To paraphrase John Lydon, 'side of Sutton that the tourists never see'. Not that many tourists…read moremake it to Sutton but, unless they're interested in old railway stations, those few who do would be highly unlikely to check this place out. Sutton Town station shut way back in 1924 and there's very few pictures of it in use. Thankfully, both buildings still remain. The one building can be seen quite easily simply by walking up Midland Drive and keeping an eye out for the very station looking building which is now an office block. For the more adventurous the building on the other side of the tracks is still standing (just), strangely never having been demolished (although it has been bricked up in the ten years since I first encountered it). A disclaimer: There are no signs that the building is on private land and I personally nor anyone I know has ever been challenged walking to it BUT it does lie at the end of a very overgrown path so go prepared and take care. The path to it begins between the railway bridge and Sutton College at the top of the High Street. You keep walking down, over a bridge which crosses the Cross City Line and then keep going straight and you will be confronted with a 1920s station building. It's very eerie and last time I went down there I got spooked out quite quickly and made good my escape. I've got a feeling some unsavoury activities go on there late at night too so go in the morning! If you like your historical buildings not to have been revamped and a long way off the beaten track, it's worth the nettle stings.

I was visiting family in Lichfield and they said this was a must stop and they were right…read more Magnificent architecture, and a rich history. The volunteer guides were excellent. They explained the past and made sure we saw all the features of this landmark cathedral. The cathedral dates back to the 7th century. Originally built with sticks, the current Gothic cathedral was re- built in stone between 1195 and 1340. During the English Civil War in the 17th century, the cathedral was heavily damaged and later restored in the Victorian era. This beautiful cathedral features 3 spires. The central spire and two western spires are a distinctive feature, earning the nickname "Ladies of the Vale. The inside boasts over 100 statues of saints and biblical figures, and truly is one of the most elaborate in England. The stained glass windows from the 16th century are beautiful examples of fine Renaissance glass.

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Over 1,300 years old - this is a remarkable and truly unique cathedral - the…read moreonly one in the UK with 3 spires. It is what makes this small town a CITY.... I cannot do the history and the story justice so let me share this link: https://www.lichfield-cathedral.org/ Make sure that you visit to admire the beauty, the architecture and the history. If possible visit while the choir is singing (either in practice or in a service. As a family with US visitors we attended a Christmas Eve service and it was wonderful - the choir (spoiled only by us joining in ;-) ) and the service itself. The reverend was very down to Earth (started by asking who in the congregation had already had a drink that evening - I, half or more of the congregation and he himself raised our hands!! And make sure you bring your camera - it is beautiful close up, far away and from almost anywhere nearby.

Weoley Castle Square (or simply 'the square' if you live near here) is according to reliable…read moresources the worlds biggest traffic island. Yep, you read that right the worlds BIGGEST traffic island - isn't that amazing? So it isn't really a square - it's more of an oblong and it sits in the middle of a load of shops, the library and a couple of social clubs and churches. It also near to the Weoley Castle estate - which consists of nearly 3,000 homes some of which are looked after by Bournville Village Trust. Interesting fact - in 1935 the 10,000th council house in Birmingham was officially opened in Hopstone Road by the then Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. This made Birmingham the first local authority in Britain to build 10,000 council properties - isn't that also pretty amazing? Weoley Castle has a bit of a dodgy reputation which I think is unfair. There are some surprisingly green places on the estate and whilst the shops here aren't ever going to sell artisan cheeses or 100s of varieties of avocado but they're cheap and mostly run by friendly staff and they sell useful things.

Hmmmm, the Castle Square... how can I put it... politely!…read more I grew up in Weoley Castle and the Square was smack bang in the middle of my walk to school so I had to pass through there every day, and I still sometimes go over there to visit old friends. It is a GIANT traffic island surrounded by shops, the shops are all cheap places ranging from car parts to grocery stores. It's not the prettiest of places but it's a good one-stop place if you live locally. Now, Weoley Castle has kind of a bad reputation and it is fairly well deserved if slightly exaggerated. It's not exactly the 'don't go out after dark' kind of place but I have had more than my fair share of trouble there. This might be because I was a youngster or because I was out there every day and night, but it's definitely not the place I would take a visitor to or that I would choose to go to if I wasn't visiting people I know. I have a soft spot for the Square purely out of nostalgia but it's not the sort of place I would recommend to anyone who wasn't a local.

Beautiful old building and grounds…read more Unfortunately, not open to the public but I walk past it daily and nosey through the windows, although I think the elderly live there! One of the grand historic buildings of Coventry that survived the Blitz.

