There is much for kids to see and do in Birmingham. If you happen to be here on a rainy day then check out the Custard Factory or the National Sea Life Centre. Greyhound racing, roller-coasters at Drayton Manor Park and quality cinemas are some of the other child-friendly attractions worth checking out.
Birmingham Speedway What better place to take the kids than to a dog race. The Perry Barr Stadium on Aldridge Road is a great racing venue, with its lightening-fast animals and excellent facilities. Racing takes place on Wednesdays and features four dogs over four laps. Phone: +44 870 840 7410.
Custard Factory
Visitors with kids simply must take them to the Custard Factory, which is an educational tool as well as a fun day out for children. An arts centre with a difference, the Custard Factory features jazz, drama, dance and crafts studios as well as a collection of shops, cafés and restaurants. Phone: +44 1216 047 777; website: www.custardfactory.com
Drayton Manor Park and Zoo
For those with cars, nearby Drayton Manor Park and Zoo is one of the top venues in the country for fun. Among the many rides are rollercoasters, water rides, a zoo, a museum, a cable car and several cafés and gift shops. Drayton Manor Park and Zoo is a seasonal attraction and can be found in nearby Tamworth. Phone: +44 844 472 1950; website: www.draytonmanor.co.uk
Electric Cinema
The snazziest cinema in Birmingham is great fun for the kids when there are appropriate movies on. Famed for its Art Deco interior, the oldest still-in-operation cinema building in the UK also features comfy sofa seating, home baking and a cocktail bar and waiter service. Electric Cinema is located on Station Street in the city centre. Phone: +44 121 643 7879; website: www.theelectric.co.uk
National Sea Life Centre
Featuring numerous colourful creatures from the deep in the city centre, the National Sea Life Centre features stingrays, giant turtles, angry-looking sharks and awkward crabs. There are several large tanks here as well as a natty glass tunnel that can be walked through with marine life all around. Try to get here for feeding time and take away a souvenir from the on-site gift shop. Phone: +44 1216 436 777; website: www.sealifeeurope.com
Thinktank Science Museum Birmingham’s Thinktank Science Museum is a great learning tool for kids as well as being lots of fun for the whole family. There are loads of interactive exhibits here including industrial machines and vehicles and an IMAX cinema. Phone: +44 121 202 2222; website: www.thinktank.ac
Museums, galleries, large cathedrals and theatres are all in abundance in Birmingham. Along with Sarehole Mill, the nearby Black Country Museum teaches much about the early industry of Birmingham while the iconic Ikon Gallery and St Chad's Cathedral add further depth in culture.
Black Country Museum
The Black Country title was so-coined due to how dirty the people that worked in the coal and iron industries in the West Midlands used to get. The Black Country Museum in nearby Dudley does well to recreate a typical mining village during the heyday of the dirty industries with workshops, costumed guides, shops, a pub and an actual mine. There is also a cinema onsite that plays 1930s movies as well as the 1930s Fried Fish Shop and a kiddy funfair. Phone: +44 121 557 9643; website: www.bclm.co.uk
Ikon Art Gallery
Birmingham’s Ikon Art Gallery is ideal for those into contemporary art, being one of the very best in its field in Europe. The main gallery is a huge hall that contains many brilliant permanent works of art as well as visiting exhibitions. Ikon is primarily an educational charity and also has a bookshop and a quality café that serves good Spanish food. Phone: +44 121 248 0708; website: www.ikon-gallery.co.uk
Sarehole Mill
Perhaps the most apt of Birmingham’s cultural attractions, the Sarehole Mill—one of dozens of water mills that once existed here—is the best example of a working mill in the city. The mid-18th century mill was originally built so that Matthew Boulton could roll metal and make buttons. Another prominent resident of the mill was JRR Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings, who spent some of his childhood here in the 1890s. Phone: +44 121 777 6612; website: www.birmingham.gov.uk/sarehole
Shakespeare Express Train
Those who fancy having a look around when in Birmingham might like to get aboard the Shakespeare Express for a side trip to Stratford-upon-Avon. The train is the UK’s fastest steam train, running from Snow Hill Station in central Birmingham to Stratford regularly. The train has been restored and takes a one-hour scenic route to Shakespeare’s birthplace. Phone: +44 1789 299 866.
