Birmingham (Town Centre) Question, Please?

I walked up New Street to the Rep on Wednesday and didn't see anything chaotic nor any works. Very easy ten-minute walk.

Rare for me to go to Birmingham too (last was South Pacific last year) but I saw Sinatra yesterday. How are you getting there? If you were going by train to New Street and walking then as mkb said there wouldn’t be any problem. Not sure about by car though as there were road works, but they were around the High Street area.

I thought they were running? At least I thought I saw some, but I wasn't really paying attention.

If you're thinking of visiting the City Art Gallery and Museum then be aware that it is currently closed for "essential ongoing maintenance work".

Trams are running and there's a stop yards away from the Birmingham Rep on the Edgbaston to Wolverhampton route, though I doubt if the tram would be quicker than walking from  New Street or Moor Street station which took me less than 10 minutes. 

I travelled Chiltern Railways, the 17.45 back to London from Moor Street was ideal time after a matinee and cheap booked in advance, though very busy as far as Leamington Spa with many standees.

Thank you all for the further responses. Being a keen long-distance walker, it's not the short distance in a town centre that's the issue; more being forewarned if there was still disruption in that area. Though town centres - especially London - are always slow & infuriating to navigate on foot due to all the dawdlers, phone-gawpers & people endlessly walking out of shop doorways without even looking to see if they're about to barge into someone walking by, never mind pausing to allow that person to continue. Rant over - sorry!

FrontrowverPaul I've been longing to try Chiltern Railways for years, both to enjoy the views en route and for what I hear is a better passenger experience. My ex recently beat me to it for an away game and reported back favourably. It didn't work for my Birmingham trip, for which I'm using WMR as usual (affordable tix & seat reservations both ways). I am however using Chiltern later this month for a day trip to Stratford though am concerned by what you say about overcrowding & the fact that their website said "seat reservations are not available" without giving any reason. Doesn't bode well for a long journey. In general Euston is a lot simpler for me to reach than Marylebone, or I'd have used Chiltern before and would consider it regularly.

I've travelled from London to Birmingham Moor Street on Chiltern 10+ times and not experienced a  busy train until it's in the West Midlands and becomes a local stopping service, It's easy to work out which train will be the one I want from the arrivals board, or seeing what's in the platforms, at Marylebone before announcements are made. I always try to grab an extra legroom, window, away from toilet, airline, seat so am usually one of the first to board. The trains are nice too with a quiet coach though it's not enforced and often ignored.

Returning from Birmingham after a matinee - I can't get home by train after an evening show - it's usually the 17.45 departure which you'd expect to be busy and last Thursday it only had four carriages. I've been to Stratford upon Avon for a RSC matinee too and the trains were lightly loaded throughout in both directions.

I've never really considered the behaviour of other pedestrians while walking, though in London what you frequently see from the top deck of buses is complete ignorance of  road traffic and crossing signals by both walkers and cyclists. Many people these days walk around with a phone in their hand in their own little bubble it seems. I've only once seen a near miss where a woman with phone walked out without looking against a red light and the bus driver had to slam on his brakes but it's probably a regular occurrence.

That is guaranteed to work only if you are embarking at the train origin. Many passengers are not, and the refusal to provide seat reservations on long-distance routes by operators such as Chiltern and London Northwestern is appalling.

It’s a disgrace. They can’t afford to keep it open. No doubt nobody actually cares a toss what is inside the building. 

As an alternative I can definitely recommend the Coffin Works Museum, which is very handy for the Rep and one of the most fascinating small, independent museums I've ever visited. Really helpful, informative and engaged staff and volunteers who made my experience so much more worthwhile.

Agree re the Back To Backs, which I visited on my previous Birmingham trip for "What's New, Pussycat?".