things to do in birmingham a rough guide to some of the many things a postgraduate student can do in...
TRANSCRIPT
Things to do in Birmingham
A rough guide to some of the many things a postgraduate student can do
in Birmingham
Introduction It is important to maintain a healthy work-play
balance, and hopefully, this will give you some ideas of fun things to do, and great ways to meet new people.
Check out the PGMSA www.pgmsa.org and http://www.facebook.com/groups/pgmsabrum/ and Birmingham Postgraduate Socials and Events group on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/groups/BRPSE/
Contents
Out and about Eating, Drinking, and Dancing Entertainment Shopping Save money!
On campus
Winterbourne gardens – free entry with uni ID card
Barber museum – check out lunchtime concerts Guild of students – shops, bar, Fab ‘n’ Fresh Staff House – Bratby Bar, Cafe Aroma Munrow sports centre – gym, swimming pool,
fitness classes, squash New concert hall opened this year
Out and about
Take a walk around the centre of Birmingham, landmarks include the town hall, Victoria square and the new library
Check out the canals, these can be used as walking and bike paths to get to places such as Stratford-upon-Avon
Explore, other areas such as Harborne, Kings Heath and Moseley
Eating
Birmingham has a huge variety of restaurants One highlight is the famous Balti triangle, an
area of Balti houses clustered along Ladypool Road, Stoney Lane and Stratford Road
Personal favourite is Grameen Khana, although Duet Cuisine is the current holder of the best Balti award
Eating
Big Chinese presence as well, with a number of Chinese restaurants clustered near the Arcadian
Also, has 3 Michelin-starred restaurants. Turners, Simpsons, and Purnells
A bit expensive though, so probably best for when someone else is paying!
Drinking and Socialising
Lots of bars and pubs ‘Trendy’ bars around Brindley Place and Mailbox,
good place for people watching and sitting outside when the weather permits...
Great real ale pubs such as The Wellington in the city centre, Brown Lion and Lord Clifden in the Jewellery Quarter, Prince of Wales in Moseley, and White Horse and Plough in Harborne
Drinking and Socialising
Also, Bratby in Staff House on campus good place to go to meet fellow postgrads
Wednesday evenings, after 7pm, and Fridays, after 4pm, tend to be the best times
Also, check out BPSE and PGMSA http://www.facebook.com/groups/BRPSE/, who arrange weekly socials for postgrads
Dancing
Large variety of late night bars and clubs The Victoria near New St station a popular
place, varied music choice although can get very busy
Other places to note are Rainbow, Snobs, Actress and Bishop, and the Bulls Head
Sport
Birmingham is home to a number of top class sporting teams
Aston Villa and West Brom both play in the Premier League
Both clubs offer £15 tickets for students to a number of matches, check out https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/studentservices/enquiries/vouchers/index.aspx for Villa tickets, and www.wba.co.uk for West Brom tickets
Sport
There is also the recently re-developed Edgbaston cricket ground, home to Warwickshire.
England play a lot of matches here, so keep an eye out for this
This is weather dependent though, so something for the summer!
Sport
If you’re feeling active, there is also a lot of opportunities to play sport
Large number of sports clubs at the University, ranging from highly competitive, to social participation
Check out www.sport.bham.ac.uk for information about these
Sport
Lots of gyms in Birmingham, Pure Gym and the Gym Group offer low priced memberships
Also, a great deal of public golf courses, ideal for someone who wants to have a go at golf when the sun is out, but without the cost and dress code at members’ clubs
Warley Woods £5.35 for 9 holes for students during the week, Harborne Church Farm £6.40
Cinema, Theatre and Museums
Good selection of cinemas in Birmingham These include typical cinemas such as AMC
and Odeon, and also more novel places such as the electric cinema and the giant screen
Lots of ways to save on tickets, student beans for 2 for 1 tickets http://www.studentbeans.com/ ,also Orange Wednesdays for 2 for 1 tickets
Cinema, Theatre and Museums
Theatres range from well-known places such as the Hippodrome and the Rep, to smaller theatres such as the Crescent in Brindley Place
In addition, there are a number Guild theatre groups, http://www.guildofstudents.com/groups
Also worth checking the Guild societies for other hobbies
Museums
Barber museum on campus, already mentioned but worth repeating, a great collection of art right on campus
BMAG in the centre, free entry and often hosts themed displays, Staffordshire Hoard was displayed here in the past
Other places worth visiting are IKON (good paella) and the MAC (also screens international films)
Live Music
There are a number of different venues, with something for everyone
Symphony Hall for classical music is a great venue, next to Brindley Place. The NEC, NIA and O2 academy regularly host well-known artists
The Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath is a good place to see lesser-known bands perform, some famous names over the years have performed here before becoming big
Shopping
Famous for Bullring shopping centre Lots of big name stores in there, and also a
selection of restaurants Can get very busy on Saturdays and near
Christmas time though, best time to shop tends to be during weekdays and the evenings
Shopping
Great markets in Birmingham, these are found just next to the Bullring
Good place to buy fruit and vegetables, cheaper than the supermarkets, and also stalls selling yoghurts, eggs, cheese, etc at lower prices than the supermarkets
Indoor market has some good butchers and fishmongers, this is where I buy tuna from to make sushi
Shopping
Other places to check out are the vintage and charity shops
Possible to find designer labels and unique items of clothing for cheap, no need to spend lots of money
Harborne High Street and Cow Vintage in Digbeth are two good places to check out
Saving Money
Lots of ways to save money as a student Check out student beans, mydealpage, and
the Graduate School vouchers page for money saving offers
Always carry your University ID card with you, as it can be used in some shops for a discount, if in doubt, ask
Finally...
I hope you enjoyed an insight into some of the many things you can do
There are lots of things not included due to lack of time and space, so go out and explore and find some of these
Today is Friday, so see you in Staff House later...