Geo-Trips :: Well Ozzy, I finally made it
Birmingham
A walk from Villa Park, Aston, Wed, 3 Dec 2025 by Basher Eyre
In the charming film '84 Charing Cross Road' Helene Hanff plans for many years to visit the bookshop where her pen pal Frank Doel works; but never makes it until after he died. She enters No 84 and says "Well Frankie, I finally made it". Similarly, I had always promised myself that when Ozzy died, I would come up to Brum for what I knew would be a tremendous outpouring of love and respect. And right to the end he had great timing, dying on the first day of my holiday. But...
My mum had a series of setbacks and I couldn't make it. But when she recovered she insisted I made that pilgrimage- which I chose to do on Ozzy's birthday. I started at Vila Park, headed the short distance to his childhood home, along to his old primary school, then down from Aston to the city centre, passing The Crown, taking in the Ozzy exhibition and finishing at the Black Sabbath Bridge. One of the most memorable days of my life....
Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
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A birthday walk for Ozzy (1)
I start here at Villa Park where Ozzy and friends used to wait till the gates... more
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Looking from Trinity Road into Nelson Road
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Houses in Trinity Road. Note Villa Park right of shot. All four Black Sabbath... more
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Looking from Trinity Road into Endicott Road
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Graffiti just off Trinity Road
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Trinity Road housing
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Looking from Trinity Road into Bevington Road
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Houses in Trinity Road
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Top end of Beacon Hill
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Mid section of Trinity Road
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Looking eastwards in Trinity Road
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Lodge Road- but which one is Ozzy's?
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Ah, I see a sign- Lodge Road... more
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And, appropriately enough, photo number 14 shows 14 Lodge Road - the childhood... more
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Looking south-west along Lodge Road
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Odd numbers in Lodge Road- Ozzy lived opposite the maroon house by the white van
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The southern part of Lodge Road
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Looking from Witton Road into Lodge Road
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Junction of Malthouse Croft with Witton Road
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Bus stop in Witton Road
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Sacred Heart and St Margaret Mary Roman Catholic Church, Witton Road, Aston... more
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Road markings in Witton Road
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Path from Witton Road to Fentham Road
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Looking south-southwest in Witton Road
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Ettington Road to the left; Witton Road straight on; and Mansfield Road to the right
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Looking from Ettington Road, across Witton Road, and into Mansfield Road
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Junction of Ettington and Frederick Roads
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Approaching the junction of Freerick and Ettington Roads
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Looking from Frederick Road into Dolman Road
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Approaching the junction of Frederick and Dolman Roads
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Telegraph wires in Frederick Road
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Classrooms at Prince Albert Primary School, whose most most well known alumni is... more
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Prince Albert Primary School, alma mater of Ozzy Osbourne
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Aston pre school, St James Church
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Junction of Frederick and Whitehead Roads
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Looking north-east in Whitehead Road
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Looking from Whitehead Road into the western part of Frederick Road
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Community garden at the junction of Frederick and Whitehead Roads
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St James's Church, Aston https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_James%27_Church,_Aston
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Frederick Road, looking towards Prince Albert Primary School, where Ozzy Osbourne... more
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Telegraph pole in Frederick Road
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Houses in Frederick Road
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Elegant houses in Frederick Road
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Looking from Upper Sutton Street into Frederick Road
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Junction of Albert and Bevington Roads looking towards the Mosque and Muslim... more
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Looking from Upper Sutton Street into Albert Street
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Looking from Upper Sutton Street towards the Mosque and Muslim Community Centre in Aston
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Upper Sutton Street cul de sac
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Crossroads of Upper Sutton Street and Victoria Road
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Upper Sutton Street, looking towards Victoria Street
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Junction of Upper Sutton Street and Brooklyn Avenue
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Shops in Clifton Road
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Barry Jackson Tower
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Looking from Upper Sutton Street into Gillespie Croft
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Mid section of Upper Sutton Street
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Looking from Upper Sutton Street into Rosefield Croft
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Junction of Aldersea Drive and Upper Sutton Street
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Early December in Upper Sutton Street
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Looking over Park Lane towards a post box in Sutton Street
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Pelican crossing in Park Lane
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Looking westwards on the B414$
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Looking towards the junction of Thomas Street and Park Lane
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Looking north-northeast in Thomas Street
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St Thomas Street
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Telegraph pole in Thomas Street
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Looking from Thomas Street into Pool Street
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Building to let in Thomas Street
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Telsen at the corner of Thomas and Phillips Streets
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Foundation stone for the building at the corner of Phillips and Thomas Street
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Approaching the junction of Phillips and Thomas Streets
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Looking from Thomas Street into Phillips Street
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Looking from the bridge down into Aston Brook Street
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Bus stop on the A5127
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Looking from the bridge down into Bracebridge Street
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A busy scene at the roundabout
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Roundabout garden
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Everyone seems to be going into the city centre!
