Celebrating Birmingham's No. 11 bus and the people who use it

ITV Central reporter Ravneet Nandra rode the Number 11 bus with three passengers who have been using the bus for decades.

For almost 100 years, since 1926, the Outer Circle - or the number 11 bus - has covered the majority of Birmingham, taking in many famous landmarks along the way.

The route was once Europe's longest urban bus route at 26 miles long. It carries 50,000 passengers a day, connecting commuters to the suburbs without needing to go into the city centre.

Now the route, and the people who have been using it for decades, are being celebrated in a new exhibition.

Ravneet Nandra spoke to three passengers along the route, each with a unique story about why they use the bus.

Joanne Stubbs' story

Joanne gets on the bus in Harborne at the top of War Lane and gets off at Acocks Green to see her friend at Kimichi School.

She has been aware of the number 11 since moving to Harborne 20 years ago.

The route is inspiration for her hand dyed yarns, with each colour corresponding to an area.

She loves going through Bournville and seeing the old buildings and chocolate factory.

"Birmingham is so green! Honestly You look up and all you can see is tops of trees. It's fabulous."

There are 266 bus stops and if you have the time, it can take up to 3 hours to do the entire loop which starts in Acocks Green.

And whether you’re going clockwise or anticlockwise, blink and you may miss some of the route's iconic city landmarks.

Like Castle Bromwich Hall and gardens, the canals, the Cadbury Factory and Sarehole Mill which inspired Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Marcus Belben's story

Marcus has used the bus since 1995. He used to use it to see his girlfriend, who became his wife.

He likes to watch street life and wildlife in local parks when on the bus, and wants to start a campaign to make it a UNESCO World Heritage Route

The route recently split in two, but Marcus is adamant it should become a continuous route again.

"Actually I think a lot more happens in suburbs along the number 11 route than in the city centre in a way. There's a lot more culture for people coming to the city of Birmingham but actually along the route, this is where people live and do things."

David Humfries' story

For 70 years, David has been using the 11 bus. As a child, David would travel from Hall Green to Perry Barr to visit his uncle. As a teenager, he'd travel from Hall Green on his way to school in Bournville, and to see his girlfriend, now wife of 55 years.

He developed an interest in the Birmingham's buses in the 1960s. Following his retirement, he hired a 1950s bus and went around the Outer Circle with 45 paying passengers to give them a guided tour of the route pointing out significant places and people associated with it. The money raised was given to charity.

He went on to conduct eight tours over the next four years. He and his wife Pam deliver illustrated talks to history societies in the Midlands.

"The most significant thing about it is that it hasn't changed!

"There is so much of the route that is the same as I remember it as a child. Everything grew up around the outer circle. It was the epicentre of a lot of people's journeys to work, to school, to see boyfriends, girlfriends."

Number 11: Know your place

Researchers at Birmingham City University (BCU) have created an exhibition to help residents and visitors discover Birmingham’s unique landscape and history through the city’s iconic route.

Photographer Ming de Nasty and Stan’s Café Theatre Company visited one location for every mile of the route, photographing passers-by holding signs pointing to the place of interest. Local historian Professor Carl Chinn gave details of what areas used to look like centuries ago in guided tours.

Doctor Alex Albans, research fellow at Birmingham City University's College of Architecture, and Professor Katheryn Moore from West Midlands National Park lab speak about how the exhibition seeks to reclaim and reposition the phrase ‘know your place’ as a catalyst for people to discover a sense of pride, belonging and curiosity in the everyday landscape of their city.

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