If you’re anything like me, you spend Monday to Friday willing the weekend to arrive so you can get outside and do something other than listen to Karen in HR complain about her ailments. But what to do when Saturday actually comes around? Summer's here, so block out a full day in your Google Calendar and leave the city for a mini adventure.
Read MoreMADHEAD may sound like a shlocky 80s horror, but the truth is it looks set to raise way more pulses when the National Youth Dance Company brings it to the Hippodrome's Patrick Studio, July 17. Thirty eight of the UK’s finest young body-movers fuse contemporary dance, physical theatre and hip-hop (...the hippie to the hip hip hop and you don't stop the rock...).
Read Moretune on a seven-key xylophone that's missing two keys. Completely unrelated, Miloš Forman was one hell of a movie director before his death, last year. His filmography includes One Flew Over A Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, The People Vs Larry Flint and Man On The Moon. And his twin sons, Petr and Matěj are, for the first time in the UK, bringing a cast of 20 acrobats, dancers, singers and musicians to The Rep to perform Deadtown, a Wild West humdinger that sounds nuts in all the right ways. Just like their dad.
Read MoreNext week is officially summer. Dress season is upon us. And although the weather hasn't been doing a very convincing job so far, I’m an optimist at heart. So I’ve spoken to some of my fave B’ham women about the frock they’ve got their eyes on the season, whether it’s for a wedding, lunch with mates or you know, just a casual Mediterranean sojourn.
Read MoreIs the pressure okay? You know the masseuse is going to say it, but are you brave enough to answer the question honestly? After an early twenties of being terribly British and polite about the whole thing, I've spent the last five years unequivocally asking for a firmer massage. Until I found Flint + Flint’s bamboo version that is.
Read MoreIt's 7,187 miles from Hawaii to Birmingham and, I'll be honest, some Mondays it sure feels like it. Which makes the arrival Kuula Poké to the Great Western Arcade a city-brightening addition even before you've tucked into the food. And I'll get on to the food in two shakes of a salmon's tail.
Read MoreThe rise of fascism, the powers that be in constant conflict with each other and the stories of ordinary people being drowned out by shouty rhetoric. Sound familiar? The parallels that can be drawn between Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and the current sociopolitical climate aren’t lost on Director Melly Still. But she tells me how she wants to tell a human story, not an ideological one.
Read MoreWearing stretchy gym clothes to workout is expected, but carrying that level of comfy over to as many other engagements as possible is a personal life goal. We're not talking an old hoodie and some baggy Primark leggings here. Athleisure is the enduring cool casj, so I headed to the outlets at Resorts World to mooch their bargains and help us all channel ‘Celebrity Avoiding Paparazzi At The Airport’ Chic.
Read MoreFitness steez to donuts. You can't accuse our editorial calendar of lacking variety. This Saturday Notts-based Doughnotts are popping up at 200 Degrees on Colmore Row from 10am, for one day only. They’ll be announcing on social media closer to the time which flavours will be available, but I've got everything crossed for one or six of these.
Read MoreWhat do Thursday evenings usually look like for you? If we're speaking candidly here, mine normally involves (literal) Netflix and chill. So in an unusual sociable twist, a few weeks ago on a rainy Thursday at 6pm, I joined Bloom Collective for a floristry workshop at The Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
Read MoreThe way we work is changing and increasingly a lot of us can work from almost anywhere. So being chained to the same desk day in, day out seems almost antiquated. And if you're self-employed, frankly why wouldn't you want to get out of your pjs and chat network with some real life humans? Here's a round up of B'hams chicest spots to house you while you hustle.
Read MoreNeed a new sofa and been putting off the purchase? Or fancy a sparkly new dining table but can’t stop cogitating? If you’re planning on any big homesy investments in the very near future, the time to do it is May 4-6 at Home at Mailbox and save yourself some srs $$$.
Read MoreEver found yourself whiling away hours scrolling through Instagram when you could have been doing something (anything) more productive? I’m not denying anyone a good fall down a #NoFilter rabbit hole but your brain might thank you for a more creative pastime. These less than pedestrian hobbies might be just the tonic to reset your busy mind (and clip that phone screen time).
Read MoreI've always had a bad back. I tan well, smile a lot and have a spine that pathologically hates me. Or does it? Postural Alignment Therapy (or "PAT") isn't physio, or yoga, or osteopathy — it's a system of personalised exercises that works by addressing the causes of pain, rather than focussing on the symptom itself. It's about gently firing up weak, underused muscles and helping to switch off muscles that are taking too much strain.
Read MoreWhat do you mean, you thought The Oyster Club was an oyster restaurant? Pfft. The original Oyster Club was a hangout for scientists, philosophers and other big thinkers of Edinburgh in the 1770s. The Birmingham namesake was established to create a haven for this city’s most brilliant minds, and also just for people that are well into their seafood. Or their caviar. Or lobster. Or Wagyu. Either way, complete with it's Michelin-starred creds, The Oyster Club's got the good stuff.
Read MoreMake a note in your Google calendar. Set an alarm. This Friday, the restos and retailers of Bullring & Grand Central are offering discounts, freebies and special event sort of things. And let's be real for a mome, who doesn't want all of that? Your bank manager would be proud. I'm proud too. Here's my pick of what's happening at A Shopping Affair, from 5pm 'til 8pm (when parking will also be half price).
Read MoreCall it what you like. Oatmeal? Biscuit? You can call it taupe if you're feeling fancy. I'm calling it beige and rejecting any snoozefest associations. We won't be able to avoid it this summer and that's good news for us all; beige works hard for day and night time lewks. Just don't call it bland.
Read MoreFriday’s a huge day in the feminist calendar. Maybe the biggest of them all. We've all got it circled in red pen, right? It’s International Women’s Day, and rather than clear a space in your diary to correct trolls on Twitter by telling them that International Men’s Day does exist (it’s on November 19) get down to these awesome happenings supporting local ladies. And prepare to feel pumped about the ace-ness of women in this city.
Read MoreThe pancake is such a pure and simple pleasure. How can flour, milk and eggs illicit such joy? I haven’t looked into it, but I’m presuming the answer is some kind of sorcery. Guarantee yourself a good ol' Shrove with these folks.
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