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FREE | ISSUE 4 | JULY 16<br />
BIRMINGHAM & WEST MIDLANDS<br />
In The<br />
WIN FESTIVAL TICKETS - P11<br />
NEW FASHION EDITOR - P14<br />
OUR FESTIVAL FEATURE - P32<br />
THE NEW HIGH FIELD TOWN<br />
HOUSE- P60<br />
SUMMER<br />
FESTIVAL<br />
FUN<br />
BANARDOS CELEBRATES<br />
150 YEARS - P90
Award winning dining<br />
in Edgbaston<br />
The Calthorpe Estate within Edgbaston, just a mile from <strong>Birmingham</strong> city centre,<br />
is home to an array of award winning places to eat.<br />
Whether catching up with friends or entertaining in style, take a taste test in<br />
Edgbaston Village in the wide selection of restaurants, cafes, bars and leisure clubs.<br />
Take a taste test in Edgbaston Village.<br />
To book a table visit www.calthorpe.co.uk/dining<br />
Offices / Residential / Retail / Medical / Leisure / Education
CONTENTS // SPONSORED BY ALPS GROUP<br />
3<br />
WELCOME<br />
LETTER<br />
FROM THE<br />
EDITOR<br />
Welcome to the fourth edition of In The City Magazine. When I think<br />
about summer I think festivals, nothing marks British Summer more than<br />
festivals, which has been part and parcel of British culture for decades.<br />
Whether you are an avid festival goer or new to the scene we bring you all that's<br />
fresh to get you in the mood to party!<br />
EDITOR IN CHIEF<br />
Shana Owen<br />
shana@inthecityuk.com<br />
To mark this we have an exciting competition to win tickets for The Secret Garden<br />
Party Festival & Shardfest which are the go to festivals of the year. We also have a<br />
spotlight feature on all the great festivals from Glastonbury (naturally!) to Wireless.<br />
The school summer break is also on the horizon, to help you plan your summer<br />
holidays we have a feature on the best seaside locations in the UK. If you are thinking<br />
further afield, we have an editorial piece on the best places you can fly to from<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> International Airport. Flying to international destinations from your<br />
doorstep has never been easier.<br />
In this edition we introduce and welcome three new additions/collaborations to the<br />
magazine. TheTicketSellers takeover our nightlife section sharing their expertise on<br />
what's on and why you should be there. Collis our Fashion Editor shares his passion<br />
with our readers and has dedicated his editorial to denim - a perfect fit for festival<br />
goers. We also introduce our 'Nights Out In The City' section. This month focuses on<br />
dancing and dining in Digbeth.<br />
Our Business and Community section carries forth the festival theme which<br />
highlights 'Music for Youth National Festival'. This is the largest youth music festival<br />
to celebrate the UK’s most inspiring young musicians. <strong>Birmingham</strong> will come<br />
alive with five days of extraordinary music, taking place across three world class<br />
stages and city-centre locations. With over four hundred live performances, there’s<br />
something for everyone, bringing together music lovers of all generations.<br />
<strong>ITC</strong>magUK<br />
We have taken the best of summer, keeping you in the loop to ensure your social<br />
calendar is on point. So relax and enjoy the read - you will need it!<br />
<strong>ITC</strong>magUK<br />
@<strong>ITC</strong>magUK<br />
www.inthecityuk.com<br />
HAPPY READING!<br />
Shana Owen<br />
In The City Magazine<br />
G.B. House,<br />
21 - 27 Milk Street,<br />
Digbeth,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>,<br />
B5 5TR<br />
Advertising<br />
advertising@inthecityuk.com<br />
0121 230 8333<br />
Publishing<br />
enq@askalps.com<br />
0121 230 8099
4 CONTENTS // SPONSORED BY ALPS GROUP<br />
<strong>Issue</strong> 4 | <strong>July</strong> 2016<br />
CONTENTS<br />
NEWS<br />
7 FOOD & DRINK<br />
21<br />
Spotlight | Prime-Time appeal of <strong>Birmingham</strong> .......8<br />
Costa Coffee great expansion plan ..............................9<br />
Formula One British Grand Prix ......................................9<br />
Glastonbury's steel resolution ........................................10<br />
Wifi Wars waged in Wolverhampton ..........................10<br />
COMPETITION<br />
11<br />
Spotlight | The Internationally acclaimed Indian<br />
restaurant with more than a touch of class...............22<br />
Full Fat Vs Low Fat - The thick of it!...............................26<br />
Recipe of the month: Healthy egg and chips............28<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
31<br />
Spotlight | Summer Festivals ...........................................32<br />
Staying healthy at festivals ..............................................34<br />
Win 2 tickets each to The Secret Garden Party<br />
Festival & Shardfest 2016................................................11<br />
FASHION + LIFESTYLE<br />
13<br />
Spotlight | Collis - Introducing our fabulous fashion<br />
editor..................................................................................14<br />
Denim fever - Facts on Denim............................................16<br />
Lifestyle Coach: Bringing sparkle to your life.............18<br />
The power of passion .........................................................35<br />
Summer Tasters - From traditional to exotic .........37<br />
Cocktail of the month: Snow in the summer.............37<br />
NIGHTLIFE<br />
39<br />
Spotlight | TheTicketSellers Nightlife takeover ....40<br />
- Featuring shardfest............................................................40<br />
- 15 minutes 4 U presents stepping out ....................41<br />
- Nights out listing................................................................42<br />
In The City created by: In The City Magazine Ltd<br />
Published by: Alps Group | Sales Director: Darren Tyler<br />
Editor in Chief: Shana Owen | Editor: Richard Hobson<br />
Creative Director: Hassan Moulavi | Designer: Jerome Beaumont<br />
E: advertising@inthecityuk.com<br />
E: editorial@inthecityuk.com<br />
T: 0121 230 8333<br />
Switchboard: 0121 230 8080
CONTENTS // SPONSORED BY ALPS GROUP<br />
5<br />
MONTHLY FEATURE<br />
49 MOTORS<br />
73<br />
Don't move; Improve!...........................................................50<br />
- Minimum Energy, Maximum Results...........................54<br />
Spotlight | Tesla takes the world.......................................74<br />
