This building has been utterly transformed over the last few years. It used to house the 'Arts…read moreCentre' and was a bit of a 'dive' that hosted live music events in my day. This dwindled out when the local 'media centre' was created and the building was almost in disuse. Full points to the council for spending the money to create a registry office for Tamworth at last. Previously it was customary to use Lichfield instead. I got married here a year ago today - which is why its on my mind. Had the most amazing day and the staff were faultless. To say I was nervous would be a gross understatement . and the other half was worse. They calmed us both down and made sure the ceremony was exactly as discussed. All along the process of organising they were really helpful and friendly , helping us to choose readings, and advising on vows etc,. There are two rooms for use one which is for more intimate ceremonies and the 'Swan room' which we used houses comfortably up to 70. The room is opulent and welcoming, with plush red velvet and fresh flowers, subtle lighting , and plenty of seating. Once in there you really do forget where you are and the hustle and bustle of the shoppers outside becomes insignificant. I was always dubious about 'Registry office' weddings before this but it was a lovely day and we have wonderful memories thanks to the staff there.

I went to this registry office a few weeks ago as i had to give a notice of marriage and then i…read morewent again today to collect it and i have to say it was fantastic there. The location is great as it is in the centre and very easy to find as it has a sign outside it letting you know you have arrived and it is very clear to read. The building is lovely and looks like a great setting to get married if you did want to which is lovely. When you walk in i went to reception and there is a notice telling you to take a seat and somebody tended to us straight away in a few minutes which was great. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and sat us down and took all of our details with ease. They were very thorough and one member had worked at the registry office for years so knew the system inside out which was what i needed as i knew nothing. The marriage room is lovely as we were allowed to have a quick look even though we are not getting married there. They will also give you as much information as you need which is lovely and look llike they really enjoy their jobs. The facilities are nice in this registry office and everything is very well signposted so you can find everything. I would reccommend this registry office as it has a great atmosphere and a lovely location and the staff were fantastic so if you need to go for anything i think you will definitely be looked after which of course is a great feeling. Thanks for reading. xxx

A very friendly information service manned by some wonderful ladies. Plenty of tourist brochures…read morefor the whole of Warwickshire. You can even buy castle tickets here at the reduced rate of 18£ and avoid the ticket queue at the castle. There is a gift shop here that has much better souvenirs than the tacky stuff at "you know where" Do spend 15 minutes browsing through the town history display behind the information counters. Very well illustrated and a nice overview before you visit the town. There's a yeomanry museum in the basement that's free to visit. When I told the lady at the desk that we had read about the history of the building, she took us upstairs to show us the gorgeous ballroom that's hired out for weddings.

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.

During the early part of this year, I spent a lot of time in this building sorting out various bits…read moreof business. This is basically where you come to sort out any queries with your council tax, housing benefit etc etc. It operates on a ticket system a bit like Argos - 'ticket number 568 please to go to desk 18' - and everyone sits around on the rows of chairs flicking through newspapers or playing games on their phone. You get the odd nutter kicking off in there, hence the burly security guards on the door. You also get the odd mistake (last time I was in there I waited 45 minutes in the wrong queue, I could have been in and out in 3 minutes) but overall, they're pretty sympathetic and helpful in there. Often things are explained to you clearly and not in a patronising way. One of the downsides is the very patronising video about 'challenging your perceptions' which is on a silent loop in the waiting area. Not having to see that is a good incentive to stay away!

This review is kind of two fold. Firstly - the Business Centre offers office space to SMEs and we…read moreconsidered them when looking for space in the Jewellery Quarter. The reason we were put off is that the cost of the spaces were *significantly* more than other similarly sized offices we'd looked at - and apparently this is because tenants have to contribute to the upkeep of the gates. Which is the second part of my review! The gates are AWESOME huge wrought iron beauties which act as a landmark within the Jewellery Quarter, and draw walking tourists along Spencer St. Originally a cause of controversy in the Jewellery Quarter (as they fiercely protect the heritage) but once it became clear they acted as an added draw for tourists they've become accepted and embraced. And *I* think they're fab! (as a side note - if you stand facing them, and look up at the drainpipes along the building to the left, you'll see amazing sculpted heads at the top of each one which is another awesome curiosity about the street!)

Wow, have you seen those gates? Imagine walking past such a great work of art as you get to your…read moredesk in the morning! I only came across this building on a heritage walk of Birmingham. What's behind the glorious gates, befitting of the jewellery quarter are serviced offices. This place is full of little offices with little companies housing them. Of course, as business grows, people can move to a larger office or rent more space but this is a great place to start a fledgling business. After all, what client wouldn't be impressed as they walk in? Also, the Jewellery Business Centre has a large courtyard if you want to get some fresh air and clear your head. It's conveniently placed just a few minutes' walk from Jewellery Quarter train station and not more 15-20 minutes to the centre of Birmingham.

