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...