Kings Norton Green is a lovely, old-fashioned village green. Set amidst the old Tudor buildings of…read moreThe Green, the park itself is a sort of triangular shape, with rows of bulidings lining each side. There are plenty of benches upon which you can sit and admire the historic green - which I did yesterday, and most pleasant it was too. It seems pretty well-kept, and I love the fact that this slightly archaic, villagey Green is placed in the heart of the Birmingham urbs, just off the Pershore Road South. Historically and culturally, the Green is pretty significant - it's been the centre of Kings Norton parish for at least 500 years, which is pretty impressive. It used to host Mop fairs and markets, and now still hosts a Farmers' Market on the second Saturday of every month. All in all it's a lovely plcae to step back in time a bit and get away from the fumes of the Pershore Road if you find yourself in South Birmingham.

I do not go to Kings Norton much, but I tend to visit a few of the stores which are based around…read morethe green, such as the pet store and the cafes. If it is a nice day I like to buy a take away coffee and sit on the green as it such a pretty little area and it has some historic value too with Saint Nicolas Place nearby. There are a few benches and it can be quite relaxing to sit outside with a book or just watching the world go by. I do think that it is strangely placed just around the corner from the Pershore road, but somehow it works and you can use your imagination and believe you are in some countryside town. Besides, I am sure that the green was here long before the busy roundabout around the corner! Overall, it is a lovely area to just chill out in!

You think Birmingham...you think rotunda. The skyline here would not be the same without it. I have…read moreheard talk that you were able to go in it at one point but alas like many old building in the city it is now apartments. Landmarks are not as plentiful in Birmingham as in other cities so it's great to see this one still standing!

I was very lucky to have a night's stay in one of the penthouses- no. 2004, and it was lovely. The…read morebest night's sleep I can remember, so quiet up there, and the beds are very very comfortable. The Rotunda boasts the highest open balcony in Birmingham, so the views are really fabulous (although maybe not for the very faint of heart). The penthouse has one wall which is entirely floor to ceiling windows with a panoramic view of Birmingham and the Bullring, including St Martin's church. The apartment has two double (king) bedrooms, each with an en suite. One has a good sized bath with a rain head shower, both have hair dryers and bathrobes. The central living area, which contains a fully equipped kitchen, has a large flat screen TV with Sky TV plus an iPod dock with speakers. It's the little touches, and the service which makes this special. There is milk and oranges (for juicing) in the fridge, mueslis, ground coffee (from Urban Coffee) tea and hot chocolate. It's an eco conscious place with Ecover washing powders for the dishwasher and washing machine, and vegetarian shampoo and soaps. It is immaculately clean and the general manager Gavin is very approachable and helpful. With Twiggy-style models adorning the walls on canvas, if looks very cool too. The next day we felt totally zen. Worth coming back just for that!

This estate agents is situated on one of the main roads of the town centre. It is part of a…read morenational chain. It could really do with the outside cleaning up as it looks very untidy and unkempt. It also does not make you feel very welcome as a customer as the assistants stare at you when you are looking in the window. The sale boards they use stand out but I think they need to clean up the shop.

Nechells Baths is an example of when Heritage Lottery Funding ends up going to the right place…read more The building is stunning - Edwardian, and obviously once upon a time a swimming baths. Now, many many years later, through persistance from grassroots organisations and support from the council as well as HLF, it has been transformed into a community venue hosting a range of community businesses as well as a cafe with cheap and cheerful offers for anyone passing by. Nechells is misunderstood by people who've not spent time there. I've run workshops in the carpark of the bath, and with the sun fortunately shining down, we had an endless stream of children, young people and families coming over and chatting to us and having a go at the activities we were running - including a couple of boy racers who are usually seen as 'trouble' but who got SO excited by what we were doing, they went home to get more drawings they'd secretly done and wanted to share! Brilliant.

I love, love, love this building and whilst it is sadly no longer a baths they have maintained so…read moremany of the original features. Once properly inside the building you'll discover the former single changing rooms are now the buggy stalls. A couple were turned into listening booths that were meant to have some fun audio plating in but alas I fear they haven't worked in a long time. As you walk around this community centre/office space/community cafe you will find hidden treasure feature everywhere so long as you really, really look. There is even a 'Being John Malkovich' half door, I won't tell you where as spying it is half the excitement. This is a fine example of the regeneration and restoration of a building with a more practical purpose for it's current community being executed amazingly well. I'm sure that if the purpose of the building needed changing again then the modular way they've added in false ceilings and floors means that it could probably be turned back into a public baths. Finding the old in the new feels like an exciting treasure hunt and when old public baths like the ones at Stirchley are still fighting a battle to save it then this one shows why we should.