The mogul - Class Bentley Mulsanne................................76<br />
- Conversions: Bigger is better..........................................56<br />
- Kitchen & Bathrooms..........................................................56<br />
NIGHTS OUT IN THE CITY<br />
79<br />
TRAVEL<br />
59<br />
Spotlight | Dancing & Dining in Digbeth........................80<br />
BUSINESS & COMMUNITY<br />
85<br />
Spotlight | Music for youth festival................................86<br />
BrightLET's bright idea sees it in the spotlight ..........87<br />
CHARITY<br />
89<br />
Spotlight | The High Fields Town House...........................60<br />
The UK's Best Seaside Locations ...................................62<br />
Global destinations at your doorstep ...........................64<br />
National Express takes international route .................65<br />
PROPERTY<br />
67<br />
Spotlight | Seven Capital reaches new heights...........68<br />
Spotlight | Barnardos 150th birthday ..........................90<br />
- Residential developments .................................................68<br />
- Commercial developments ...............................................69<br />
WHERE IN THE CITY<br />
93<br />
- Hospitality redevelopments ............................................69<br />
Guide to In The City .............................................................94<br />
- Restaurants ........................................................................94<br />
- Hotels ......................................................................................98<br />
- Nightclubs .............................................................................98<br />
All views and opinions expressed by contributors to, and staff of In The City Magazine may not represent the views and opinions<br />
of the publisher. In The City Magazine takes no responsibility for claims made in advertisements, advertorials or editorials made in<br />
this magazine. No part of In The City Magazine may be reproduced or copied in any way without prior written consent of In The<br />
City Magazine Ltd
STOP<br />
THE PRESS!<br />
Do you have a news story that<br />
you want to share with over<br />
50,000 readers?<br />
CONTACT OUR SALES TEAM NOW<br />
t: 0121 230 8333<br />
e: advertising@inthecityuk.com<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
SPACE<br />
Do you have editorial, news,<br />
articles etc. Get your work<br />
featured in our next issue<br />
CONTACT US ON<br />
t: 0121 230 8333<br />
e: editorial@inthecityuk.com
SPOTLIGHT<br />
NEWS<br />
SPONSORED BY RUBRIC LOIS KING SOLICITORS<br />
WWW.RLKSOLICITORS.COM
8 NEWS // SPONSORED BY RUBRIC LOIS KING SOLICITORS<br />
PRIME-TIME APPEAL OF BIRMINGHAM:<br />
DO YOU WANNA MAKE TEA AT THE BBC?<br />
Exciting news broke in May that both the BBC and Channel 4 were looking to potentially expand operations within<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> and the West Midlands.<br />
‘Do you wanna make tea at the BBC?’<br />
asked Joe Strummer on The Clash’s<br />
“Career Opportunities”. For young<br />
people living and working in the West<br />
Midlands a loftier job prospect working<br />
with the media giant could be just<br />
around the corner...<br />
News broke recently that BBC3<br />
would be moving half of its<br />
operations to <strong>Birmingham</strong> by<br />
2018, greatly expanding upon the<br />
existing infrastructure that the BBC<br />
Centre in the Mailbox offers. According<br />
to plans, the BBC will pledge a third of<br />
BBC3’s £30 million budget to projects<br />
within the city, and the centre would be<br />
responsible for some short-form content<br />
as well as a new youth team for BBC<br />
News.<br />
This news is among the first positive<br />
developments for the BBC3 brand since<br />
the TV channel was shut earlier this year,<br />
shifting to an entirely online base with<br />
programming mainly targeting a youth<br />
audience. The shift was met with some<br />
heavy criticism at the time, but this new<br />
development suggests a genuine plan<br />
for development of programming for<br />
young people on the BBC3 brand, as well<br />
as spelling a sunny forecast for Media<br />
graduates, trainees and professionals<br />
who live in the West Midlands and are<br />
interested in a career working for the<br />
UK’s most iconic media institution.<br />
The BBC weren’t the only media giant<br />
with their sights on the city however;<br />
renewed talks for plans to move Channel<br />
4’s headquarters from London have also<br />
been reported, following a suggestion<br />
that the government could look to<br />
selling the company’s iconic Westminster<br />
HQ, which was first reported in June last<br />
year.<br />
Though this move has been met with<br />
some resistance, it has been suggested<br />
as a logical move to boost the<br />
broadcaster’s regional remit and help<br />
cut heavy production costs that entail<br />
working within the capital. As well as<br />
extortionate rent rates – it is believed<br />
that a move from London could cut the<br />
rent by up to 50%).<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>’s pre-eminence as a<br />
broadcasting base was somewhat<br />
diminished with a shift by major<br />
broadcasters to areas like Greater<br />
Manchester in past decades. The<br />
departure of much of the production<br />
behind ITV at the iconic Gas Street<br />
Studios also seemed to spell an end<br />
to <strong>Birmingham</strong>’s ability to compete<br />
production-wise with other areas of the<br />
UK.<br />
These developments suggest a great<br />
deal of optimism for the region’s<br />
future, and an even better outlook for<br />
media professionals who would rather<br />
not move regions or commute great<br />
distances to work every day. Stay tuned…<br />
by Rich Hobson
NEWS // SPONSORED BY RUBRIC LOIS KING SOLICITORS<br />
COSTA COFFEE GREAT EXPANSION PLANS<br />
9<br />
It might not be as globally widespread<br />
as Starbucks, but UK mega-franchise<br />
Costa is a coffee giant in its own right,<br />
currently standing as the largest and<br />
fastest growing coffee brand with over<br />
1,500 stores throughout the UK, at least<br />
twelve stores in <strong>Birmingham</strong> alone.<br />
Lucrative to say the least, Costa has<br />
enjoyed twelve years of continued<br />
growth as it challenged international<br />
super-chain Starbucks for market<br />
