Birmingham Walking Tours

In the Footsteps of Sir Edward Burne-Jones

Birmingham Heritage Week sees major events in the city, 7–17 September, including a new city walking tour called: “In the steps of Sir Edward Burne-Jones”. Starting at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the tour looks at key historical and modern aspects of the city including Grand Central, the Bullring, the historic Digbeth market area and St Philip’s Cathedral.

The new tour also considers the life and work of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who was born in the heart of Birmingham, leaving the town at the age of twenty to study at Oxford where he became friends with William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement. Once he gave up ideas of joining the ministry Edward moved to London and trained with pre-Raphaelite artist Gabriel Dante Rossetti. In time Burne-Jones became the most important artist of late Victorian England. His imagination ran wild, life was full, complex and on occasions, colourful.

Burne-Jones links with Birmingham were rekindled in his later years. He supported the development of the Museum and Art Gallery which today houses a large collection of his work. Burne-Jones worked with William Morris on stained glass art and some of his finest work is to be found in the city. ‘The Last Judgement’ in St Philip’s Cathedral was finished just a year before Burne-Jones death and is considered by many as an extraordinary stained glass artwork.

Birmingham Heritage Week in September

Positively Birmingham Walking Tours takes its name from the bestselling book Positively Birmingham. A copy of the 5th edition is included at the end of the tour. Speaking of the new tour, author Jonathan Berg says he is “excited about helping both local people and visitors understand and explore more of the Birmingham you can see today”.

The walking tours run on Saturdays and some Wednesdays with daily tours during Birmingham Heritage Week in September. They support the work of Digbeth-based charity SIFA Fireside which works with acute and longer term projects among Birmingham’s homeless. To book onto a tour visit the website www.positivelybirmingham.co.uk.

See page 2 for hyperlinks to high res images for use with the above and contact details.

Contact us and Images for Use

Photos and Images

Click on the links below to download high resolution royalty free images. Please credit; “Jonathan Berg/Positively Birmingham”

1.  Visual of Tour No. 2

2.  The Last Judgement (1897) in St Philip’s Cathedral is considered one of Burne-Jones finest pieces of stained glass art.

3.  The historic Digbeth area includes the Bullring shopping centre and the historic St Martin’s Church.

4.  Grand Central and New Street Station are part of the modern city explored during the tour.

5.  Walking tour in Victoria Square

6.  Ford Maddox-Brown’s ‘Last of England’ at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Further Information for Editors:

·  Please contact Jonathan Berg at . Tel: 07973 379050.

·  Birmingham Heritage Week runs between 7th – 17th September. This annual event sees increasing numbers of visitors coming to the city to experience events.

·  Photos are provided free of charge for use associated with this editorial. Please credit: Jonathan Berg, http://www.positivelybirmingham.co.uk/index.html. Larger files can be sent to you if required.

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