Brummiejum

This week…

• I’ve been suffering from what I call “a cold” but what my wife would describe as “slight sniffles”. This is probably due to the large number of trains and recycled air. Boo-hoo, poor me.
• I went to Birmingham to spend time at a client’s office. This was a big, modern office block, which was a little disappointing. My defining experience of working in and around central government was HRMC in Worthing, whose offices were a converted World War Two hospital. It was dilapidated certainly, but had a character all of its own.
• This trip was extremely valuable; it allowed us to map an entire journey. Now we just need to discover all the ways the map is wrong.
• Our hosts were lovely. Providing tea and biscuits from home. Thank you!

The city

Birmingham is much changed. I’m from around these parts; I was born near Walsall in the Black County and visited Birmingham a lot as a teenager when shopping for tie-dye Nirvana t-shirts.

There’s clear space and lovely, clean buildings around the centre. Walking up from the station towards the library, I found the facades of the buildings unrecognisable.

It’s posh round 'ere, aie it?

Track of the Week

GMF by John Grant (and Sinéad O’Connor). I can’t get it out of my head.