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A Birmingham and Black Country thread for all things Brummie and Yam-Yam

I worked at Bilston Town Hall in Housing Benefits for ten years before the council "re-centralised". I loved every day of it, helping folk out getting round the benefits system. This was people from the lizzy, Darlo Steel, Wednesbury Tube etc etc who were dumped by Thatcher and her policies as Smokeandsteam has mentioned up above.

The people I dealt with were real true Black Country folk, proud but battered by the gov't at the time in its pursuit of the Unions.

We seem to have drifted a few miles down the road. Maybe cybershot would be gracious enough to add (and the Black Country) in the thread title ??

I did think that discokermit had craftily turned this into a discussion about the Black Country.

Perhaps we should call the thread ‘Greater Birmingham’ which of course includes the Black Country :D
 
I'm originally Black Country. Spent years in London and now live in Brum.
I still get called yam yam often when the odd word drops out.
 
I would if I could, but the option doesn't seem to be staring me in the face.

How about:

A Birmingham and Black Country thread for all thing's Brummie and Yam-Yam

And I'll get a mod onto it.

editor can the thread title be changed to the above. I can't seem to see where to do it myself.
 
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The new "super hospital" in Smethwick is coming on, we passed it last week. This is a real Black Country / Birmingham cross over as its replacing parts of hospitals in both. It made me wonder whether Smethwick is Brum or Black Country?
To me, Smethwick folk have an accent of their own which is half Brum and half Black Country.
 
Bladerunner skies this evening

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The new "super hospital" in Smethwick is coming on, we passed it last week. This is a real Black Country / Birmingham cross over as its replacing parts of hospitals in both. It made me wonder whether Smethwick is Brum or Black Country?
To me, Smethwick folk have an accent of their own which is half Brum and half Black Country.

Not sure if I'm permitted on this thread :hmm: I'm a Brummie who migrated to London!

Smethwick used to be in Staffordshire before the reorganisation in the 70's when it became West Midlands with a Birmingham postcode, so you could say the people were originally Black Country.
 
That's by the Bull Ring entrance isn't it :hmm: :facepalm: - I agree that Christmas is waaaay too commercialised everywhere now.
The market - well, I guess all you can say is it benefits the city by bringing people in from all over the Midlands.
 
That's by the Bull Ring entrance isn't it :hmm: :facepalm: - I agree that Christmas is waaaay too commercialised everywhere now.
The market - well, I guess all you can say is it benefits the city by bringing people in from all over the Midlands.

Yup, just what you need, more shit in your way at the busiest time for shoppers.
 
A small advert for the Worcester "Victorian" Christmas market.

Less hideously commercial than the Birmingham one :thumbs:

Rather lovely, isn't it?

Lots of nice pubs and cafes to visit while perusing the exotic wares, the architecture is very beautiful, and the cathedral - burial place of the infamous King John, and the less well known Arthur, Prince of Wales, older brother of Henry VIII, often has a recital or choir concert on...

Much, much nicer - and there's a park and ride...
 
Rainbow Venues loses it's license, bugger, meant to seeing Eats Everything and Nicole Moudaber on the 9th Dec!

The Rainbow Venues have had their licence revoked


Petiton here:

Sign the Petition

The Licensing Committee - populated by out of touch councillors and pious religious nuts - are literally destroying the cultural fabric of the city. The Rainbow venues are the beating heart of Digbeth and whether its for gentrification or just their ususal vandalism BCC need fronting up on this one.
 
I'm bumping this post as I'm coming to Birmingham this weekend. I'm looking for the following things, if anyone can advise:

A cosy, warm pub with comfy chairs and possibly a log fire, wooden beams. A proper British pub. City Centre or Jewellery Quarter area.

Interesting, unusual food - not necessarily sit down restaurants, street food or stalls are ok. Weird and wonderful all the better.

Somewhere to buy a lovely Christmas ornament.

Do shops open at 9am or 10am on Saturdays? I'm hoping to get up early (time difference will help) and go shopping before town is too packed.
 
Digbeth Dining Club from 5pm, might be a bit of a walk if you've got a shed load of bags on you thou! May even be showing my presence myself this Saturday.

Digbeth Dining Club

Meat Shack as already mentioned in here and Original Patty Men are also good shouts if you like 'dirty burgers'

http://themeatshack.co.uk/home

Original Patty Men | Burgers & Craft Beer Birmingham

Shops will open at 9am

German Market is on so you might find something ormamenty there, but I haven't bothered with the market for years, quality has generally got worse year on year.

If I think of anything else suddenly. I'll post.
 
Thanks cyber. Do you have to pay to get into Digbeth Dining Club or do you just buy your food? Isn't the weather freezing to be outside?
 
Thanks cyber. Do you have to pay to get into Digbeth Dining Club or do you just buy your food? Isn't the weather freezing to be outside?

You only pay when it's a street closure, which is the final weekend of the month usually, so should be free this weekend. There is an indoor bit you can go into with your food and there's a bar. Basicially a converted warehouse with benches and sofas, it's generally warm in there.

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I'm bumping this post as I'm coming to Birmingham this weekend. I'm looking for the following things, if anyone can advise:

A cosy, warm pub with comfy chairs and possibly a log fire, wooden beams. A proper British pub. City Centre or Jewellery Quarter area.

Interesting, unusual food - not necessarily sit down restaurants, street food or stalls are ok. Weird and wonderful all the better.

Somewhere to buy a lovely Christmas ornament.

Do shops open at 9am or 10am on Saturdays? I'm hoping to get up early (time difference will help) and go shopping before town is too packed.

Cosy warm pub with log fies - Old Moseley Arms. Proper. Now you'll have noticed that this is in Balsall Heath so if you can't face a two mile trip and you want to pay inflated JQ prices then it's the Red Lion down the bottom of Warstone Lane. They do food, real fires and beer at over £4 a pint.

In terms of food - Digbeth DC is a cracker, but it will be baltic this weekend so if you want to go somewhere warm for street food try Original Patty Men round the back of Moor Street Station. Top notch. If you fancy breaking the bank (and want weird) try The Wilderness which is on Dudley Street right by New Street Station. It's very modern so expect to eat flowers etc.

There is a new Korean down on Hurst Street (can't remember the name but its just on the right as you walk down before The Village Inn) which I haven't been too yet but looks amazing. You've got endless chinese and korean restaurants there of course - my favourite is Ken Ho.

In the JQ The Eight Foot Grocer on Caroline Street is a newish pop up and I loved the tacos in there. Lasan is curry but done as michelin standard food (and prices).

You will struggle not to eat well here at the moment to be honest, there is tons to choose from.

Word of warning - town will be absolutely heaving this weekend!! I would avoid the German market and surrounding areas!
 
Also worth mentioning roadworks are crippling the city if you're driving in. Seriously if you can cope lugging bags around, use public transport, ideally the train.

Mornings are not so bad if you're early enough, but come 3pm weekdays the city is gridlocked at the moment. Council have decided to lift some of the roadworks on the 15th, but I think that's too little too late, people are already taking their custom elsewhere and businesses have really lost out this year because the council think starting a shed load of roadwork projects in the winter is a good idea without any forethought of the Christmas season, again a council being reactive instead of proactive. They've had better years!
This goes for suburbs as well as the city centre. My journeys home at the moment are a nightmare and constantly having to check roadworks.org to see what route's have been fucked over week by week currently.

Seriously considering binning the car off.
 
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