Thread: Brum!

No not the car :lol: I find myself in Birmingham on saturday and am free in the afternoon so was wondering if there was anything I *HAVE* to see/do while I'm there?

WARNING

Warning: This is an Old Thread This discussion is older than 60 days. information contained in it may no longer be current

The Ikon gallery Ikon Gallery is always worth a look, although it is a little out of the centre, and Birmingham museum and art gallery Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is very nice.

Saturday is the day of the Custard Factory Custard Factory | Office space to rent | Birmingham flea market - there are a few vintage stalls and it's definitely something to look at. It's in Digbeth though which is a little walk out of the centre again (but in the opposite direction to Ikon I'm afraid!)

I hope you have fun, I like Birmingham very much but it's not particularly big xx
xx

The lift in Waterstones next to Zavvi is particularly fun - beats anything at Alton Towers and its free x

Two words: Cadbury World.

As you are with me in the studio in the morning - I am happy to give you a lift into the centre

Avoid the bull ring if you dont like over priced, very commercialised shops.

The Mailbox has some lovely boutiques and very nice eateries and if a nice afternoon you could lunch by the canal.

The rag market is a must if you are in the middle of costume making - they have everything plus much more under one roof.

The IKON gallery is lovely; as is Brindley Place, again, nice bars, bistro's etc.. and also a nice walk along the canal to the Mailbox.

Ohhh you've just missed the Artsfest - loads of free events and gigs all around the city centre last weekend....

If you like Pre Raphaelite paintings you have to pop into the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery...they've got a lovely collection and it's so peaceful and calm in there, it's lovely (pop to the Edwardian tea rooms restaurant too - it's beautiful and whisks you 'away' from the city centre)

Shopping is fab too, I often used to get happily lost in the Bull Ring - but when I do get to Birmingham I always try to get to the Oasis market shops at the top right of Corporation Street if you're coming up the hill from New Street Station. It's Brum's equivalent of Manchester's Afflecks Palace and has 5 different levels of alternative fashion shops if you're into that sort of thing. Birmingham's got a slightly bigger Blue Banana than Cardiff too .....and usually have cheap 'satin' gloves in various colours, if you're forever losing yours like I do mine.

I like discovering the canals within the centre - it's so weird to be walking in a built up city centre and then suddenly find boats on water. No-one has ever yet convinced me that Birmingham's got more canals than Venice yet though. If it's nice I used to eat sandwiches in Brindley Place and people watch. Sitting on the steps by the Floozy in the Jacuzzi is good for this too.

Apparently IKON is closed, which is a shame, because it is nice. I ended up there last time I was in Birmingham. I didn't know my way around very well...I had a map of how to get to the Birmingham Art Gallery/Museum, but my rather impatient boyfriend insisted on getting a taxi. We asked the driver to take us there, but he took us to IKON instead. My boyfriend was pleased. They had a metal-related exhibition. I think that was his plan all along.

Originally Posted by Al_Palooka

The lift in Waterstones next to Zavvi is particularly fun - beats anything at Alton Towers and its free x

Yes! I love that lift, buying art books on the top floor gives me an excuse to take the lift all the way back down to the bottom floor, and I'm always disappointed when someone stops me half way down xx

Originally Posted by tempest devyne

Birmingham's got a slightly bigger Blue Banana than Cardiff too.

Ah Blue Banana Cardiff. I got so many piercings done there. May get another one if I get to hang around Birmigham at all next weekend.

Rag Market all the way.... you can buy glitter make up in all colours of the rainbow for about £2 each..... plus lots of other amazingly cheap shite (some of which is actually quite good).

I also like the walk up the steps from the market to New St (which I recently re-discovered as a street, not just a station) - I like walking past the big squidgy shaped building with the metal dots.