Hello everyone,
So you’re thinking of making Birmingham your home for the next two, three or many years? Or you’re already here and need inspiration of fun days out for yourself or visiting family or friends? This is the blog post for you.
Here are some of the fun days out that I have enjoyed in my time in Birmingham that I hope inspire you. There are a range of activities for different budgets, so have a scroll and I hope you find something that takes your fancy.
1. Visit the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Located right in the city centre, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a beautiful Grade II listed building full of ancient and modern historical treasures. It is free to have a wander around and for a history nerd like me, their collections are fascinating. They also have seasonal events and exhibitions including live music, guided tours, and family art sessions to name but a few.
If you need some rejuvenation after walking around the museum, there is a wonderful Edwardian tea room where you can have a pot of tea and a slice of cake in a high-ceilinged room with some gorgeous decoration. Or if you fancy just visiting the museum for the tea room I wouldn’t judge, I’ve done that several times to catch up with friends.
2. Take a trip to Cadbury world
You can’t come to Birmingham and not go to Cadbury World! Just pop on the train at New Street or Five Ways and go to Bournville station which is just a short walk away from Cadbury World. The train ticket with a railcard is only £1.85 for a return and if you book in advance, student entry (you must have valid ID) to the Cadbury world tour is £12.01 (correct as of May 2017). Not bad for a day of chocolate! You get to walk through the history of chocolate, from the ancient Mayans to the creation of the milk chocolate bar and the innovation of today. As a bakery student, I found this all very fascinating! There is also a 4D experience, areas where you can watch workers tempering and moulding chocolate. Of course, there are also free samples along the way as well as a mouth-watering Cadbury shop full of reduced price chocolate.
3. Have fun in the sun at Canon Hill Park
On a sunny day (perhaps during summer term), this park is idyllic. You can have a walk around its beautiful green spaces and with a picnic, Frisbee and a couple of friends, you could spend hours there. It has 80 acres of formal parkland and 120 acres of conservation and woodland. You could also play mini golf for just over £5, there are tennis courts, ponds with pedalo boats available in summer, two children’s play areas, an ice cream van, a wildlife conservation centre and a mini funfair. It is also home to a building called the mac Birmingham which is an arts centre in the park offering free exhibitions, as well as events and film screenings.The park is a little out of the city centre, if you feel like stretching your legs you can walk there or get a 10-minute taxi ride.
Photo source here
4. Visit the Digbeth Dining Club
Digbeth Dining Club has won the Best Street Food Event in the UK in both 2013 and 2014 at the British Street Food Awards. There are various stalls selling delicious street food every Friday and Saturday from 5pm on Lower Trinity Street in Digbeth. The stalls vary each week but include businesses such as: the Bournville Waffle Company, Pietanic, the Kebab Cartel, Bare Bones Pizza, Holy Moly Macaroni, Fancy Fries, Low n Slow, Platinum Pancakes, the Meat Shack and many more. Not always the cheapest food but very delicious and the location is perfect for an edgy Instagram.
Trying (and failing) to look cool at the Digbeth Dining Club
5. Go to the Ballet
If you feel like being fancy for a night, Birmingham is home to the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), one of the three major ballet companies in the UK. I would highly recommend going to see their performance of the Nutcracker at Christmastime in the Hippodrome, it has been Birmingham’s Christmas tradition for 25 years. I went for the first time this year and was blown away- it was my first ever ballet and I came in a little uncertain (I thought it would be a little boring if I’m honest, but went because a friend of mine is an artist in the BRB) but was astonished by the incredible things the human body is capable of. I came out of the performance a ballet fan and went again to see Cinderella in February. Tickets start at £19 and if it is the Nutcracker you want to see, booking early is recommended as it is a very popular show!
The Hippodrome is just under 10 minutes walk away from New Street station and surrounded by restaurants if you want to go all out and have a pre show dinner. As well as ballet performances the venue hosts many other events, including tours of west end shows.
So there you have it! Five different things you can do in Birmingham. I hope this gives you inspiration and if you have some fun days out at these places, or have more suggestions, let me know in the comments below!
Until next time,
Ellie