supremacy. In its wake, Costa has<br />
inspired a wave of expansions by other<br />
brands who also look to take a slice<br />
of the contested UK coffee market,<br />
including pub chain Wetherspoons, food<br />
retailer Greggs and international fast<br />
food giants McDonalds.<br />
It is believed that Britons consume 1.7<br />
billion cups of coffee a year (source:<br />
Financial Times), which although much<br />
less than in Europe (where the average<br />
is a whopping 2.8 kilogrammes a year,<br />
per person), still represents an incredible<br />
amount of business opportunity for the<br />
Costa brand, and by extension, for other<br />
brands looking to break into a lucrative<br />
food and drinks market.<br />
Owned by FTSE 100 firm Whitbread, and<br />
one of their two core brands (the other<br />
being Premier Inn), Costa coffee pulled<br />
in around £1.2 billion for the company in<br />
2016, and is now looking to expand its<br />
ventures to China, with hopes to have<br />
over 700 stores in the country by 2020.<br />
This strategy for growth is in keeping<br />
with Costa’s ambitious expansion<br />
plans sees them not only opening full<br />
Costa coffee houses, but also takeaway<br />
style shops and franchise stores. One<br />
such ten store franchise in the West<br />
Midlands recently sold for an undisclosed<br />
seven-figure sum, having grown into a<br />
business which enjoyed a £4.5 million<br />
annual turnover, as well as employing<br />
over 100 members of staff.<br />
by Rich Hobson<br />
FORMULA ONE BRITISH GRAND PRIX<br />
Dates: 8th– 10th <strong>July</strong><br />
Venue: Silverstone Circuit<br />
Tickets: £40+<br />
Formula One is housed on some of the<br />
most extraordinary circuits in the world,<br />
among them; Nurburgring, Monaco,<br />
Barcelona, and of course the crown jewel for all<br />
British racing enthusiasts, Silverstone.<br />
The tenth event in the Formula One 2016<br />
calendar, the British Grand Prix is a party which<br />
welcomes over 300,000 guests for a weekend<br />
of supersonic racing and full-throttle partying<br />
for one of the most exciting events in the world.<br />
In addition to some of the greatest racers in the<br />
world (including our very own Lewis Hamilton),<br />
the British Grand Prix also features night time<br />
concerts and entertainment that guarantee that<br />
you’ll get 3 full days of unforgettable enjoyment.<br />
The 2016 Grand Prix Calendar kicked off in<br />
Australia with a four-strong winning streak<br />
from German racer Nico Rosberg, representing<br />
Mercedes, only dethroned in the Spanish<br />
Grand Prix on May 15th by Belgian upstart Max<br />
Verstappen, representing Red Bull.<br />
With such a strong start to the 2016 season<br />
already, it’ll be interesting to see who will still<br />
remain in the top ten come November, with the<br />
semi-final races in Brazil and the last race of the<br />
season in Abu Dhabi on November 27th.
10 NEWS // SPONSORED BY RUBRIC LOIS KING SOLICITORS<br />
GLASTONBURY’S STEEL RESOLUTION<br />
It might seem like an oxymoron, to say<br />
that Glastonbury Festival is launching<br />
a green initiative in association with<br />
steel, but as anyone who’s ever been to<br />
a summer festival can attest, the sheer<br />
number of paper cups that go to waste<br />
over the space of a weekend could easily<br />
populate a forest stretching the length<br />
(and quite possibly breadth) of the UK.<br />
To combat this, Glastonbury’s organizers<br />
have announced a joint venture with<br />
UK steel firms to produce sustainable,<br />
reusable steel cups which could be used<br />
over the space of the weekend and<br />
possibly offer other festivals a unique<br />
alternative to creating high amounts of<br />
waste with the standard cardboard cups.<br />
Following three years of trial and<br />
research, Glastonbury unveiled the cup<br />
design ahead of the 2016 festival. Made<br />
of sustainable, recycled stainless steel,<br />
the cups debuted on a major scale at the<br />
2016 festival, with over 200,000 cups<br />
put into circulation at ten major bars,<br />
with customers paying a £5 deposit<br />
when they purchase their first pint.<br />
Made by APS in <strong>Birmingham</strong>, these cups<br />
could revolutionise the sustainability<br />
of festivals in the UK, and also acts<br />
as a fresh source of income for<br />
the steel industry, which has been<br />
experiencing a well-publicised drop<br />
as of late. Supporting local industry<br />
and communities has been a mainstay<br />
goal of Glastonbury Festival since its<br />
inception in 1970.<br />
WIFI WARS WAGED IN WOLVERHAMPTON<br />
Date: 10th <strong>July</strong><br />
Tickets: £16.80<br />
Venue: The Slade Rooms,<br />
Wolverhampton<br />
Postcode: WV1 1HP<br />
The leaps and bounds made in<br />
mobile technology in the past<br />
20 years have undoubtedly<br />
changed our lives for the better, so why<br />
is it that the entertainment industry<br />
still predominantly treats the advent<br />
of the Smartphone as a punchline in a<br />
“technology these days, eh?” joke?<br />
While the majority of entertainers still<br />
stick to the tried and true methods<br />
of the past, events like WiFi Wars are<br />
pushing audiences into whole new<br />
experiences, changing the face of live<br />
events by making use of the latest<br />
technology to put audiences centre<br />
stage.<br />
Audience members log in using a<br />
smartphone or tablet and compete in a<br />
range of games, quizzes and challenges<br />
to win the show, and various prizes along<br />
the way.<br />
Hosted by comedian and regular<br />
videogames commentator Steve McNeil<br />
(Challenge TV's Videogame Nation, Ginx<br />
TV's Console Yourself, Minecraft: Digging<br />
Deeper), the show was first performed<br />
as part of the Royal Institution's 2015<br />
Summer Programme, and has become a<br />
smash hit at corporate and public events<br />
alike, offering a fun night out where<br />
everybody can get involved.<br />
So brush up on your trivia knowledge,<br />
stretch your fingers and above all make<br />
sure that your battery is fully charged!<br />
by Rich Hobson<br />
Coming to Wolverhampton on 10th<br />
<strong>July</strong>, WiFi Wars is a live comedy game<br />
show where the audience play along –<br />
a perfect experience for anyone who<br />
shouts answers at the screen when<br />
watching ‘The Chase’!
