Birmingham open market is an absolute lifesaver! We've been shopping here for over five years and…read morethe quality, variety and price far outweigh any convenience of shopping at a supermarket. From standard fruit and veg to more exotic Caribbean and Asian foodstuffs the open market has something for everyone, and usually something to didn't know you wanted. The produce is fairly seasonal so when something is in season it is cheap as hell like 3 butternut squash for a pound or bunches of asparagus for 50p. The frozen food stall at the back is well worth checking out for your freezer-stocking bargains and the stall at the front with eggs and cheese is a must. Seriously, you'll hear the egg man shouting from mills away!

Great Quality produce and great prices. Shop around for the best deals, but on average we save…read morebetween 50p to £1 on each item - meaning a £10+ a week saving on our shopping (compared to supermarkets). The traders are friendly and will normally do you a deal if you need a large amount of a particular type of fruit or veg. Well worth a trip! Remember to take your canvas bags!

I fecking LOVE the Gay Village. This area officially starts up by the Hippodrome Theatre…read more(http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/birmingham-hippodrome-birmingham-2) and ends somewhere towards Second City Suite (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/second-city-suite-birmingham) and then across towards The Diskery (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/the-diskery-birmingham) and around in a square, it's not a huge area but has plenty of fun within it's confines. This area host Birmingham Pride (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/birmingham-pride-birmingham) which is one of the larger LGBT festivals in the UK and is home to many gay friendly bars, clubs and venues. The venues go from the sophisticated (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/the-loft-lounge-birmingham) to the ridiculous/fantastic fun (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/village-inn-birmingham) and you're pretty much guaranteed a fun night out whenever you go down. There is a wide range of venues to choose from in this area, so whether you're in the mood for a chilled out cocktail or a full on dance fest until 6am - you're going to have a great night. The people who frequent the Gay Village are just as colourful as the venues and you'll probably end up chatting to strangers at any of the places in the area. Whether you're gay, straight, Bi or undefined... You're going to have a good time in the GQ. The rules are.... play nice, be friendly and be prepared to have a whopping night out (even if you just intended to go for one or two).

Extremely inviting and warm. Very helpful and a great place to lose yourself. Been here quite a few…read moretimes and would recommend it for anyone looking for a good time. A lot less crowded than broad street so a much friendly atmosphere.

Wonderfull, peaceful place with amazing views and walks. We visit on hot days, take a picnic with…read moreus a put our feet in the streams! Bliss! You do need to get here early on these days! You do have to pay for parking but that is it! The shop and cafe are nice and sometime there are books for sale!

This is the place to come to if you fancy getting away from it all. Barr Beacon is about 3 miles…read morefrom walsall town centre and is one of the highest points in the west midlands. The top on the hill has fantastic panoramic views. On a beautiful sunny day you can see iconic areas and buildings such as Cannock Chase, Lichfield Cathedral and Birmingham City Centre. They have a lot of lovely pathways for walk like the beacon way and the 2 mile circular trail. It has many other trails too which are yet to be explored. i was there on a warm sunny day, this place offers secluded spots for a nice picnic or sunbathing. The only problem is it lack basic facilities like toilets and a shop/ cafe to buy food and drink. There was a ice-cream van but prices were a rip off. £3.00 for a simple flake ice-cream cone. They have benches if you bring your own food. But this place needs some money pumped into it to bring it up to scratch. This place is beautiful it needs basic facilities. The bandstand like memorial stand was built in 1900's and the roof is made from copper which has aged and blends into the hues of landscape well. inside is a small pedestal has a map of how far surrounding areas are from this pin point location. Theres two car parks off Beacon Road a north car park which is less busy, but i used the south car park which was busier and was where the memorial monument was. this place is very popular with dog walkers, families with picnics, people playing football and there was a kite flyer too. This place has stunning amazing views, i recommend this place highly.

Beacon Hill is one of the highest hills in the West Midlands. A fact, it is the highest point…read morebetween here and Ural Mountains in Russia, On a good day you can see Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham, Shropshire and Wales. On a very clear day you can see the Bristol Channel. As well as its wonderful views, it also has good wide open space, a couple of football pitches and some flat ground on top of the hill.

