Birmingham bashing – yeah, whatevs

Birmingham bashing is such a cliché. It’s not even funny. Small minded, regurgitated bullshit, usually from people who’ve never been here (or certainly not for many years).

Want a fresh look at the City? This is a great article – a real visual treat.

50 Reasons to Stay Away from Birmingham

Birmingham skyline at night

Birmingham is buzzing right now. There’s a whole heap of redevelopment in the city; from the refurb of the high end Mailbox shopping centre, to the new train station, John Lewis department store and shopping/food area, to The Cube (love it or hate it, it’s certainly iconic). We have theatres, great restaurants, museums, cathedrals, concert venues, street markets, food and more. We have a world famous cricket ground. We have premiership football clubs. We have miles of canals. We have the oldest working cinema in the UK.

Here are just some of the great things I’ve done in Birmingham so far this year.

Had dinner at Cucina Rustica

Visited the rag market

Watched Fast and Furious 7 at the new Everyman cinema

Saw Richie Ramone at the Oobleck

Watched my food being cooked in front of me at Shogun Teppanyaki

Been to an outdoor festival headlined by world famous hip hop act Public Enemy

Eaten at Digbeth Dining Club multiple times (here, here and here)

Plus, there’s still more to come!

I’ll be heading in to town for the Big Hoot, which is running until September – 5ft individually decorated owls dotted around the City

We have Moseley Folk Festival in September, featuring The Monkees

Oktoberfest is taking place in Digbeth

The Frankfurt Christmas Market will be back as usual – the biggest one outside of Germany

I’m happy to live in Birmingham and thrilled by all the opportunities it affords me as a resident. Long live Brum!