COMPETITION // SPONSORED BY ALPS GROUP<br />
11<br />
£20<br />
VOUCHER<br />
HELEN<br />
EDGAR<br />
APRIL/MAY EDITION<br />
WINNER<br />
LEIGH ASTLEY<br />
JUNE EDITION<br />
WINNER<br />
SIMON KUMAR<br />
JUNE KIDS EDITION<br />
WINNER<br />
SUMMER DOUBLE BONANZA<br />
CAN YOU FIND ME<br />
ELSEWHERE IN<br />
THE MAGAZINE?<br />
WIN<br />
TWO TICKETS<br />
TO THE SECRET GARDEN<br />
PARTY FESTIVAL<br />
CODE: <strong>ITC</strong>SECRET<br />
OR<br />
WIN<br />
TWO TICKETS<br />
TO SHARDFEST<br />
CODE: <strong>ITC</strong>SHARD<br />
<strong>ITC</strong>magUK<br />
FIND EDDIE TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING TICKETS<br />
TO EITHER THE SECRET GARDEN PARTY FESTIVAL OR SHARDFEST<br />
TO ENTER; LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, SHARE THE COMPETITION POST AND DIRECT MESSAGE<br />
THE PAGE NUMBER ALONG WITH YOUR PREFERRED COMPETITION CODE<br />
The festivals are between 21 st - 24 th <strong>July</strong>, the winner will be contacted via e-mail on 18 th <strong>July</strong><br />
and published on facebook and twitter<br />
Competition closes : 17 th <strong>July</strong> 2016
SPOTLIGHT<br />
FASHION &<br />
LIFESTYLE<br />
SPONSORED BY ESTILO CLOTHING<br />
WWW.ESTILOCLOTHING.CO.UK
14 FASHION & LIFESTYLE // SPONSORED BY ESTILO CLOTHING<br />
INTRODUCING OUR<br />
FABULOUS FASHION EDITOR<br />
A former world-ranking squash professional, with a winning<br />
collection of over 400 trophies, who has played the likes of<br />
legends Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan and film star Omar<br />
Shariff as well as Eddie Grant. Collis Sheik is an Artistic<br />
Director in hairdressing, trained at Vidal Sassoon which led<br />
to work on photo –shoots with the likes of Beverley Cobella,<br />
Jennifer Cheynes and Mark Hill.<br />
Collis eventually became Art Director at Toni and Guy<br />
working in Manchester, London, <strong>Birmingham</strong> and Sutton<br />
Coldfield and is now based at Rumours in Harborne.<br />
Like any other hairdresser Collis is a firm believer in<br />
looking good. So good, in fact that he has a collection<br />
of over 350 pairs of jeans, not to mention 80 designer<br />
watches, 70 sunglasses and 200 pairs of trainers. This man<br />
might be the Midlands leading Doyen of Denim.<br />
He has a priceless collection of denim and accessories, many<br />
of which are irreplaceable. His home is a plethora of denim,<br />
which he has been buying since the seventies. He sees<br />
Jeans as an important part of his appearance. "Jeans, like<br />
sunglasses, and watches to me are a symbol, and everyone<br />
admires them.”<br />
The denim fan has a room<br />
dedicated to his collection; they<br />
are displayed on bookshelves<br />
and organised into groups, like<br />
vintage, large pockets, dark to<br />
light and separate brands and<br />
two rows of pure Levis. The<br />
room is also home to other<br />
fashion accessories and shoes.<br />
He has more variety than a<br />
boutique.<br />
“It is more than materialism or<br />
obsession. It’s an interest and<br />
the more you collect the more<br />
you become aware – it’s one<br />
way of maintaining a constant<br />
waistline!”<br />
“I see myself more of a lifestyle consultant<br />
and counsellor who gives advice to clients on<br />
a whole range of things from what to wear to<br />
where to eat. Clients are not buying a haircut<br />
but a lifestyle.” - COLLIS<br />
What makes a fantastic pair of Jeans?<br />
“ Look out for the red stitching on the inside leg of the<br />
Jeans; this is the sign of an expensive and well made pair. I<br />
love classic brands such as Levi’s, as well as designers like<br />
Diesel.”<br />
What was the first pair of jeans you bought?<br />
“A pair of Levis 501 pre-shrunk to fit. They were plain with<br />
the original Levis zinc button – plain in the fly and a watch<br />
pocket with a genuine leather label from Cone Mills. As you<br />
can see I am a jeans fanatic”
FASHION & LIFESTYLE // SPONSORED BY ESTILO CLOTHING<br />
15<br />
“The Jeans room is fitted with four Airwick Fresheners all on<br />
timers, and I have a cleaner twice a week. In the old days I<br />
would roll the Jeans I was wearing that week and store them<br />
in the fridge (lost many a girlfriends over that). If they were<br />
Wranglers, I would soak them in starch-water that was left<br />
over after boiling rice making them rigid”.<br />
Where in <strong>Birmingham</strong> do you like to buy<br />
your jeans?<br />
Selfridges and Harvey Nichols<br />
What about designing Jeans?<br />
“I have made my own jeans in the past when I owned an old<br />
Singer machine, the pair I was most proud of were “inside<br />
out “ everybody would say did you get dressed in the dark?.<br />
But one day, I’d love to introduce organic jeans and label<br />
them JEANOLOGIST”<br />
“ The most expensive pair of<br />
jeans in my collection is Balmain<br />
at £766. Although it seems a lot<br />
of money on jeans, Secret Circus<br />
have got a pair of Jeans with<br />
Diamonds in which are about 1.3<br />
million dollars I wouldn’t go for<br />
those just yet!”<br />
Collis with his squash trophies and medals<br />
Do you have any other interests or hobbies?<br />
“Cooking fusion food, especially the under rated but all too<br />
good Lentils and Pulses. They are cheap, a low-fat source<br />
of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Cooked the right<br />
way you be amazed of their taste. My signature dish is the “<br />
Butter Chicken” (tasted by people from all walks of life many<br />
of whom didn’t even like curries) – but my main passion will<br />
always be fashion!”
