sikh guys obviously really know their curry houses. Don't know where we'll be this time.

We certainly do mate ?

Spoilt for choice around West Brom. Enjoy.

 

[stefanovic]

Loved the opening ceremony last night and especially the bull. I hear it's now been moved to Victoria Square.
Prince Charles said Birmingham is a pioneering city.
More than that it was built on ingenuity and it unleashed the industrial revolution.
So give thanks to Birmingham we are not still living in the seventeenth century.
A brief mention by the BBC commentator that chains made there were used in the slave trade.
That's a reference to Cradley the chain making town near Halesowen. A chain appears on the Black Country flag so it might be better to remove it.

 

[AmandaJR]

Spolier alert...







Great gold for Alex in the triathlon. He had the Kiwi even before his 10 second penalty.

 

[chrisd]

A chain appears on the Black Country flag so it might be better to remove it.

Of course it would be - eradicate history, so it never happened

 

[stefanovic]

That flag is proudly flown all over the Black Country (no one knows where it begins and ends) but it's misleading to put a chain on there because each town had their own product, like Stourbridge manufactured glass.
Cradley is a small place today but the sign proudly displays 'Welcome to Cradley, home of chain making.'
That's not Cradley Heath.
Very confusing I know. So a chain is not really a great symbol for the Black Country.