What should I do in Birmingham?

[Ferris]

Just realized I have nothing planned. We land Sunday morning, for a few weeks of... nothing.

I haven't been to "town" for ~3 years (a disastrous trip in which I got lost in New New Street and nearly hit by a tram, being unaware Birmingham now had a tram system), and haven't spent longer than a few days in the region since I lived there in the mid '00s. In my arrogance as a native of the west mids, I assumed I'd breeze it with no need to start a thread (like my Bristol one), but actually it's time for me to acknowledge the ugly truth:

I'm out of touch. A spent force. Past it, Birmingham-wise.

There's still an aquarium isn't there? Infants like that sort of thing. I understand the new library is worth looking at. Is the old one still there? And the museum on Victoria square was always good, I bet that has stuff infants would like to look at.

[Ferris]

Also, where can I get a decent pint? I doubt the Flapper and Firkin is still the place to be, though in hindsight I don't think it ever was.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Patronise all the locals by pressing your face point blank into theirs and bellowing "ARROIGHT MAAAYT FANCY A CURRAY" or "WE'RE THE PEAKY FOOKIN BLOINDERS" and see how bruised you can get your face to become by the end of the day.

But no, aquarium sounds good, nothing childish about liking fish, they're the only animals I like personally speaking. Get an aforementioned curry because they're supposedly good. Their museum's alright I think though that's admittedly the case for just about any UK city.

Their main landmark is that big building made of lumpy circles so go and look at that I guess. They've got trams too so maybe ride one of those.

Cadbury world if you like chocolate. Go shopping in one of the lots of shops they have. People say there's nothing to do in Birmingham but that's bollocks, it's a giant city full of a million people, if you can't find owt to do that speaks to your own lack of imagination, bell ends.

[bgmnts]

Would genuinely give you a fiver to dress up like a Peaky Blinder for the day and walk around.

[hummingofevil]

We going next week for Supersonic. Will be awesome. There was a nice trendy food place on Victoria Square for what I remember but my favourite thing about Birmingham was just following the smells. That old shit market behind the Bull Ring has some cracking old-school pre-street-food street food places and that is where I like to eat. If you see a line of Taxi drivers queuing up for lunch join it and have what they are having. I think last time I was there I had some kind of fish pakora thing with dressing for a couple of quid and it was a good a snack I've had. Would also recommend just going for a balti and watching the world go by. We went at lunch time on a Thursday and didn't see another white face for a couple of hours but watching the asian world go by whilst eating lush food was genuinely interesting. (I realise that sounds a bit like I treat Asian areas as a zoo which I now am worry about for the first time ever but I will never forget the teenage girl who walked past me in that head and neck head scarf, skinny jeans and a Birmingham City shirt.

I like Brummies. Proper people. If you get chatting to them tell them you are on holiday. It melts their brain.

Oh and the Irish Club in Digbeth. Right laugh that place.

[Jittlebags]

Invent a Stool Scale.

[JesusAndYourBush]

Don't drink the water.  Not as bad as London water, but still foul.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Some good pubs

Post Office Vaults
The Old Joint Stock
The Wellington
The Anchor
The Old Crown
The Bartons Arms (Aston)

[paruses]

Seconded The Anchor - assuming it has not lost its sticky carpeted charm. And the Irish Club is just round the corner of you want a pint of Harp and a right to round things off

The Pen museum and the mint in the Jewellery quarter are niche but interesting visits. Probably the aquarium is best with jr in tow though. Don't take the starfish off the assistant and play with it though - they get really uppity and territorial.

Good luck finding your way around - the centre is an absolute nightmare for driving now.

I never got used to the water either.

[paruses]

There's a lot of swinger's clubs too if you get a taste for it in Bristol.

[Danger Man]

[Danger Man]

Try organising a CaB meet.

[Icehaven]

Also, where can I get a decent pint? I doubt the Flapper and Firkin is still the place to be, though in hindsight I don't think it ever was.

It is!! Only just though, it's had a few stays of execution with the apartment plans being rejected, but the latest plans have just recently been resubmitted, which is shite, but it's hopefully got at least until the end of the year.

Also go and have a look at the library, the building work out front has just sort of nearly finished and there's a fountain now, and you can go up onto the balconies and enjoy stunning views all the way to Cradley Heath. There's a children's library on the bottom floor too for your child, and they probably have various activities like storytimes etc. going on as well.

[BlodwynPig]

Who'd have thought Birmingham was such a utopia. I enjoyed my time there greatly.

[Icehaven]

The Bartons Arms (Aston)

I've lived here for 15 years now and I still haven't been there, shame on me. I've been to all the others mentioned though, actually went to The Anchor fairly regularly for a while until they got rid of the jukebox.

I hate having to say this too but do be careful if you're around the Upper Bull st./The Square Peg/Old Square area of the city centre, it's become really dodgy and unsafe even in broad daylight. Someone got seriously attacked there a couple of months ago and I've known of a few others getting attacked and threatened recently as well, and there's constant fights and people stumbling around off their heads, falling into bus queues etc.

[madhair60]

You could go and find my ex-wife and tell her she broke my heart and that I'll never get over her. Ask her why she left me, even though I already know. Beg her for another chance - really ugly, desperate as you like. Tears and snot, make a huge scene. Let me know how it goes.

[Ferris]

You could go and find my ex-wife and tell her she broke my heart and that I'll never get over her. Ask her why she left me, even though I already know. Beg her for another chance - really ugly, desperate as you like. Tears and snot, make a huge scene. Let me know how it goes.

