Silent Filter Promotions have been running in Birmingham for three years. Pretty much any night of…read morethe week, you can find at least one of their gigs going on at a venue in Birmingham. They put on a wide variety of indie, punk, rock and acoustic acts (although no metal or screamo) and are instrumental in helping a hell of a lot of young bands take their first tentative steps onto the Birmingham gig circuit. When I say young, I've seen kids as young as 13 appearing at Silent Filter gigs, their proud parents watching on. Silent Filter is run by Phil, a very amiable Villa fan who makes a point of introducing every band at every gig. This is a small but significant step because it stops it being a succession of anonymous bands whom no-one knows. Phil's intros are always funny and ensure that every band starts their set with a bit of a cheer rather than shambling on to an embarrassed silence. You can find Phil on the door of his gigs at the Academy 3, Island Bar, Waggon & Horses, Adam & Eve, Sunflower Lounge, Moseley Arms and more besides.

The Lombard method is an artists studio and exhibition facility located on Lombard Street in…read moreBirmingham's cheapside district. I ventured into TLM to see an exhibition by visiting Polish artists and found myself in what seemed to be a former workshop, with dusty red brick walls and original wooden beams. Contrasting nicely with the white walls of the exhibition space, The Lombard Method hosts artists who work in various mediums and proved a a great place to talk with both resident and visiting artists over a complimentary glass of wine.

I had a really good experience here at the VR hall in this great big exhibit centre. It was kind of…read morehard to find our way around but me, my mom and my sister found our way to the hall we were lookijg fir. We did some vr stuff, all three actually. I fantasy walking one, and sitting down animal one and one that we were standing up in but weren't actually moving (a nepolean one). The only reason this is 4 star is because the last 2 kinda gave me a small headache.

The NEC in Birmingham is a cool, large exhibition centre. It hosts multiple big and well-known…read moreevents throughout the year, if an event is happening in England, outside of London, this is pretty much the place to be. The location is brilliant, it is attached to Birmingham International, where you can catch a train into Birmingham New Street, for the city centre which takes 10-15 minutes, from here you can also use the Air-Rail link which is a free monorail to get to Birmingham Airport in only 90 seconds. There is also Resorts World for shops and restaurants, which even includes a cinema, casino and a couple of hotels across the way. The security staff seem friendly who patrol the walkways, even on a non-event day, on an event day do expect queues for COVID/bag checks, on a normal day it isn't too bad. A couple of small outlets are located here such as WHSmith, Subway and Starbucks, all of these are slightly overpriced but still useful to have. The layout is clear and easy to follow, I do think the signage could be a little clearer upon leaving the main building. Parking is highly expensive so I would recommend the use of public transport due to the fantastic links on that front using National Rail and the Air-Rail Link. 4*

This is a great community group and venue in West Bromwich. The facilities for hire are brilliant…read moreand cheap too. You can hire everything you need straight from them, whether it's flip charts, projectors, organising the catering. They have a couple of good sized rooms for a training day or large meeting as well as a computer suite. There are often lots of clubs and groups using the spaces on a regular basis but they are great at keeping the diary up to date so booking in won't be a nightmare. When working with a range of community groups out of this space they are always really enthusiastic and committed to projects we've initiated with them. Tucked away by Staples and a housing estate the parking can be tricky but they do have a small car park. A useful venue to remember for future reference.

This is a really great company and the title is perfect for the services that they offer. They are…read morean events company and they can cater for a variety of things to ensure that you have the best party possible! Their services include Marquee organisation, fancy dress, cakes, bouncy castles and other inflatable items, balloons and much more! I particularly love their range of fancy dress as I am often invited at least once a year to someone's compulsory fancy dress party and so I like to try and find a good outfit. They have all of the typical fancy dress outfits, such as super heroes and famous characters, but they will do their best to help you find something if they have not got it! The staff are friendly here and are also enthusiastic when it comes to finding a good outfit. I have not used their other services yet, but they look good and I think they are worth a visit if you are planning an unforgettable party!

