O perfil de Jack1

The Stadium is just out of Perry Barr and is without a shaddow of doubt the city’s greatest athletics venue.
They fequently host international meetings (check inside for info, or ring them up- 0121 464 4084). Prices for the events are very reasonable and well worth a day out.
Also, the local athletics club Birchfield Harriers train here, it is their home ground, and throughout the athletics season they have training most nights. Once again if this interests you, just ring the above number to contact them.
However, the reason I like the stadium so much is that in 2003
The Alexander Stadium is situated within the Perry Barr district the Birmingham High Performance Centre was completed and is a state of the art complex that allows athletes to receive the very best training and coaching all year round. This is a seriously good facility and well worth visiting for the serious athlete, regardless of event!

This pub’s really one for the regulars, if you get the picture. Although many people are often put off by the close knit community pubs, the Albion has to be an exception! It’s a friendly Irish pub serving a spectacular Guiness, and the new land lord Tony is more than happy to make you feel at home.
If you are looking for a really relaxed, chilled evening then the Albion’s worth a visit. It’s very informal, usually ending up in a lock in for those hardcore still standing by the end of the night! (But keep that quiet!)

Definitely worth a visit!

I’d steer clear from this one I’m afraid. Although it looks quite promising, with a wide open, spacious front bordering onto an expansive beer garden, I’m afraid looks can be deceiving.
The pub was horrendously under-staffed when i visited, to the extent that queing to get served took about 20/25 minutes, which is certainly what you do not expect from a pub 10/15 minutes drive from the city centre.
The food service looked to be as slow as the drinks, which we didn’t wait to find out about! (Sorry guys!- But I’m sure we didn’t miss much!)
Anyway, when we finally were served, a very grumpy woman basically treated us like she was doing us a huge favour!

One visit was enough for me! AVOID

The tavern has to be famous for its Quiz Nights, which are held on a weekly basis and attract large crowds. It’s basically in the centre of the Great Barr area, meaning that actually getting there is not relaly a problem.
The atmopshere can be quite lively during big football/rugby games, with all the big screens pulling in the customers from the surrounding areas. Although some people would parhaps avois the pub fearing its negative reputation, it was actually fully refurbished 5 years ago (with new owners I think), and essentially it’s really turned around. I’ve been about a dozen of so times since its refurbishment, and there’s never been any trouble whatsoever, and theres actually quite a warm, friendly atmosphere that helps you enjoy a summer’s beer!

Slap bang in the middle of Broad Street, the Sports Cafe is at the heart of the Birmingham night life, and a really popular bar.
Although it is quite pricey (£3-£4 for the average pint) in comparison with other pubs/bars in Birmingham, the huge attraction is the immense atmosphere generated on match days, especially football.
More so now with the Euros going on, the Sports Cafe can get really busy at these times, so it’s best to make sure you’re nice and early to secure some seats. The atmosphere is undoubtedly the best in Birmingham for the football and rugby entusiasts amongst you, and the helpful barstaff are more than willing to put any sporting event on a screen for you to watch. There must be 100s of screens in this place, and it really is the place to be for the sports fanatic!
Also, the bar food is surprisingly good!

Tiverton Pool and Fitness centre is part of the Birmingham Council set up, and is hence accessible and available to the general public on a ‘pay as you go’ basis, or a monthly payment. Located within the ‘student-ville’ that is Selly Oak, the leisure centre is very easily found, just off the Bristol Road (Number 60s Buses from town), along Tiverton Road.
However, it is really in desperate need of a refurbishment, and the facilities are far from excellent. The swimming pool is verging on ancient, similar the the Woodcock Street Design in Aston, meaning that changing facilities are around the poolside, and that the swimming area is very narrow and shallow.
Also the gym is very basic, with a fair few cariovascular machines, but a very small weights section.
In all honestly, unless you live very locally and this would be convenient for you, I would recommend travelling the extra 10/15 mins to Cocks More Leisure centre, which is another Council run gym, just because the facilities are so much better.

Another of the council funded leisure centres, and there is little difference in quality. There’s a large range of facilities on offer, with badminton courts, squash courts, tennis courts, coupled with a fully equipped gym and swimming pool.
However, the motto really must be ‘cheap and cheerful’, fairly old and worn, but you really can’t complain with the £30 monthly membership price.
However, be warned… the centre gets very busy on week nights, and the car park is often completely full. There is very limited car parking in the surrounding areas as well, so I would avoid coming after 5/6pm on weeknights. Obviously this means that the facilities are really busy at this time as well, making the experience overly stressful.
There are also a variety of sports clubs that run through the leisure centre, such as the waterpolo club, boxing club and running club. All information for these groups are adverstised within the leisure centre, but just ask a member of staff for more info, they will be very happy to help out.

opening hours:

Monday 7am 10pm
Tuesday 7am 10pm
Wednesday 7am 10pm
Thursday 7am 10pm
Friday 7am 10pm
Saturday 8am 5pm
Sunday 7am 5pm

This is one of Birmingham's worst cinemas, set right in the heart of town, it's full of rowdy teenagers not interesting in watching the film, just there for somrthing to do. When contrasted to the AMC, just a 15 minute walk away, you really can't compare it.
The tickets are expensive, the food selection naff, the screens are small, seating cramped and not slanted in all screen, so views are often resticted! It really is a bit of 1950's which needs to be addressed, and quickly!
You cannot compare the Odean experience to its AMC coutepart, or even cineworld.
Avoid if you can, as the only advantage I can see is that they show films for long periods of time, so if you've missed a great one which you're desperate to see, the Odeon may still be showing it wheras others are no longer doin so.
Only one star I'm afriad!

It's just 3 miles from juntion 6 of the M6 if you're coming in by car, and a lot of people haven't heard of the Millenium Point. It is pretty pricey, but you must see it once at least, they spent a lot of money doing it! A great front to the place, and when inside it's a huge escalator up to 10 themed galleries spread over 4 floors. Might sound like a lot of walking, but there's plenty to see, all concerning future and current advances in technology. The kids section is great, as it aims to educate whilst letting them have a grea time.
There's a virtual cinema with regular shows included in the ticket price (IMAX 3D), if you haven't seen enough already!
Really is a whole day out, so get there early so you can absorb it it has to offer!

I'm not a gamer myself, and hearing about Omega Sektor I had to check it out. I can honestly say that I've never seen anything the size/scale of this when it comes to gaming, it really is a cyber paradise, the gamer's dream come true. The budget must have been astonomical, and i cannot understand how they have spent so much money on this place. It opened in teh summer of 2007, and it provides
a 21st Century arcade style gaming, providing a casual yet high-tech social experience for all ages and abilities. You pay £5 membership which is a one-off fee, and then can roam the club, and play consoles, buying time on a particlar station at your leisure. There are many chill out areas and cafes to relax in between games.
I heard of a week night 18+ gaming night that they were doing, where you can have a few drinks and play a few shoot-em up games with mates, sounds great to me, with the academy just round the corner for after...well worth checking out i think!
I can see something like this taking off, as there's nothing on the same scale in Brum, and with its prime location just 2 mins away from teh Bull Ring, i wish them the best of luck, and encourage you guys to check it out!