16 FASHION & LIFESTYLE // SPONSORED BY ESTILO CLOTHING<br />
FACTS ON DENIM<br />
A brief history of denim<br />
DENIM<br />
FEVER<br />
What began as a staple for<br />
Cowboys and Miners, denim is<br />
still classed as one of the most<br />
wearable fabrics and a sure go to choice<br />
in every persons wardrobe. The rise in<br />
women's brands has boomed in recent<br />
years, there is more choice than ever.<br />
1850<br />
Levis Strauss & Co; founded in<br />
New York By Bavarian immigrant<br />
Levis Strauss<br />
1855<br />
Levis Strauss & Co produces<br />
waist high overalls<br />
using surplus cloth originally<br />
meant for tents and wagon<br />
covers<br />
Later in the summer, you will see fantastic<br />
boot-cuts, flares and particularly cropped<br />
denim flares. From specific denim<br />
designers to cult bestsellers - such as<br />
Japanese Edwin, everyone will be spoilt<br />
for choice.<br />
LIMITLESS<br />
AGELESS<br />
CLASS<br />
NATIONALITY<br />
AND FASHION.<br />
The reason denim is always so good to<br />
wear is because it’s above everything<br />
else...<br />
Denim has somehow always managed to<br />
appear fresh and rebellious.<br />
From the high street to the catwalk and<br />
everything in between there's no getting<br />
away from denim this season!<br />
2016<br />
2016 New age designers completely destroyed the<br />
fabric covered in deeply entrenched whiskers lines<br />
of fading that makes jeans look aged and dirtier<br />
As Tom Ford points out with jeans encapsulating<br />
a modern way of dressing, how they are worn the<br />
way they are mixed is as important.
FASHION & LIFESTYLE // SPONSORED BY ESTILO CLOTHING<br />
17<br />
1872<br />
Jacob Davis approaches<br />
Strauss with his idea of using<br />
metal rivets in the overalls to<br />
increase their strength.<br />
1890<br />
1890 The term 501 is used by Levis<br />
Strauss & Co for the first time<br />
1878<br />
1878 The first synthetic<br />
indigo dye is invented<br />
by Adolf von Baeyer<br />
1891<br />
1891Levis Strauss’s patent<br />
expires opening up the<br />
jeans market to other<br />
manufactures for the<br />
first time<br />
The bluebell Overall Company creates<br />
its first line of jeans wear and names<br />
it Wrangler. The company goes on to<br />
be known as Wrangler<br />
1925 Lee launches the<br />
first zip-fly jean<br />
1910<br />
1947 1910 The Lee Mercantile<br />
Co produces its first<br />
1925<br />
workwear range including<br />
Lee Bib Overalls<br />
1960<br />
Levi’s discards the term overalls<br />
and adapts “genes”, the 1560s term<br />
for trousers worn by<br />
Genoese sailors, to “jeans”<br />
1943<br />
The Levis Strauss & Co<br />
launches rebrands itself<br />
as Levi’s<br />
1978<br />
1978 Peter Golding brings stretch<br />
denim to the market for the first time<br />
Levi’s changes its label from capitals<br />
to lower case. Original labels are now<br />
worth well over £500<br />
2010<br />
2010 Yohji Yamamoto scored a hit<br />
with deep dyed denim with prints<br />
of Fifties Japanese film stars<br />
1971 1978<br />
Renzo Rosso in Molvena, Italy<br />
sets up DIESEL, which goes on<br />
to become one of the most<br />
successful denim labels in the<br />
world<br />
2002<br />
2002 Marc Jacobs’<br />
Mark line introduces its<br />
first menswear jeans<br />
1987<br />
1987 The Gap opens its<br />
first store outside the<br />
USA in London. It goes<br />
on to become one of the<br />
world’s biggest denim<br />
retailers<br />
2008<br />
Junya Watanabe, Comme des<br />
Garcons produced a collection with<br />
elaborated printed texts<br />
1991<br />
Using the original Levi’s looms bought<br />
in a factory sale in San Francisco,<br />
Japanese tailor Hidehiko Yamane<br />
launches EVISU
18 FASHION & LIFESTYLE // SPONSORED BY ESTILO CLOTHING<br />
THE LIFE COACH: BRINGING SPARKLE TO YOUR LIFE!<br />
With ever increasing demands on our lives, sometimes we can lose focus on what’s important – us! We catch-up<br />
with Aamna Khokhar an enthusiastic Life Coach, to find out what her job entails, what drives her, the benefits and<br />
what to consider should you wish to become a Life Coach.<br />
Tell our readers what a life coach is.<br />
Life coaching is facilitating a client’s development so that<br />
they are able to craft a life that they desire. Coaches<br />
ask powerful questions that will challenge limiting<br />
beliefs and therefore<br />
creating choices for the<br />
client.<br />
Did you always aspire to<br />
be a life coach?<br />
I came into coaching after<br />
receiving coaching myself.<br />
My background is as a<br />
teacher of Psychology so I<br />
always had a keen interest<br />
in people’s behaviours<br />
thoughts and intentions. I<br />
came across coaching after<br />
it was offered to me and<br />
I simply devoured all the<br />
sessions, insights and so<br />
enjoyed being able to see<br />
my life as my choice that<br />
I decided to give people<br />
the same gift. I have always<br />
believed that lending a<br />
good ear and allowing<br />
people to be guided to<br />
goodness is so rewarding<br />
and with coaching I found<br />
my calling.<br />
