Birmingham Life

[Chindie]

Sun on the Hill is fine until it becomes absolutely rammed. Then it's a nightmare. Genuinely never been in a place with so little room when it's busy - literally impossible to move without squeezing past someone from front to back. Last time I was in there I actually felt the wave of heat from sheer mass of people dissipate as I managed to drag myself out.

[icouldtelltheworld]

This article may be of interest to posters in this thread: https://unherd.com/2020/09/the-plot-against-mercia/

Essentially argues that the success/growth of Birmingham and other places in the Midlands was deliberately sabotaged by London-based planners.

 

Quote

 

"From 1953 to 1964, service sector employment around Birmingham boomed, with major British and international banks, professional and scientific services, finance and insurance, adding three million square feet of office space. In the decade from 1951, Birmingham created more jobs than any city except London, with unemployment generally below 1%.

But then in 1964, the Government declared Birmingham’s growth “threatening”, and banned further office development for almost two decades. To add insult to injury to the region, its cities suffered among the worst architectual destruction of that decade, with much of old Victorian Birmingham torn down and medieval Coventry destroyed.

What would have happened without these disastrous policies? The size of a country’s cities normally follows a rule called ‘“Zipf’s law”, by which the second largest city is half the size of the largest, but Britain is an exception. By one estimate, Birmingham should have twice as many people, and Nottingham a third more. Those shortfalls, perhaps also due to years of transport neglect, are staggering."

 

 

[slowandlow]

32 minutes ago, icouldtelltheworld said:

This article may be of interest to posters in this thread: https://unherd.com/2020/09/the-plot-against-mercia/

Essentially argues that the success/growth of Birmingham and other places in the Midlands was deliberately sabotaged by London-based planners.

 

 

There was an extensive article in the economist or FT about this a few years back

[icouldtelltheworld]

34 minutes ago, slowandlow said:

There was an extensive article in the economist or FT about this a few years back

Think that I've found it! Thanks for the heads up

For anyone who might be interested:

https://www.economist.com/blighty/2013/05/31/how-to-kill-a-city

[Stevo985]

11 hours ago, Chindie said:

Sun on the Hill is fine until it becomes absolutely rammed. Then it's a nightmare. Genuinely never been in a place with so little room when it's busy - literally impossible to move without squeezing past someone from front to back. Last time I was in there I actually felt the wave of heat from sheer mass of people dissipate as I managed to drag myself out.

I had my 30th Birthday there. But luckily I hired out that mezzanine they've got in there. Which has it's own bar.

Genuinely never been happier to have an area to ourselves. My birthday is in December and looking down into the main bar I'm not sure I've ever seen somewhere so busy

[Sam-AVFC]

I've come to realise I may have been too hasty moving back to the rural south.

After 10 years, I really don't want to go back to London so have decided to interview for jobs in Bristol and Birmingham. It's likely most of the jobs (and possibly better salaries) will be Birmingham based. I also quite like the idea of a fresh start and I know quite a few people in Bristol.

The chat on the JQ is interesting as I've always thought it seems like quite a cool place, but I've reached the point I think I'd prefer somewhere with a garden.

Can anyone recommend any areas to live with good local drinking spots (pubs/bars > nightclubs) that would be fairly easy to commute centrally either on public transport or by car? I'll probably end up having a max budget of around £1,000/month and ideally do not want to go back to house sharing.

[GarethRDR]

Speaking as someone with no affiliation to the place whatsoever beyond football (and it being the half-way point when getting the train up to York to visit family), it is bonkers how much nicer New Street is now.  Used to look like a dystopian wasteland.

[mikeyp102]

51 minutes ago, Sam-AVFC said:

I've come to realise I may have been too hasty moving back to the rural south.

After 10 years, I really don't want to go back to London so have decided to interview for jobs in Bristol and Birmingham. It's likely most of the jobs (and possibly better salaries) will be Birmingham based. I also quite like the idea of a fresh start and I know quite a few people in Bristol.

The chat on the JQ is interesting as I've always thought it seems like quite a cool place, but I've reached the point I think I'd prefer somewhere with a garden.

Can anyone recommend any areas to live with good local drinking spots (pubs/bars > nightclubs) that would be fairly easy to commute centrally either on public transport or by car? I'll probably end up having a max budget of around £1,000/month and ideally do not want to go back to house sharing.

