The pictures of the month for April are both from the West Midlands, but very different in outlook.

The first is of the Bull & Bladder pub (official name The VIne) which is the brewery tap for Batham’s Brewery.

Bull & Bladder (aka The Vine)                                            ©Photo Digital Art 2017

A few years ago we spent a fantastic evening in the bar of the Bull & Bladder, supping the nectar that is Batham’s Bitter, scoffing pork pies and chatting all evening to the locals (and, amazingly, the more we drank the more we understood of the Black Country dialect!).

This picture was taken last summer, but the place doesn’t appear to have changed at all in the meantime.

The next of my Pictures of the Month is from central Birmingham and, in contrast to the Batham’s Brewery, this scene is no longer visible and never will be again.

Symphony Hall & Statue                                                     © Photo Digital Art 2016

This scene is actually from 2016 and since then, the statue has been removed (to make way for the new tram line from New Street Station to Five Ways along Broad Street) and will be re-sited somewhere nearby when the work has been completed.

Across Broad Street, in front of Symphony Hall, Centenary Square is now being completely redeveloped and all of the visible trees have been cut down. Last time I was there it looked as though there are still many months worth of work before the new Centenary Square is open.