How did you get into it?<br />
I completed an ICF<br />
accredited coaching course<br />
with an organisation called<br />
Noorworks.<br />
What sorts of clients do<br />
you have, do they come<br />
from all walks of life?<br />
I have clients of all age ranges and genders. They come from<br />
many different backgrounds, I see possibility in people and<br />
this is not bound by any label.<br />
What value do you think you add to your clients lives?<br />
I allow them to see they have choices, in many ways a coach<br />
is like a mirror who reflects back to the client the inner<br />
dwellings of their mind and often that opens and nonjudgemental<br />
space<br />
creates an opening<br />
for them to learn<br />
about themselves<br />
and to take control<br />
over their lives. With<br />
my background<br />
in Psychology I<br />
have studied CBT,<br />
some principals<br />
of NLP and self<br />
development and I<br />
am able to give my<br />
clients many tools<br />
to allow them to be<br />
empowered within<br />
their own lives.<br />
What geographical<br />
areas do you cover<br />
for your services?<br />
I have clients<br />
from London,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> to<br />
Singapore.<br />
What skills do you<br />
need to become a<br />
life coach?<br />
Many of the skills<br />
you learn on the<br />
course itself, it<br />
has to be said<br />
that empathy, a<br />
non-judgemental<br />
attitude, a passion<br />
for personal growth<br />
and a genuine interest in human beings is certainly very<br />
helpful. I love to learn about people’s possibility and help<br />
them see who they can be, the choice is theirs.
FASHION & LIFESTYLE // SPONSORED BY ESTILO CLOTHING<br />
19<br />
What would you say to people who would<br />
like to use a life coach but are a little<br />
apprehensive?<br />
I would say they could try it. When I first<br />
heard about coaching I felt the same, I am<br />
so committed to personal grown that I did<br />
not entertain apprehension for much longer. I<br />
enjoyed every minute of it and I also realised<br />
that what was most important was that<br />
we learn skills to manage life and to create<br />
choices for ourselves that will enrich this<br />
journey.<br />
What advice would you give to anyone<br />
looking to become a life coach?<br />
I would say as with any programme you<br />
might enrol on do lots of research beforehand<br />
and consider if they meet your ethics and<br />
morals. Speak to the coaches and look at their<br />
marketing strategies as well as their after care.<br />
What would you say are the most rewarding<br />
aspects of being a life coach?<br />
I hold freedom so dearly and this is in terms<br />
of the way that I live my life, within my<br />
relationships, the job I do, the way I see myself<br />
and I was given this gift through my own self<br />
development and when I see a client begin to<br />
live a life of freedom I feel the world has a lot<br />
more sparkle.<br />
To get intouch with Aamna please contact her on: aamnakhokhar@hotmail.com
SPANISH NIGHTS | POLISH NIGHTS | BHANGRA NIGHTS<br />
LIVE SKY & BT SPORT | PRIVATE VIP ROOMS<br />
Tel: 0121 643 3334 | Email: info@zarasbar.co.uk<br />
80 Broad st, <strong>Birmingham</strong>, B15 1A0
SPOTLIGHT<br />
FOOD & DRINK<br />
SPONSORED BY TOWN & COUNTRY INNS PLC<br />
APRES | FLEET ST K<strong>ITC</strong>HEN | MECHU<br />
WWW.TOWNANDCOUNTRY.CO.UK
22 FOOD & DRINK // SPONSORED BY TOWN AND COUNTRY INNS PLC<br />
THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED INDIAN<br />
RESTAURANT WITH MORE THAN A TOUCH OF CLASS<br />
Saviours just in the nick of time...<br />
by Roxanne Smith<br />
Whether you have visited Manchester, decided to eat out in <strong>Birmingham</strong> or travelled further afield to the Middle East<br />
- one name you will be sure to have heard of when it comes to Indian cuisine is Asha's. Asha's is an internationally<br />
acclaimed award winning restaurant with a celebrity following. Located on Newhall Street in the heart of the financial<br />
district, the restaurant offers exquisite food in stylish surroundings with exceptional service. The journey of Asha's in <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
is an interesting one..<br />
The UK franchise is owned by Pawan Kenth and Paul Bassi,<br />
what makes their journey incredible is although they were<br />
very successful business men neither had backgrounds in<br />
hospitality industry. With the growth of Asha's, from Dubai<br />
to its U.K. base in <strong>Birmingham</strong>, you would not have been<br />
wrong to assume Asha's <strong>Birmingham</strong> launch would be an<br />
instant success. However, it may have been ahead of its time,<br />
the high end cuisine and ethos was dissimilar to most Indian<br />
restaurants of its time which led to a sense of scepticism<br />
regarding the authenticity of its menu. Nevertheless, Pawan<br />
and Paul loved the food and saw the potential, in fact they<br />
loved the food, atmosphere and ethos so much - they<br />
bought the <strong>Birmingham</strong> restaurant!<br />
In 2008 during the financial crisis resulting in the previous<br />