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Looking across the Aston Expressway towards Matalan
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Looking into the canal near Mill Street
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Gantry on the A38
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Path for pedestrians heading for Aston adjacent to the A38
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Top end of Holt Street
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Van in Holt Street
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Mid section of Holt Street
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Looking from Holt Street into Love Lane
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Looking from Love Lane towards Car Park Number 7 at Aston University
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This is now within the campus at Aston University. It is a drinking fountain. It... more
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Sign that has blown over outside the Sacks of Potatoes, Gosta Green... more
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Approaching the Sacks of Potatoes, Gosta Green https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosta_Green
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Gosta Green
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Coming soon, Aston Business School. I recall a friend of mine who was a bit... more
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Mid section of Woodcock Street
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Approaching the junction of Woodcock and Aston Streets
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Aston Street
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Aston University https://www.aston.ac.uk/
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Aston University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_University
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Aston University
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Aston University
Aston become a university in 1966, but can date its history... more
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Entering Aston University
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James Watt Queensway
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Looking northwards from Ryder Street
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Tower block seen from Ryder Street
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Phone box at the top of Corporation Street
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Coleridge Chambers, Corporation Street... more
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The law courts during a refurbishment
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Zebra crossing in Corporation Street
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Bus in Corporation Street
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Pedestrians crossing in Old Square
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Old Square https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Square,_Birmingham
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I must admit that until Wednesday I had always thought Tony Hancock was from East Cheam!
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Junction of Corporation Street and Old Square
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The Square Peg- I know the feeling!
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Tram tracks in Corporation Street
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Path from Corporation Street to Temple Row
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Looking from Corporation Street into Cherry Street
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Looking from Corporation Street into Fore Street
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19 Corporation Street- I'll drink to that.
Mind you Birmingham's greatest artist... more
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Bottom end of Corporation Street... more
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New Street- the TSB https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSB_Bank_(United_Kingdom)
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New Street- Frankfurt Christmas Market https://thebfcm.co.uk/
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New Street, H & M https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%26M
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24-26 High Street- a massive Waterstones. It equals their Piccadilly London branch
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Looking north in the High Street towards Metrobank... more
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Looking towards the Bullring Shopping Centre https://www.bullring.co.uk/
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Looking from the Bull Ring toward St Martins in the Bullring
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The 5 guys being perhaps Black Sabbath and their early manager Jim Simpson... more
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The Bullring- note the statue of Lord Nelson on the right... more
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Large Christmas decoration next to St Martin's in the Bull Ring
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Impressive lamppost in the Bull Ring on a quiet still day
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Is that a sculpture or an avant garde Christmas tree?
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Edgbaston Street- Tree of Life https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/141199
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Market stalls in Edgbaston Street
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Approaching the junction of Gloucester and Edgbaston Streets
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Taxis in Edgbaston Street
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Looking from Edgbaston Street into Dudley Street
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Norfolk House, Dudley Street
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Approaching New Street Station in Dudley Street
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The one and only Ozzy the Bull at New Street Station, which was one of the... more
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Looking west-southwest along Station Street... more
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The Old Rep Theatre, Station Street https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Rep
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The Electric, Station Street https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Electric,_Birmingham
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Site of Black Sabbath's first gig- the Crown Pub... more
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Approaching the junction of Hill and Station Streets, with the famous Crown pub on... more
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Hill Street- passsing Birmingham New Street station
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Approaching the junction of Hill Street and Lower Severn Street, the site of a... more
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Looking from Hill Street into Lower Severn Street
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Hill Street- images from Peaky Blinders... more
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Sculpture in Hill Street https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/untitled-307790
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Hill Street passing Birmingham New Street Station
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Hill Street blues? Well, Black Sabbath did start out as a blues band... more
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Approaching the junction of Hill and Swallow Streets
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Looking towards Birmingham City Museum
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Birmingham Town Hall
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Plaque on 1 Victoria Square
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The Chamberlain Memorial.: I wonder where the Ozzy Osbourne statue will be placed...
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Gigantic Christmas decorations in Chamberlain Square
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Approaching Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery.
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Inside the Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/
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Inside the Birmingham Museum that extended the Ozzy Osbourne exhibition after his... more
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My first glimpse of the Ozzy exhibition. It still seems slightly unreal to me that... more
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The Ozzy Osbourne Exhibition was extended... more
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The Ozzy Osbourne Exhibition was extended after his untimely death in July... more
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This has always been my favourite picture of Ozzy. He is swinging Randy Rhoads... more
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Taken at the Ozzy Osbourne exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
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If you had told me in 1972 when I first heard the glorious opening of Black... more
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As I left the Ozzy exhibition I saw this. When I was a young teacher in London... more
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As I took my leave of Birmingham Museum I bumped into John Bright... more
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Colmore Row
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I'm looking from Colmore Row into Eden Place
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Heavy footfall in Victoria Square... more
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Plaque on the museum: for a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, see... more
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Chamberlain Square - presumably the Snooker Tour's in town?
On second look -... more
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Looking west-southwest in Centenary Way
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The Octagon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Octagon_(Birmingham) towering over... more
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Approaching the library
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The Rep https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/
I just heard a snatch of dialogue as... more
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Centenary Square
Rear of a statue commemorating
Matthew Boulton... more
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Broad Street
As a teacher I've given a few gold stars in my time: here is Jeff... more
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Ah, I think I can spot Black Sabbath Bridge in the distance
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Broad Street
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Bridge over Broad Street
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Journey's End- The Black Sabbath Bridge... more
All images © Basher Eyre and available under a
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