Ian Jelf Guided Tours

Autumn Walks Series 2012

Hello there!

Well, after a successful spring and summer season of Ian Jelf Guided Tours walks and that amazing summer of national celebration and sport, here at last is my autumn series of walking tours around the Midlands!

Some of these, like Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury are the result of requests while others are a mixture of old favourites with a new slant and some walks which I think will appeal to some of my more long-standing customers.

And as the nights draw in and we think of Halloween (!) there are some of the ever popular walks with a ghostly, ghoulish and downright grisly theme…….

Sunday 23 September Birmingham A to B

Sunday 7 October Tamworth Old and New

Saturday 13 October Mediaeval Shrewsbury

Thursday 25 October Ghosts of Old Bridgnorth (evening)

Sunday 28 October Wolverhampton

Saturday 3 November Ghosts of Old Birmingham (evening)

To book any of these, simply drop me an e-mail to ian@bluebadge.co.uk then pay (currently £8 per person) when you turn up.   Guests are very welcome and if you know anyone else who’d like to go on my mailing list, do please let me know.

I need a reasonable number of bookings to ensure that these go ahead so I appreciate people booking as much in advance as possible.   If you’ve any questions, do just drop me an e-mail.

Many thanks and best wishes.

Ian

Ian Jelf Public Walks: King's Norton & Birmingham's Forgotten Canal, Sunday 22 April 2012

I'm running a slightly unusual walking tour this Sunday in the Birmingham suburb of King's Norton.

Once a separate Worcestershire village, it still has a lot of village attributes.   But it also allows some exploration of transport modes (roads, railways and above all canals) and has some real contrasts.

The walk costs £8pp.   You can pay on the day but you need to book in advance by sending an e-mail to ian@bluebadge.co.uk . We meet for a 10.30am departure outside the main (Cotteridge) entrance to King's Norton Station and finish nearby about 1.00pm.

You can find more details on my work Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/events/393068530718677/ .

Easter Walking Tours

More from the Ian Jelf Guided Tours Spring 2012 Season

Fancy something to fill the Easter weekend that’s fun, healthy, sociable and doesn’t involve watching “The Great Escape” or James Bond on the telly?   Then join one (or both!) of my walking tours over Easter.

There are two of them, on in Bromsgrove on Saturday 7 April 2012 and the other in Birmingham on Easter Monday 9 April 2012.

The Bromsgrove walk is a classic bit of Ian Jelf, though I say it myself.   It involves taking a town that isn’t famous for being especially, well, famous and uncovering all sorts of hidden surprises and delights.

The Birmingham walk is a bit different and is an idea I’ve been working on for a while.   It’s called “Now and Then” and takes a look at how Birmingham has changed over the years using old photographs and drawings.

Both walks begin at 11.00am and last for about two hours.   The cost of each is £8pp but you do need to book in advance to ensure a place.   To do this, simply drop an e-mail to ian@bluebadge.co.uk or a text to (o7976) 251785.

Ian Jelf Public Walks: Bournville

Do you fancy joining me for a walking tour of the fascinating Birmingham suburb of Bournville this Saturday (24 March 2012)?

There's a lot more to the area than a visit to the Cadbury World attraction, you know.   This was probably the world's first planned "Garden Village", established in the 1890s to liberate workers from slum housing and allowing them to live in green landscaped with fresh air, quality housing and excellent social facilities.

The walk shows us how the village has experimented with housing styles, relieved unemployment, dealt with heritage, religion and the problems of alcohol and much more besides.

The walk starts in front of Lloyds TSB which is on Sycamore Road, very close to Bournville Village Green.   Bournville Station is about a 10 minute walk away and Outer Circle 11 buses stop nearby.   It lasts about two hours and ends back nearby.   The cost is £8 per person and you can pay on the day.   You do need to book in advance, though;  just send me an e-mail to ian@bluebadge.co.uk .

It's a great walk and at a lovely time of year to see the place.   I hope you can join me.