owners facing administration, Pawan and Paul took over as<br />
owners of the <strong>Birmingham</strong> franchise and the rest as they say<br />
is history.<br />
Celebrating celebrity success<br />
Gracing the restaurant chains doors has been the rich,<br />
influential and famous - Asha's has achieved celebrity status<br />
in its own right. Bollywood stars such as the legendary<br />
Amitabh Buchchan, Anil Kapoor, Salman Khan and Priyanka<br />
Chopra have eaten at Asha's. Equally impressive are the<br />
number of top chefs who have paid a visit; including<br />
celebrity chefs Heston Blumenthal and Paul Rankin.<br />
Since 2009 Asha's has received numerous awards and<br />
international acclaim, ranging from the West Midlands Curry<br />
Award in 2009, Diners Choice Award 2010, 2011, 2012 to Trip<br />
Advisers Certificate of Excellence in 2015 - and many more<br />
awards in-between. In addition, The Sunday Times featured<br />
the restaurant in their top 130 restaurants under £50, they<br />
have also been recommended in the Michelin Guide no less<br />
than 8 times, the latest being 2015. The chains international<br />
counterparts are no stranger to collecting awards either, in<br />
2012 the Dubai restaurant were winners of the 'Time Out<br />
Dubai Restaurant Award'.<br />
All about the food...<br />
Serving over 100,000 meals a year to those who appreciate<br />
and enjoy first class food and service, Asha's food is North<br />
Indian combined with a mix of southern Indian cuisine, they<br />
are also very proud of their interesting vegetarian dishes.<br />
Asha's is named after the most recorded musician in the<br />
world - Asha Bhosle. Another string to her bow is her<br />
cooking prowess which has inspired the chains menu. Asha<br />
Bhosle is a keen cook and is very much involved in the chains<br />
menu. She spends time in Dubai (the very first restaurant)<br />
every month with the chefs creating and shaping the dishes.<br />
As a franchise all the chefs are handpicked, they have<br />
worked in five star hotels in India and then trained in Dubai
FOOD & DRINK // SPONSORED BY TOWN AND COUNTRY INNS PLC<br />
23<br />
to understand the concept of Asha's, so there's authenticity<br />
combined with skill and expertise which is reflected in the<br />
amount of awards the restaurant has won - resulting in high<br />
quality traditional cuisine with a seven star service.<br />
Par excellence as standard<br />
Asha's goes beyond excellent food and customer service,<br />
what makes Asha's unique is the experience and atmosphere.<br />
Eating in luxurious surroundings is only one aspect of what<br />
Asha's has to offer. The restaurant is just as passionate about<br />
its cocktail menu, the restaurant take their bar staff through<br />
rigorous training to ensure they are experts in mixology and<br />
can create the perfect alcoholic and none alcoholic cocktails.<br />
The staff have also received training by famous bartenders<br />
from the likes of the Berkeley in London, who's cocktails are<br />
popular with Beyoncé and Jay-Z.<br />
It is quite unusual to combine a cocktail offering with an<br />
Indian restaurant nevertheless this combination has proven<br />
to be a winner with the restaurants social crowd. Thursday's<br />
and Friday's are particularly buzzing where you will be hard<br />
pressed to find a seat!<br />
From an intimate meal for two to 'power' meals in the<br />
boardroom<br />
The restaurant caters for intimate meals for two, group<br />
bookings in their stylish booths and large parties for<br />
celebrations. Positioned in the centre of <strong>Birmingham</strong>, Asha's<br />
has found a unique way to service the city's business and<br />
financial sectors. They have a boardroom that seats up<br />
to 40 which has proven to be very popular with business<br />
lunches and evening corporate events. It doesn't stop there,<br />
Asha's is also licensed for weddings, they offer exclusivity<br />
for large celebrations ensuring guests can enjoy the stylish<br />
surroundings whilst being waited on by professional, friendly<br />
and attentive staff. Of course the food speaks for itself but<br />
no doubt having the versatility to adapt to and be at the<br />
forefront of growing trends makes Asha's the go to place for<br />
all your social requirements.<br />
The new kid on the block.<br />
Asha's Manchester, fronted by Peter Warden (formerly of<br />
individual Restaurants: RGB and Piccolino) - is the latest<br />
to join the acclaimed chain. The restaurant set in a midnineteenth<br />
century Grade II listed building on the corner of<br />
Peter Street and Mount Street. Following a £2 million revamp<br />
the Manchester restaurant certainly meets high expectation.<br />
Spread across two floors and over 6000 sq ft, providing<br />
a unique dining experience to over 100 guests. with the<br />
luxury of opulence surroundings. The restaurant boasts gold<br />
finishings, mood lighting, a deep purple design palette and<br />
luxurious drapings - nothing short of opulence and that is<br />
before we even get to the food...we already know the food is<br />
the main star of the show!
