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Good place to go for a cheap meal after work. They have a wide menu of pizzas and pastas at affordable prices. Good size portions accompanied by a good drinks menu. You could have dinner here for less than a tenner. A little bit clinical in the set up, too many bright lights to enjoy a long evening meal. A good place to eat cheaply and then move on.

I don’t think Tamworth would be Tamworth without this bar. It’s located right in the centre of town and serves cheap drinks. It’s one of the ony places you can go in Tamworth wearing whatever the hell you like. If you’re after pretentiousness then this is not the place to go, but if you’re after a chilled out atmosphere this is the place to head to. If you’re a student, this place serves pound a pint on a Thursday. Most of the other drinks are pretty cheap too and they serve pub food and sunday roasts in the day. There’s also a pool table and table football and your standard quiz machine. They usually have indie music playing in the background, but it’s never very loud and it’s a good place to go to chat with friends. Can get very busy on a Saturday night, but other than that you won’t struggle to get a seat. Regular nights include, karaoke on a Monday, live music on a Tuesday and Quiz night on a Wednesday.

This is the nearest coffee shop to work and my it is gooood. They have a huge range of breakfast options and enough juices/teas/coffees to please any palate. Later on in the day you can choose from pannini’s, jacket potatoes and make your own sandwiches. The food and drinks are really good but they are expensive. Expect to pay around 3 pounds for a smoothie or fresh juice. Sandwiches are reasonable enough but paninis are around 4 pounds. I use this place as a daily for drinks but only rarely for lunch as it really can add up. Expect to wait 5/10 mins for your drink too, even if you are only buying a tea. Opens early- 7am I think. Located upstairs in the Mailbox, opposite the BBC cafe

Thorntons is a long standing British brand, selling good quality and well priced chocolate. Although I’d avoid it for a special occassion, I think it is great for families and kids. They do a great range of boxed chocolates and put an especially good effort in around christmas and easter. You can even order in heowge Easter eggs and have them write on a special message for you. This seems to vary each year but a big standard box of chocolates is priced at around £10-£15.

River Island is located right next door to Topshop on the middle floor of The Bullring. They sell womenswear which is up to date and inspired by a lot of stuff from the catwalk. It is more glitz and glamour than Retro, like its next door neighbour Topshop. It is at the top end of highstreet prices (£50 for a pair of jeans) and stocks a lot more ‘going out’ gear. They sell excellent shoes and bags, their real leather pieces are especially worth having a look at.

I’m often disheartened by HMV which is probably the largest music stockist in the country. The choice is often limited and the staff can often be rude and unhelpful. Though this branch based in the Bullring is excellent. The last time I looked they even sold music singles which were out the chart (not the bargain basement stuff!) They sell DVDs, CD’s books and magazines. They have a massive range and there are often offers on like 2 CDs for £10. The staff are really helpful and you never have to queue for long. The people they have employed here really sem to know their stuff when it comes to music releases.

The give away is in the name, this shop sells every kind of accessory, not just for ‘Claire’ but for all girls. Imagine walking into Cher from Clueless’ bedroom and this is what you’d find in her jewellry box. They sell earings, belts, bracelets, hairbands, necklaces, bags, and beads among other things. Mainly they stock costume jewellery which is cheap and cheerful and won’t cause too much grief if it gets lost. This is also a great shop to visit if you’re dressing up, they have feather boas, facepaint and packs for hen parties. The perfect place to play dressing up.

Accessorize at Birmingham Airport is a handy little concession doing a little bit of pre-holiday shopping. They sell lots of larger accessories like hats, sarongs, flip flops and scarfs. They also do holiday tops like halternecks, that can be made into skirts too. They make lots of unusual pieces and they are often priced well below what you might expect. A few years ago I picked up a silk style tie around top for £14. Open plan and small, there is enough to browse without being overwhelmed.