Except only the very best food and service from the staff the quality is fit for the king and queen…read moreof England 100% the best

Yesterday my friend and I went to this shop, this being my first time…read more I am not a fish lover, but we both had 'mini' fish and chips, with mushy peas. Well, when it arrived, it was piping hot, loads of mushy peas, the chips were perfect, and the fish ( which was quite big ) was absolutely wonderful. I have never tasted batter quite like this. This 'mini ' meal filled me up so much so that although I ate all of the fish, I very reluctantly left a few of the delicious chips. we chose to eat in, which was fine, and together we made the decision that we will certainly be returning here every two or three weeks. To sum up , PERFECTION.

If you've been to the Ikon Gallery you'll know about the water feature in Oozells square…read more It's a lovely area with cherry trees, restaurants and cafe's. Running diagonally along the centre is a long channel filled with water that ripples slowly along from one end to the other. This water feature forms the starting point of the composition of the whole area, with the six benches and the large arch dominating the rest of the space. The space makes me think of Japanese traditions as it incorporates nature into it's design. It always feels a little calmer a space than it's neighbour, brindleyplace plaza and I'm sure this is no coincidence. What my children like doing on a warm day is to dip their toes into the channel and pretend it's a river. I love the idea of using architecturally designed spaces as fun places to play, especially when they're right n the middle of the city.

This is a pretty and quiet square that is home to the Ikon Gallery and several smart restaurants…read more As urban landscaping goes, it is very much in the minimalist style with more than subtle nods towards Japanese zen gardens. It is a quiet and relaxed place - far removed from the hustle and bustle of nearby Broad Street and Brindley Place I like calming channel of water that runs from end to end of the square. I also love the way the square lights up a night, with fairy lights trimming the trees. I wouldn't necessarily suggest making a special trip to Oozells Square, but it is well worth pausing on your way through or taking a seat on one of its benches after a visit to the Ikon Gallery.

Holy shit it's the most amazing maze there is for adults…read more When filling out additional information on Yelp, there should be a checkbox for "Good for Adults Who Like Being Awesome". It's about £3 for entry, takes 30-45 minutes and is one hell of a thrill ride. In addition to the maze itself, there's a supplemental puzzle to solve with a series of words and pictograms. I won't give anything away, but it's not easy. Doubly-so if you're American, as the nomenclature is decidedly British. Best time I've had in a maze since the Pineapple Maze on the Dole Plantation in Hawaii.

Holy shit that was awesome!…read more This maze is a must do for any maze goer be they regular or new to losing themselves in a world of greenery. The maze itself is excellent but the puzzle that has to be figured out en route just adds to the intensity of the experience - this maze is incredible!

I saw this grand old steam train pull into Snow Hill Station and it was wonderful! There were loads…read moreof people on the platform just to watch the train arrive. It was quite sweet to see all of the little kids getting ridiculously excited about the big steam train. To be honest, I was getting quite carried away with it all - for about 30 seconds I understood the mind-set of a train spotter! The Shakespeare Express is a steam train service that runs between Snow Hill and Stratford-upon-Avon. It runs every Sunday from 1st July-9th September. It calls at Snow Hill, Moor Street, Tyseley and Henley-in-Arden before chugging it's way into Shakespeare's hometown. The journey (one-way) takes around 1hour 10 minutes and pre-booked return tickets cost £20.00 per adult and £12.50 per child. Family tickets (2 adults and 2 children) can be purchased for £45.00. The carriages are authentic vintage carriages, pulled by the Princess Elizabeth engine. There is a café on board and there are options to upgrade to a premium dining ticket that includes breakfast, lunch or high tea depending on the time of your journey.

Well worth a look when visiting Kinver or walking Kinver Edge. People lived in these rock houses up…read moretill the 1950's - cool in summer and warm in winter! Built into sandstone cliffs you can go inside (small charge) and see how they looked.