Not falling for this again

[pigamus]

Also go and have a look at the library, the building work out front has just sort of nearly finished and there's a fountain now, and you can go up onto the balconies and enjoy stunning views all the way to Cradley Heath. There's a children's library on the bottom floor too for your child, and they probably have various activities like storytimes etc. going on as well.

Blimey, the Flapper's really expanded since the last time I was in.

[Ferris]

I've lived here for 15 years now and I still haven't been there, shame on me. I've been to all the others mentioned though, actually went to The Anchor fairly regularly for a while until they got rid of the jukebox.

I hate having to say this too but do be careful if you're around the Upper Bull st./The Square Peg/Old Square area of the city centre, it's become really dodgy and unsafe even in broad daylight. Someone got seriously attacked there a couple of months ago and I've known of a few others getting attacked and threatened recently as well, and there's constant fights and people stumbling around off their heads, falling into bus queues etc.

Used to go semi-regularly to Barton's before/after Villa games. Was never a huge fan but it may well have been done up since I was last in. Asked my mum, she reckons they do Thai food now so it sounds like it.

I liked the Victoria (?) last time I was in Brum but I couldn't tell you where it was. Top of Needless Alley I think? Nice inside, good selection of taps. A little bit further on was a cocktail bar full of people with improbable accents which I enjoyed immensely (as someone with an improbable accent myself). It was like sex and the city, but via Stonnal. To be honest, I'm excited at the prospect of a pint pulled from a beer engine because it's been years since I had one and the west mids does mild like nowhere else so even if I find a hole in the wall able to provide this, I will be delighted.

Square Peg was always the epicentre of the slightly dodgy end, sounds like that corner of town has suffered a bit. Will avoid and stick to the library instead.

[Icehaven]

Used to go semi-regularly to Barton's before/after Villa games. Was never a huge fan but it may well have been done up since I was last in. Asked my mum, she reckons they do Thai food now so it sounds like it.

I liked the Victoria (?) last time I was in Brum but I couldn't tell you where it was. Top of Needless Alley I think? Nice inside, good selection of taps. A little bit further on was a cocktail bar full of people with improbable accents which I enjoyed immensely (as someone with an improbable accent myself). It was like sex and the city, but via Stonnal. To be honest, I'm excited at the prospect of a pint pulled from a beer engine because it's been years since I had one and the west mids does mild like nowhere else so even if I find a hole in the wall able to provide this, I will be delighted.

Square Peg was always the epicentre of the slightly dodgy end, sounds like that corner of town has suffered a bit. Will avoid and stick to the library instead.

The Victoria is still good, it's not near Needless Alley though, it's near the Hippodrome, sort of round the back entrance to New st. Station.

[Ferris]

The Victoria is still good, it's not near Needless Alley though, it's near the Hippodrome, sort of round the back entrance to New st. Station.

Ahh this rings bells, it's sort of at the bottom of a hill (or road? It is "down", I'm pretty sure) and is very nice but isn't the one I meant. Must have got the names confused.

The place I'm thinking of is not called the Victoria, then. So now all I have to do is list (and visit) every pub in central brum that isn't the Victoria and I'll find the one I meant (unless it closed down in the past 6 years).

[Pseudopath]

I don't think there is anything down Needless Alley (other than the back entrances to some of the shops on Temple Street). You're not thinking of The Windsor on Cannon Street, are you? Or The Shakespeare on Lower Temple Street?

[Ferris]

I don't think there is anything down Needless Alley (other than the back entrances to some of the shops on Temple Street). You're not thinking of The Windsor on Cannon Street, are you? Or The Shakespeare on Lower Cannon Street?

Very possibly! Thanks

[thugler]

Don't drink the water.  Not as bad as London water, but still foul.

This is utter bollocks, the water comes straight from wales and tastes fucking amazing. Tea tastes incredible and unrecognizable from my previous locale of Hertfordshire.

[Ferris]

This is utter bollocks, the water comes straight from wales and tastes fucking amazing. Tea tastes incredible and unrecognizable from my previous locale of Hertfordshire.

Had some of the water, seems fine. I think Sheffield water is the nicest.

[Icehaven]

If you ignore the ridiculously shoehorned in Instagram angle there's a few nice ideas here.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/17-most-instagrammable-places-birmingham-16561183?fbclid=IwAR3IPSwLmMQ-0RmUKZlbMkF79HTFP1kui0aIDcpHvbs71sI3v147R--Rn6c

[pigamus]

If you ignore the ridiculously shoehorned in Instagram angle there's a few nice ideas here.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/17-most-instagrammable-places-birmingham-16561183?fbclid=IwAR3IPSwLmMQ-0RmUKZlbMkF79HTFP1kui0aIDcpHvbs71sI3v147R--Rn6c

"Birmingham's timeless city centre network of canals offers a great day out for all the family."

This made me laugh out loud. It sounds like it's being sarcastic but it isn't.

[Icehaven]

"Birmingham's timeless city centre network of canals offers a great day out for all the family."

This made me laugh out loud. It sounds like it's being sarcastic but it isn't.

I did think 'timeless' was an oddly meaningless word choice there. There's some good ideas like the Library, Edgbaston reservoir, the botanical gardens, the Custard Factory etc., but that's why I mentioned ignoring the Instagram aspect, sending people to the Council House or down Fazeley st. just to take a photo with an orangey pink filter is a bit silly.

[Ferris]

Is there a more insta-grave word than "instagrammable"?

We're heading in from the burbs tomorrow, library/art gallery and to buy Mrs Ferris new shoes in the bullring. Will post snaps if I take any nice ones.

Thanks all!

[alan nagsworth]

I'll be there tomorrow and my mate can probably "link you" some "dank weed" if that's your thing.

Dunno why I put those terms in quote marks as that's how I generally speak anyway