I have been associated with friends Institute for over 20 years. Early memories are of meetings in…read moreBCAT Birmingham Centre for Arts Therapies. Started by Angela Fenwick this organisation provided therapies through music, drama, art. I was involved with North Birmingham Mental Health Trust and some of clients joined us for music sessions. In 1999 I got a Millennium grant and BCAT was one of the organisations I worked with to eas me to gaining A Millennium Fellowship. At the end of the Project I joined the management of BCAT. The friends Institute us unique. It has had numerous groups in there and many people have fond memories of it. I used to visit often: to Scawdi, The Cafe which used to be run by group of people with Learning difficulties, Forward Arts, Vak the Caretaker who was a relative, Events put on by Sally Richardson playwright and costume designer and Leon Blades RIP writer, educator, historian, were vital to Birmingham Black History. The Spirit if Independence met there for a while setting up an umbrella group of Arts in Mental Health organisations. It was abandoned but we gained a lot of experience from it. Adjoining the Frie ds Institute us the caretakers house now known as Pachahouse Kitchen Garden. It was abandoned and neglected for years but Sue Fownes and a group of community spirited people obtained the 3 storey building and opened a safe space for healing. Various activities and organisations were started there. People have moved on and new people are getting involved. Shirleys Tribe meet there for activities, discussions and meals The last big event involving the whole building was An end of summer African Caribbean fair. Between us we encouraged various people to show their skills, sell their products, have fun. The main event finished at 5pm and we carried on eating and drinking in Pachahouse if which I'm a committee member, with music in the car park. There are other groups eg Agape Church, a community Trust, an immigration and asylum group, in various parts of the building and rooms are available to let. The future of Friends Institute doesn't look too bright. The building, a once splendid Quaker building is in disrepair though the custodians are Birmingham City Council. It has been on a list of Properties for Sale for a few years. Rumours abound as to who future buyers could be. There is a centre manager who pops in at times and two stewards who alternate between themselves.

The friends institute is a jolly old building in the Highgate area of Birmingham which has clung on…read morenow for years thanks in part to the hard work of a dear lady who chairs the building from an office tucked away within it's quarters. Stepping into the building you instantly appreciate it's age and character with checker board flooring and well worn stairways, the building echoes like old buildings do with a certain gravitas that comes with years of use and it's solid stone construction. Recently it has hosted both Tango and Kung Fu clubs and serves up both with tea and refreshments from the tea room on the first floor. Somewhat isolated in it's location the friends institute is easy to pass on the way to and fro the city centre but is worth a visit and full of atmosphere, stay for a cake and peruse the events board and you might find yourself becoming a regular visitor!

I rarely need to hire equipment for events but if I ever do in Birmingham again it will be from…read morehere. Amazing service. I decided to hire a hazer and two blue lights for a recent event and they came on time and even had an upgrade if two blue lights instead of one to give extra effect. They also did not charge a penny for delivery and everything was dropped off and collected exactly as specified. If you are looking for a great hire company with reasonable proces and superb service Birmingham Sound Hire is the place to look first.

I'm a big fan of Vodka Revs, although the majority of my visits have been alcohol fueled and brief…read more My friends and I often use the bar as a stop off point on our way to bigger clubs, such as Gatecrasher for example and it does a great job. Situated near the top of Broad Street, the bar, surprisingly enough, specializes in .. Vodka. Offering a huge variety of flavours and cocktails, enough to please everyone, the bar is often busy during the weekend. The drinks are fairly priced and the staff as pleasant as you like, with the music as original as it comes, with the top 40 on the majority of the time. All in all, a top quality bar, one that I would definitely recommend.

A great tasteful bar and lounge on the Birmingham late night party seen…read more This is just a superb place to hang out with your mates and friends, loud, a brilliant party and dance atmosphere, with a diverse drinks menu, this bar ticks all the boxes, and more. Yes it's close to other well known bars nearby, but this is one of the best. Some clubbers booked one of the booths next to were we found some seats for a party, and got their own service. It's a very social place, and one that you'll remember. They also serve food in here, which is great for a 'one place has it all' , but I've not yet eaten in here, just had great drinks. Give this is a go, you'll soon become a regular.