 | GU Canal - Camp Hill to Catherine de Barnes (time lapse) The summit pound of the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Birmingham: widened section -- Main Line) runs eleven miles from Camp Hill Top Lock No 52 to Knowle Top Lock No 51. This is the journey along the first seven and a half miles from the Winding Hole above Camp Hill Locks to Catherine de Barnes. We found this section quite hard going. For much of the way the pound seemed low and we were constantly dragging the bottom of the cut. This also caused us to have two trips down the Snot Box (or Weed Hatch for the uninitiated). The first of these produced weeds and polythene, the second polythene and lots of nylon fishing line which was far from easy to remove. At one point we tried to moor and couldn't get within three feet of the bank and the skipper is far too old to be walking the plank. Reading Pearson's (yes we do take note of your comments) we found the following: "One of the problems facing the builders of the Warwick & Birmingham Canal was the provision of an adequate water supply to the eleven mile summit between Knowle and Camp Hill. Olton Reservoir goes some way to resolving this, though the summit often feels shallow and the seemingly insoluble hazard of rubbish floating in the canal remains a nuisance to boaters and anglers an eyesore, to passers by on the towpath." Which sums things up nicely really, dunnit? Much of Birmingham's industrial heritage lies along this part of the cut. Birmingham Small Arms, for many years makers of weaponry and motor cycles had several factories here and were know to all and sundry as "Bits Stuck Anywhere!" Mooring at Catherine de Barnes presents two problems. The first is that it is very close to Birmingham International Airport and can be quite noisy if you are on the flight path (we were) but fortunately there are no flights between midnight and 6:00 am. The second is its one and only pub, The Boat. It's not really a bad pub it's just that it's a Chef & Brewer. They have a "Specials Blackboard" covering one wall but even at 6 O'clock in the evening most of them are sold out (if they ever existed that is). They don't take kindly to suggestions that in such circumstances they should wipe them off. The food isn't that bad, it's just that none of is freshly prepared and cooked on the premises. Reheated there yes, prepared and cooked no. Such are the ways of modern catering. The average age of the staff appeared to be about 12 and woe betide anyone who orders a brandy with their coffee. They put ice in it (hint: make them bring you another one without the ice before letting them take the offending one away. Then they can't poke the ice out with their grubby little teenage fingers while you're not looking) (You can find the menu at: www.pub-explorer.com/wmids/pub/boatinncatherinedebarnes.htm) |
 | Catherine O'Flynn - winner of 2007 Costa First Novel Award Catherine O'Flynn, winner of the 2007 Costa First Novel Award, talks about her book, What was Lost. This short film, commissioned by Costa Coffee, was shown at the Costa book of the Year awards ceremony in London on February 2008. The film made by Charles Turley at CTA Limited. About the book: A lost little girl with her notebook and toy monkey appears on the CCTV screens of the Green Oaks shopping centre, evoking memories of junior detective, Kate Meaney, missing for 20 years. Kurt, a security guard with a sleep disorder and Lisa, a disenchanted deputy manager at Your Music, follow her through the centre's endless corridors - welcome relief from customers, colleagues and the Green Oaks mystery shopper. But, as this after-hours friendship grows in intensity, it brings new loss and new longing to light. About the author: Catherine O'Flynn was born in Birmingham in 1970 to Irish parents, The youngest of six children, she grew up in and around her parents' sweet shop. She has worked as a teacher, a web editor, a mystery customer and a postwoman. What Was Lost was rejected 15 times before being taken on by Birmingham-based publisher, Tindal Street Press. It has since been Radio 5 Live's Book of the Month, and been longlisted or shortlisted for literary awards including the Orange Prize and Man Booker. After a few years in Barcelona, Catherine now lives in Birmingham where she works in the box office of the local arts centre. |
 | Catherine Feeny, He's like you, only better - Clip Catherine at the Barfly Birmingham Hotel Cafe 26/04/08 |