St Chad's Cathedral Red brick St Chad's Cathedral was England’s first Roman Catholic cathedral to be built in the country and is relatively young as far as UK churches go, having been built in 1841. Its magnificent carvings are its biggest asset while the choir is well worth listening to at Mass. Phone: +44 121 236 2251; website: www.stchadscathedral.org.uk
St Philip's Cathedral
Three-hundred-year-old St Philip's Cathedral is the centre of the Diocese of Birmingham and is a Grade 1 listed building for its baroque forms. The church was designed by renowned architect Thomas Archer and features four magnificent pre-Raphaelite stained-glass windows. Phone: +44 121 262 1840; website: www.stphilipscathedral.org
Theatre
Birmingham is one of the UK’s foremost destinations for theatre and the performing arts as well as for live music. Several quality theatres can be found in the city centre including the much ballyhooed Birmingham Hippodrome, which is Birmingham’s number one theatre and high up in the UK rankings. Top shows are staged at the refurbished Hippodrome, which is located on Hurst street, as well as at the Midlands Arts Centre and the Crescent Theatre. Phone: +44 844 338 5000; website: www.birminghamhippodrome.com
Birmingham is a cosmopolitan city and has a staggering amount of eateries, from the traditional English fish ‘n’ chip shops and fast food joints to balti restaurants and Chinese noodle stands. There are over 500 restaurants in the city, 10 per cent of which are curry houses along the ‘Balti Mile’.
Popular areas to find a bite to eat in Birmingham include Broad street in the city centre, Brindley place with its nice location overlooking waterways and the Selly Oak area. The latter is most popular among the university student and backpacking fraternity who come for the cheap English, Chinese, Indian and Italian eats. Everything from terraced cafés, fast food restaurants, coffee houses and kebab shops can be found here.
Birmingham is best known for its Indian-style balti curries, which were derived here in the 1970s. A balti is a hot curry dish which is cooked and served in a flat-bottomed metal pot and arrives at the table simmering away. The best place in the city to get a taste of balti is the Balti Triangle, or Balti Mile, which encompasses dozens of excellent balti restaurants along Stratford and Ladypool roads.
On the shopping front, Birmingham is now best known for its totally revamped Bull Ring complex, which was previously in the England’s ugliest buildings top-ten list. There are some very high quality stores here, such as Selfridges, as well as a healthy supply of standard high street shops and eateries.
Another popular shopping complex near to the Bull Ring is the Pavillions, which features the likes of Waterstones, Marks & Spencer’s, Virgin Megastore and other popular big brand names.
For high street shopping check out High street, New street, and Corporation street. Although High street has lost a lot of its worth to the Bull Ring, you will find a better range of discount stores here, while the Victoria square end of New street has an array of upmarket stores to choose from.
Other shopping areas in Birmingham include: the cosy Martineau Place shopping centre, with the likes of Gap, H&M and Starbucks; the Mall at the Pallisades complex and the snazzy Mailbox with its Harvey Nichols and other designer boutiques. For gems, head for the Jewellery quarter to the north of town.
Birmingham has a massive amount of sports facilities, particularly in the field of football, tennis and cricket, and there are many municipal golf courses where visitors can turn up and play. Cycling and walking are also very popular in Birmingham owing to the profusion of canals and parks.
Cycling and Walking
The network of canals near the heart of the city provides the perfect opportunity to get away from the bustle of the urban centre and do some walking and cycling. In addition, Birmingham has a fine collection of parks and gardens both in and around the city centre, from small, quaint rose gardens to huge parkland featuring an array of activities. Bicycles can be rented from sports outlets or hotels in the city.
Golf There are dozens of golf courses in and around Birmingham, many of which are match play standard and allow guests to book a round. One of the best courses in Birmingham is nearby Harborne Golf Course to the southwest of the city centre, not far from the Botanical Gardens. Harborne Golf Course is a popular nine-hole municipal course where green fees and club hire are inexpensive, and you can simply walk in and play. Phone: +44 121 427 1204.
Spectator Sports
Birmingham is famously home to Edgbaston cricket ground, one of the foremost cricketing venues in the country. International test matches are played regularly here in season including the Ashes when it’s in England. Birmingham is also home to Aston Villa and Birmingham City footballs clubs, while the well equipped National Indoor Arena (NIA) hosts regular athletics meets.
Have stayed at this hotel many times over the years. Still a lovely place to stay but the furnishings are beginning to look a little tired. Generally time for it to be re-furbished!...
