Once Around the Villa Park and Then Home

I travelled to Birmingham to attend a discussion group for work. It turned out to not be the all-day event I had anticipated, so I decided to take up a longstanding invitation to visit the nearby offices of one of my company's suppliers. The first part of the directions I received read, 'take a train two stops from Birmingham New Street to Aston...' Aston? As in Aston Villa? Yes, it turned out to be so. Besides being the home of a world famous football club, Aston is also the location of a lot of light industry, including the supplier I was visiting. After a tour of the company's headquarters, a bite to eat, and the exchange of a bit of industry gossip, I found myself with an hour to kill before I needed to get back on the train to Bath. Camera in hand I decided to see what there was to see at Villa Park.

So here is what I saw today. Like Bath City, Villa will be playing at home this coming Saturday. Unlike Bath City, Villa are still in the FA Cup.
Aston is a fascinating place. All together in a fairly small area you can find Victorian industrial buildings (many in use), traditional red-brick terraces, a vibrant immigrant community, a world-class football stadium, and a National Trust-like estate called Aston Park. According to what I've been able to read in the initial years after forming Aston Villa played its matches on the grounds of Aston Park.Villa Park is literally across the road from Aston Park. The first thing you come across as you enter the complex is the stately Holte building (which is not, as I first thought, 'Hotel' mis-spelled).As the signs in these pictures show, there are a lot of different places in Villa Park.

The Holte End of Villa Park is the most traditional looking. Like the Burrough of Aston itself, it is a good example of what happened when the Victorians got ahold of a lot of bricks.

Lots of football grounds have stands or ends named after roads. Usually this is an indication that the named road is nearby, or running alongside that part of the football ground. In the case of Villa Park, the Trinity Road Stand was actually built on top of Trinity Road. Honk if you love Villa!

Here's what you see when you come out from under the stands:

After the Trinity Road stand Villa Park is seperated from the street by a row of terrace houses. Here is the last view of Villa Park until you get to the other side of the North Stand:

After reaching the end of the road and making a right turn, I get my first glimpse of the North Stand through a break in the houses. I wonder if they ever watch Aston Villa play with that dish?

For several blocks around Villa Park, everything that can be painted claret has been.

After a few more minutes walking I finally get a full view of the North Stand. And then I wished I hadn't. This is a good example of what happened when architects of the 1960s got ahold of a lot of concrete.

I'm not sure, but I think this building near the North Stand is where the Academy is housed.

Here is a cheerful sign to greet the fans headed towards the Doug Ellis Stand. Or, where'over they're going. If anyone knows what this means please contact me.

Wasn't there a line in The Shawshank Redemption about a prisoner being transferred to 'R Block?' Prisoners, away fans, whatever.

This is not, as I first thought, an official Aston Villa Portaloo.

There seemed to be no end of curious signs at Villa Park. The more the better I say.

Aston Villa FC strongly discourages fat people from purchasing a season ticket for the Doug Ellis stand.

I think I understand what 'Goods Inward' means, but personally I don't think you can improve upon 'Deliveries.'

And here we are back on the other side of the Holte End. The circle is complete.

Back to the train station. It was a much nicer way to pass the time than filling out a spreadsheet back at the office.