Posts Tagged ‘ guide ’

Danny Smith’s Guide to 2008 Pt1

Danny Smith was writing lots of guides to Brum for the Itchy guide, last year. It never happened, so we present his guide to the past in a number of parts: Readers World 137 Digbeth Birmingham B5 6DR 01216438664 Sure you could go to Borders or WH Smiths who, I’m sure, will always have exactly what you want in clean, well lit, and organised sections. But who wouldn’t rather want to lose half a day rooting around huge Health and Safety defying stacks of second hand sci-fi and fantasy books, in a shop that resembles a cross between a Harry Potter set and a reclusive geeks bedroom? The worlds is a richer place for having shops of this type of uniquely British oddness and consider it your patriotic duty to pop in and grab a musty bargain. Tues-Sat, 10am-5.30pm Snobs Nightclub 29 Paradise Circus Queensway Birmingham B1 2BJ 01216435551 Big Wendsdays at Snobs is kinda like the Rolling Stones; just when you think it is due to die, a new generation discovers it and it becomes even more popular than before. The décor hasn’t changed since my parents were enjoying the 50p shots and rutting in the toilets. Most...

My old Dad refused to go in to Ansells pubs, they served Castlemaine XXXX for lager and he wasn’t happy (generally, but with XXXX in particular). This isn’t the sort of thing they cover in Good Pub Guides and the like — they’re either obsessed with specific gravity and naked flames that might set off an aran jumper (CAMRA), or the qualtity of service. Me, I like a nice pint, not too many students or drunks, a jukebox, and barstaff who are good at their job without being obsequious. And if the pub has got something odd about it, so much the better. So with the news that there’s only one pub in Brum in the latest Good Pub Guide (the Old Joint Stock), here’s a call for your fave drinking haunts, propper boozers with something about them. We’ve mentioned the ‘Swinging Sporran‘ (oddest pub name in Brum?) and had a review of sorts — “great pub great staff ask for dolly the gaffa’s gaffa live music mark the dj on the wkends just for the ladys”. The Bull near Lancaster Circus has got some fantastic ladies bogs: So, odd pub tales please — fill up the comments —...

Brum Guide might look a little bit (or indeed a lot) like Wikipedia, but it’s just for us – it’s to create a guide to Birmingham written by Brummies (and honourary ones), or it will be if we fill it up. You see it’s a wiki – which means anyone that can see it can edit it, can add pages, can fix mistakes (my poor spelling for example) and we can build up a guide to Brum that contains all the little bits of fun and facts that only we Brummies know. Think of it like helping to write a Lonely Planet guide – but you didn’t have to explain the currency or weather, just add things that you know about Birmingham. I always marvel at how much there is to learn about the city, how many great places to visit you don’t know about, how much interesting stuff goes on outside our own little enclaves and the city centre. I’ve started with a few little bits that I’ve copied and pasted from stuff I’ve already written – can you can too if you don’t mind it being part of the guide. To add something you just do a...

Budget Best Of Brum

Much longer version of an article I wrote for this week’s Guardian Travel Section – they said 300 words, but I can’t shut up when I get going: Rush Hour Blues: Free Commuter Jazz Symphony Hall, Friday evenings Don’t worry, it’s not free jazz as in a wizened old saxophonist honking and squeaking with a split reed until your eardrums bleed. In fact the definition of jazz as it relates to these smashing gigs is pretty loose, as is everything about the experience, there’s none of the snobbery normally associated with jazz. Just trot up to the Symphony Hall bar after work on a Friday and you’ll get some of the finest chill-out sounds around. Cannon Hill Park – including the MAC and Nature Centre Pershore Road A vast expanse of greenery near to the centre of town, it has all the usual park features, boating lake, dilapidated putting green, but it’s also home to the Midland Arts Centre (huge variety of exhibitions, films and performances) and the wonderful, otterific Nature Centre. Where else can you see hundreds of furry creatures for under two quid? Ikon Gallery Brindleyplace Simon Patterson, of Great Bear fame, and Olafur Eliasson are just...

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Posts Tagged ‘ guide ’

Danny Smith’s Guide to 2008 Pt1

Best Pubs in Brum?

Brum Guide – it’s wiki’d

Budget Best Of Brum

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