Ian Jelf Public Walks: Spring 2012

I’m announcing the Spring 2012 season of my public walking.

So, what's new?

Well, I'm re-running the "Ghosts of Old Sutton Coldfield" walk on the evening of Sunday 18 March. That's Mothering Sunday, so I reasoned that an evening was probably a better time to do a walk that day, as many of you will no doubt be "occupied" during the day!

There are two NEW walks in Birmingham City Centre, one (on Saturday 14 April 2012) looking at Crime and Punishment through the ages and the other (on Easter Monday) using pictures to show how the City has changed and changed again.

Further out, there's another new walk in King's Norton (Sunday 22 April 2012), including a lot of off-roading on lesser-known canals as well as some super old buildings.

And staying on the South side of Birmingham there's a walk in the stunning garden village of Bournville on Saturday 24 March 2012.   There really is more to Bournville than chocolate, I promise!

Oh and completing the set, on Easter Saturday, why don't you join me for a less-obvious destination and come for a walk around the North Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove.   There's a lot to see and if you want to make a day of it then the brilliant Avoncroft Museum of Buildings isn't far away and nor are the Lickey Hills.

So, in brief, the programme is:

Sunday 18 March 2012

Spectral Sutton Coldfield  7.00pm - 9.00pm

Saturday 24 March 2012

Bournville Village  11.00am - 1.00pm =20

Easter Saturday 7 April 2012

Bromsgrove 11.00am - 1.00pm

Easter Monday 9 April 2012

Birmingham Now and Then  11.00am - 1.00pm

Saturday 14 April 2012

Birmingham Crime & Punishment 10.30am - 1.00pm

Sunday 22 April 2012

King's Norton...and Birmingham's forgotten Canal 10.30am - 1.30pm

All the walks cost £8 per person.   Advance booking is essential.   Just send an e-mail to ian@bluebadge.co.uk to reserve your space.   You can just pay when you turn up, though.

Oh and if you've any questions, just drop a line ot the same e-mail address.

All the best and hope to see you soon

Ian Jelf Winter Public Walks Series

Happy New Year!

To start the new year, to blow away the cobwebs and to walk off some of the extra pounds gained over Christmas, why not join me for one or two (or more) of this little season of guided walks I’m putting on over the next few weeks?

There are some old favourites like a couple of looks at offbeat and unusual Birmingham to start the New Year.   Then there are two walks in the Black Country, in Wednesbury and Bilston.   Quite a few people have asked for tours over that way and I’ve chosen these so that people in Birmingham can reach them easily, too, on the Metro.   Also in response to requests, I’m running walks in the fascinating Birmingham suburb of Northfield and also in Solihull, which has all sorts of tales up its sleeve.

Last but absolutely not least, some of the most popular walks I did last year were the “Ghosts of Old Birmingham” ones, so building on this I’m pleased to offer “Spectral Sutton Coldfield” as a new spin off.   Do watch out for more of these.

Sunday 8 January 2012         Birmingham:  the Basics! 11.00am – 1.00pm

Saturday 21 January 2012    Northfield afternoon walk 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Saturday 4 February 2012    Wednesbury 11.00am – 1.00pm

Saturday 11 February 2012  Spectral Sutton Coldfield  7.00pm – 9.00pm

Sunday 12 February 2012     Bilston 11.00am – 1.00pm

Sunday 19 February 2012     Solihull 2.00pm – 4.00pm

To book any of these, simply drop me an e-mail to ian@bluebadge.co.uk then pay (£8 per person) when you turn up.   Guests are very welcome and if you know anyone else who’d like to go on my mailing list, do please let me know.

I need a reasonable number of bookings to ensure that these go ahead so I appreciate people booking as much in advance as possible.   If you’ve any questions, do just drop me an e-mail to ian@bluebadge.co.uk.   Please don't turn up without booking and receiving a confirmation.

Many thanks and best wishes for a happy, peaceful, prosperous and above all healthy 2012.

Ian