Don't let the title fool you, there is a wide range of meals offered at this popular kebab house…read more From fish and chips to traditional Indian food but this fast food take out is well known for its kebabs. They even serve salads! The food is just what you might want after a night out. The service is good especially as it can get busy on Friday and Saturday nights. A personal favourite is the Chicken Tikka wrap; tender chicken tikka chunks on a salad bed that is wrapped in a large and soft nan bread with sweet chilli sauce or a creamy mint sauce. There are other sauces you can choose from such as mint chutney. All food and drinks are reasonably priced. The location is ideally located on the high street, which makes it easy for anyone to go to.

Shirley train station is a nifty little train station which connects Shirley with Stratford apon…read moreAvon, Birmingham, the Black Country and Worcester. The station has ticket collection and you are able to pay with both cash and card. Trains run form this station pretty regularly as you will often find the trains to Birmingham come every 20 minuets in the day. It's a great station to commute from as its right next to a said west local meany you can grab a bite to eat before work or after and has a bus stop right out side (the buses 49 & 3) which connect you to Solihull and The Stratford road. The average train fare to Birmingham (rutern) is £4 which is pretty affordable and if you get a rail card (gives you money off) it's even cheaper! The only problem with this station (and probably the problem with most stations at the moment) is it isn't always maned which can make paying a bit of a problem but there are normally conductors on the trains (or even at the stations) who are pretty understand and will let you by a ticket from them :)

The Argent Centre in the Jewellery Quarter is an amazing building. I used to love walking past this…read moreevery day on my way to work. It was built as a factory/ workshop set-up during Birmingham's Victorian industrial boom - and still functions as a collection of workshops today: built around an open courtyard. So, despite looking solid and enormous it's quite a hollow building - a series of narrow workshop corridors with open space in the middle. The brickwork is reminiscent of Italian renaissance churches, but without being too fussy - not really suitable for, essentially, an industrial workplace. Personally, I think it's a beautiful building, with enough design to be aethetically and historically appealing, but not too elaborate or imposing. It's also great that it's been Grade II listed and still functions as workshops and office space for small firms. It also houses the Pen Room Museum.

Despite my living around the corner from this and undoubtedly walking past it a few times, I never…read morereally noticed the impressive building perched on the corner of Frederick Street and Legge Road in the Jewellery Quarter. It was only on the Jewellery Quarter tour with Midlands Discover that we stopped to learn about it and even in the rain, it was impressive. The front of the building is thankfully Grade 2 listed and despite it looking like a big square is actually full of long, workshop spaces, as originally designed. Then it was for pen manufacturer, now however, there is a bit modern addition so there are plenty of office spaces and this has got to be a great place to work. This is also a great place if you are new in business and don't want to commit to long term leases on huge workshops; perfect for the creative jewellery quarter.

What a great historical hidden-gem in Birmingham! Like visiting a Shakespeare family home in…read moreStratford-upon-Avon, but for a tiny fraction of the price and no crowds whatsoever! If you're at all interested in Tudor history, or want to experience a slice of Birmingham's history that's hard to find anywhere else in the city, this is a must-visit! Selly Manor is a beautifully restored tudor home converted into a museum, moved to Bournville from another part of Birmingham in the early 1900s by George Cadbury. There are many rooms to explore at your own pace, filled with period furniture. Booklets with plenty of historical information are available for those who like a bit more context. There's a great selection of tudor costumes for adults and children alike to try on and join in some fun. My friend and I (both in our 20s) had a blast roaming around the manor and property, trying on costumes, and learning about the building's unique history, from being part of a tudor estate to serving as overcrowded tenement housing! Guided tours are available, and an adjacent building is available to hire as an event space.

When I was researching places for my wedding, Selly Manor kept popping up in terms of local venues…read more It was too small for us to use, but I became intrigued by what it is and what's inside it, so wedding or not, I thought I'd investigate. This is what I discovered: What it is: A beautiful, 12th century Tudor building: replete with timber beams and structure, a manor house that initially housed the local tax collectors! What's inside: Parlour, Hall, Bedchambers, Kitchen, Garret, 'Solar' (Tudor version of a conservatory) and gardens. All containing restored original features and furniture. Which brings me to my next point: I'm a bit of an obsessive about furniture, so I was immensely pleased to discover inside the Laurence Cadbury Collection, which is essentially items of furniture dating from about 1500 to the early 1900s. Included in this collection, on permanent display, are some absolutely beautiful wooden chests. If you're any thing like me and have a penchant for old wooden things, then this is your place. It's only £3.50 per adult, so it's great value for money. If you fancy stepping back in time for an afternoon, I would thoroughly recommend Selly Manor. (It's closed on Mondays, by the way....)