Tag Archives: birmingham
Your guide to the fab pubs near Birmingham’s new-look train station [MAP]
The second city to me has always been grand. It’s my home. It’s the city of my birth and I love it. And Birmingham is about to get even more grand with the revelation of the first half of our brand spanking new train station. It’s 150 years old and hasn’t seen so much as a lick of paint since it was redeveloped back in 1967. Well, no, that’s a fib. Of course it has. But for years for many people Birmingham New Street station has been dark, tired and resembled something akin to a rather sinister underground mortuary. As of Sunday 28th April 2013, it’s all change! The old concourse and entrance closes for good and it moves aspect to Stephenson Street where we get a new bright, light concourse and lots of lovely shiny-ness to greet us whenever we head off on our journeys. What has this got to do with pubs?? Well, the change of entrance to what will eventually be called ‘Grand Central Birmingham’ (eh?!?? who thought that one up?) means you’re even closer to some of my fair city’s superb pubs and beer bars! So I thought I’d draw up my personal list of the finest hostelries in walking distance from the train station.
An ab fab cocktail party – with beer (of course!)
Twenty girls enjoyed a night of fun and frolics the other week at my special Beer Cocktail party at Banks’s Brewery. It was a Christmas treat for some of the brewery’s female staff, and so when I suggested beer cocktails, Rachel from Marston’s and Kimberley from Vital PR stepped up to the plate, humoured me (!) and we all sat down to think about how we could do it. It was the first time I’ve ever created beer cocktails and – I’m not saying they’re going to set the world alight – the verdict from the girls on the night was an overwhelming THUMBS UP. I’ve attached a link to the fab photos from the night courtesy of the very lovely Lee Allen. We had gorgeous Stephen Kerr (from Coventry’s Inspire Cafe Bar) as our mixologist on the night, with help from Alice, Fern, Rachel and Kim. A big thank-you to them all
Beer Beauty & The Main Man only went & got married!
This very day last week was an incredibly special day for me and The Main Man. Because we got married, and the date was the 5th anniversary of our very first date. It was as wonderful as a day could get.
The Main Man looked stunning, my two nieces – Natalie and Nadine – were bridesmaids; led by Miranda, my bezzie mate of 35 years as my Chief Bridesmaid; Carl, the Main Man’s bezzie mate of some 30 odd years was his Best Man; our brothers were ushers and our Mothers looked knock-out with full-on hats with feathers and everything! Cilla Black’s chest would have been puffed up with pride 😉
Anyone for a beer cocktail?!?
Time has been running away with me. Chiefly because I’m getting married soon. But – in true Beer Beauty style – I’ve been trying to do too much stuff before The Big Day! One of the brilliant things I just had to tell you about was a crazy session in a bar with Rachel (from the Banks’ Brewery brand team) and Kim (Marston’s PR firm, Vital). They recently asked me to host a fun (when are they not?!?) Beer Beauty party for their female staff.
No sooner did I suggest throwing in some beer cocktails than – HEY PRESTO – a week later Rachel, Kim and I had commandeered a corner of Bluu Bar, and surrounded ourselves with lots of Marston’s beers and all sorts of cocktail-making paraphernalia!
Any weekend beer plans??
Sunshine and beer go hand-in-hand extraordinarily well in my book. I’ve been trying to take advantage of this amazing hot, sunny weather in between a little bout of illness and working my socks off! I’m not one for knocking them back until I keel over: in this weather, that’d be just plain foolhardy! But sipping a cool half an ale (or two) in the sunshine while relaxing with friends is my idea of heaven. So it got me thinking… what beer plans have you’ve got for the myriad of Bank Holidays we’ve got lined up these next few weekends??