It depends how far you want to commute. 
You’d get good value for money, Quinton/Halesowen/ Stourbridge way, but they are about 10 mile away. 
Then other side of town, Hall Green is cheaper than surrounding Shirley/Solihull areas and decent enough (although you’d want to be closer Shirley way). That also has the advantage of Moseley not too far away which has its own bar scene. 
Moseley itself is very expensive.

Im sure there are posters who know more of these areas and the property scene in general. But I’d say the further you are away from city, more likely you’d be able to get a house with a garden in your price range. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by mikeyp102

[slowandlow]

You can rent in harborne for that sort on that sort of budget 

[sidcow]

3 hours ago, Sam-AVFC said:

I've come to realise I may have been too hasty moving back to the rural south.

After 10 years, I really don't want to go back to London so have decided to interview for jobs in Bristol and Birmingham. It's likely most of the jobs (and possibly better salaries) will be Birmingham based. I also quite like the idea of a fresh start and I know quite a few people in Bristol.

The chat on the JQ is interesting as I've always thought it seems like quite a cool place, but I've reached the point I think I'd prefer somewhere with a garden.

Can anyone recommend any areas to live with good local drinking spots (pubs/bars > nightclubs) that would be fairly easy to commute centrally either on public transport or by car? I'll probably end up having a max budget of around £1,000/month and ideally do not want to go back to house sharing.

Solihull has a decent shopping centre, bars and a couple of clubs.  Very easy 20 minute commute into Snowhill Station. 

[Xela]

I like Lichfield. Its where I would probably move to if I decide to move into a bricks and mortar property next. 

[sidcow]

2 minutes ago, Xela said:

I like Lichfield. Its where I would probably move to if I decide to move into a bricks and mortar property next. 

Horrible unreliable commute into Brum though.    Cross city line blues. 

[Xela]

1 minute ago, sidcow said:

Horrible unreliable commute into Brum though.    Cross city line blues. 

I'm on that line already, by Four Oaks station! It certainly has its moments. 

From a personal POV, i'm hoping the need for me to go into Brum is greatly reduced going forward. 

[TheAuthority]

11 hours ago, Sam-AVFC said:

I've come to realise I may have been too hasty moving back to the rural south.

After 10 years, I really don't want to go back to London so have decided to interview for jobs in Bristol and Birmingham. It's likely most of the jobs (and possibly better salaries) will be Birmingham based. I also quite like the idea of a fresh start and I know quite a few people in Bristol.

The chat on the JQ is interesting as I've always thought it seems like quite a cool place, but I've reached the point I think I'd prefer somewhere with a garden.

Can anyone recommend any areas to live with good local drinking spots (pubs/bars > nightclubs) that would be fairly easy to commute centrally either on public transport or by car? I'll probably end up having a max budget of around £1,000/month and ideally do not want to go back to house sharing.

Stourbridge - decent line into Brum from Stourbridge Junction.

Also this:

With pork scratchin's and a cheese cob. Heaven.

[sidcow]

4 hours ago, TheAuthority said:

Stourbridge - decent line into Brum from Stourbridge Junction.

Also this:

With pork scratchin's and a cheese cob. Heaven.

It's hard to argue with the Bathams. 

[lapal_fan]

9 minutes ago, sidcow said:

It's hard to argue with the Bathams. 

I'd imagine you wouldn't get much back from an argument with liquid. 

[sidcow]

2 minutes ago, lapal_fan said:

I'd imagine you wouldn't get much back from an argument with liquid. 

 

[chrisp65]

We’re moving offices from Bromsgrove to Stourbridge at some point in the next couple of months.

Stripped the last of the decent computers and furniture out of Bromsgrove this week, but probably won’t be in Stourbridge until about April ish.

 

[It's Your Round]

18 hours ago, Xela said:

I like Lichfield. Its where I would probably move to if I decide to move into a bricks and mortar property next. 

Lichfield is good, it’s heaving with Villa fans. Unlike Birmingham City centre, which is completely owned by small heath. Yes, you’ll never see a Villa fan in the city, they all reside in Lichfield. 

[villa4europe]

3 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

We’re moving offices from Bromsgrove to Stourbridge at some point in the next couple of months.

Stripped the last of the decent computers and furniture out of Bromsgrove this week, but probably won’t be in Stourbridge until about April ish.

Bromsgrove to me is surprising cos of all the brum satelite towns its the one with the shittest centre, nothing there