 | Blast! (3 of 4) - Squealers, Catherine Wheels & Waterfall A clip from the wonderful performance art at Birmingham Artsfest 2007 that was "Blast!" (from the second performance, on Saturday 15th September 2007). This was the first time I'd tried using my camcorder at night, and the flames and flashing lights sent the autofocus into a frenzy. I doubt this will impress anyone, but it might serve as a souvenir for those who were there! It was just my luck to focus on the one of several pairs of Catherine Wheels where one of the pair failed to ignite! (I'm adding 3 other clips from the performance.) |
 | GU Canal - Catherine de Barnes to Kingswood (time lapse) On the eleventh and last day of our trip around the Warwickshire Ring we completed the section from Catherine de Barnes to Kingswood Junction, some six and a half miles along the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Birmingham Canal: widened section - Main Line). This included the Knowle Flight of five locks which lower the canal 41 feet 10 inches. So far as we can tell, the term "widened section" applies to the 52 locks between Knowle and Norton junction, which in the 1930's were widened from 7 to 14 feet. The original, single lock chambers can be seen to the left of the Knowle locks. For the second Friday in a row we had a grey, cold and wet day. There are a couple of breaks in the footage where torrential downpours deposited so much water on the lens that the camera had little choice but to focus on the rain drops. While the effects of this are quite dramatic, crystal clear rain drops and badly blurred background do little to add to the video. This causes an interesting little glitch halfway down the Knowle Flight where we apparently teleport between locks 49 and 48. On the plus side, after 13 days on the cut, at Kingswood I finally got round a junction in one! If nothing else, 0nix0 will be pleased at the reappearance, albeit briefly, of the fly. |
 | Blazing Our Trail (Part 1of 2) St Michael's Estate, Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland. This collaboration film was made with The Family Resource Centre with artist Joe Lee, on the occasion of the St Michael's Estate Regeneration Board event 'Blazing Our Trail' 2007. Thanks to Sarah Bermingham, Catherine Cahill, The Family resource Center, Rita Fagan & Eilish Comerford. |
 | Blazing Our Trail (Part 2of 2) St Michael's Estate, Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland. This collaboration film was made with The Family Resource Centre with artist Joe Lee, on the occasion of the St Michael's Estate Regeneration Board event 'Blazing Our Trail' 2007. Thanks to Sarah Bermingham, Catherine Cahill, The Family resource Center, Rita Fagan & Eilish Comerford. |
 | Brian Wright Downtown Eloise acappella + Former QoS! Hotel Cafe 2008, Birmingham Barfly. Unbelievable performance of Downtown Eloise with a bass drum and support clapping from Catherine Feeny, Jim Bianco, Jason Kanakis and Greg Laswell & Tom McRae. Then straight into Former Queen of Spain! |
 | 21 accents - second attempt - part 1 this is part one of three :) its longer than my first attempt because i think it shows more talent to be able to hold an accent longer and speak freely as opposed to rehearsing one line over and over and calling that an accent. my first attempt 5 months earlier: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObonHPh15ug my real aussie accent video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K9-PbR0ZKg effie clip (greek aussie) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI3M9CUJfx4 Sandra sully (aussie newsreader) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5KOo3hXIDA&feature=related kath n kim n sharon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Hm6qr8qj8&feature=related prude and trude http://video.google.com.au/videoplay?docid=-950467169494466564&ei=cZGySKfIAqG-qgOM9pXFDA&q=kath+kim 13 mins into video r3ndi3r (south african) http://www.youtube.com/user/R3NDI3R?ob=1 geordie georgie (catherine tate show clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bq-3pv2nto Vicky pollard (bristol) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy8jiuGR7P0&feature=related paul ogrady (scouse/liverpool) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDU2kwOm8jk ozzy osbourne (brummie apparently?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guszd88hka8 at 4mins 30secs jasper carrot (comedian from birmingham/brummie) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYSdQ0IZ0x0 Manchester (dinnerladies clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PwTG_pab40 nan taylor (old cockney, catherine tate show clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tHl2IBBODU&feature=related |
 | McFly at Birmingham ( talking about rhydian ) http://www.dailymotion.com/benyamen |
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![Don\](images/articles/thumbs/beachrainthumb.jpg "Don\")