24<br />
Bookings<br />
0121 643 2233<br />
Pre - Theatre Menu<br />
Mon - Sat<br />
4-7pm<br />
2 for 1 Cocktails<br />
Mon - Fri from 5pm<br />
Saturday 12-8pm<br />
Half Price Prosecco<br />
Thursdays<br />
from 5pm<br />
Afternoon Tea<br />
Daily<br />
12-4pm<br />
(booking essential)<br />
Live Music Every Thursday Night<br />
Club Nights Every Friday & Saturday<br />
VIP Booths<br />
The Chameleon Restaurant & Bar<br />
1 Victoria Square, Hill Street, <strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1BD<br />
Email: info@thechameleonbam.com Website: www.thechameleonbham.co.uk<br />
The Chameleon Restaurant & Bar chameleonbham @chameleonbham
26 FOOD & DRINK // SPONSORED BY TOWN AND COUNTRY INNS PLC<br />
FULL FAT VS LOW FAT<br />
THE THICK OF IT!<br />
The moment you find one of your food favourites with the label ‘low fat’, it’s like a ray of sunshine on your healthy<br />
eating lifestyle. Mentally, we believe having low fat foods is helping us on our weight loss journey, but whispers<br />
suggest that low fat products may not be as low as we hoped for.<br />
by Huma Mian<br />
The idea of low<br />
fat food was<br />
introduced<br />
to help cut down<br />
cholesterol by<br />
reducing saturated<br />
fats that block the<br />
Huma Mian<br />
arteries. So, for those<br />
with heart problems<br />
this was a wonderful solution that allowed them to eat<br />
the foods they enjoyed, without making their health<br />
worse. Over the years it’s been adopted by most<br />
healthy eaters, but the truth of it is: Low fat is fattier<br />
than you think.<br />
In order for manufacturers to make something low<br />
fat, they replace the animal fat with unsaturated<br />
vegetable oils, which means the oil has to go through<br />
a structure change called hydrogenation to create a<br />
solid substance. Hydrogenated fats increase levels of<br />
dangerous trans-fats, which are both bad for the heart<br />
and cholesterol levels.<br />
In order for food to taste as delicious as it’s full<br />
counterpart, the amount of sugar has to be increased.<br />
So, low fat foods tend to contain more sugar, carbs and<br />
trans-fat while still having a similar calorie count to its<br />
full fat friend.<br />
Foods rich in carbs get digested quickly, which can<br />
lead to high blood sugar swings and cravings, making<br />
it harder to control your calories overall. Knowing how<br />
much fat is too much will help you when buying foods,<br />
so here’s shortcut to understand fats on food labels.<br />
20g per 100g of fat is too much<br />
5g per 100g of saturates is too much<br />
15g per 100g of sugar is too much
FOOD & DRINK // SPONSORED BY TOWN AND COUNTRY INNS PLC<br />
27<br />
HERE ARE SOME FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER<br />
HAVE THE LOW FAT ALTERNATIVE TOO!<br />
Butter<br />
Rich in vitamins A and D, butter is not as<br />
bad for the heart as we once thought.<br />
Most butters have saturated fats which<br />
can help decrease blood pressure.<br />
Salad Dressing<br />
Fat helps us absorb nutrient rich<br />
components found in vegetables, so<br />
it’s important that salad dressings have<br />
some fat in them. Low fat dressings tend<br />
to have more sugar in them, so buy full<br />
fat or make a delicious version at home!<br />
Baked Goods<br />
Always go fresh when it comes to<br />
baked goods. Buying fresh foods<br />
with full fat liquid oils is much better<br />
for your health. Alternatively you can<br />
polish your baking skills and cook at<br />
home to have more control over the<br />
ingredients.<br />
Fats can help you feel more satisfied, which means you’ll be eating less calories overall. It seems that having low fat foods isn’t<br />
really going to help you more in the long run, so going for full fat options is better, but that is no excuse to start eating full fat<br />
everything! Always check the labels to see the sugar and fat content when buying products and be mindful to have a balanced<br />
diet.<br />
SUPERFOOD OF THE MONTH<br />
These succulent bright blueberries not only taste delicious, but also have masses of health and preventative benefits.<br />
Blueberries are classed as brain food because it’s been shown to improve brain function, memory and heal damaged cells. They<br />
are also referred ‘a burst of youth’ because blueberries can give you softer skin and combat free radicals in the skin that cause us<br />
to age.<br />
HIGH IN VITAMINS<br />
(A, C, E, B, potassium, copper, zinc, and magnesium) these bountiful berries can speed up your metabolism and is full or<br />
fibre and antioxidants for a healthy heart and weight loss.<br />
For such a small piece of fruit, blueberries are a ‘must add’ to your diet, not only for now but for your future health.
28 FOOD & DRINK // SPONSORED BY TOWN AND COUNTRY INNS PLC<br />
RECIPE OF THE MONTH:<br />
HEALTHY EGG AND CHIPS<br />
INGREDIENTS (281 KCAL)<br />
500g Potatoes, Diced<br />
2 Shallots, Sliced<br />
1 tbsp Olive Oil<br />
2 tsp Dried, Crushed Oregano<br />
200g Small Mushrooms<br />
4 Eggs<br />
3 Rashers Turkey Bacon, Grilled<br />
Optional: Tomatoes and Asparagus<br />
METHOD<br />
1.) Heat oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Tip the potatoes and<br />
shallots into a large, non-stick roasting tin, drizzle with oil.<br />
2.) Sprinkle over the Oregano, then mix everything together<br />
well. Bake for 40-45 mins (or until starting to go brown) Add<br />
the mushrooms and cook for a further 10 mins until potatoes are<br />
tender.<br />
3.) Make four gaps in the vegetables and crack an egg into each<br />
space. Place strips of Turkey Bacon around the tin and return to<br />
the oven for 3-4 mins, or until both are cooked to your liking.
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ENTERTAINMENT<br />
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32 ENTERTAINMENT // SPONSORED BY LETTERBOX DIRECT UK<br />
FESTIVALS FEATURE<br />
Music is in the air, no matter the weather this summer the music hungry hordes of the UK will once again be<br />
descending on a field in every county in the land to enjoy some world-class music, super-priced beers and greasy<br />
festival grub. Thousands strong (and that’s just the festivals), the programming for festival season 2016 sees every<br />
subgenre, subculture and lifestyle get its own celebration – here are In The City’s guide to the absolute “can’t miss”<br />
events this summer.<br />
by Rich Hobson<br />
Glastonbury Festival<br />
Glastonbury<br />
There’s no talking about festivals in the UK without<br />
mentioning the absolute granddaddy of them all. The<br />
monolithic Glastonbury festival takes place in mid-June<br />
(meaning that by the time this has gone to publication its<br />
patrons will still be nursing a screaming hangover), and brings<br />
together acts far and wide from every conceivable genre for<br />
a celebration that’s as much for modern music as it is for the<br />
legends who have gone before.<br />
Line-Up: Muse, Adele, Coldplay, Foals, Beck, New Order,<br />
Underworld & many more.<br />
Barclaycard Presents: British Summer Time<br />
Hyde Park, London<br />
Six concerts over two consecutive weekends, British Summer<br />
Time is the spiritual successor to the ‘Hyde Park Calling’<br />
events, taking place at the iconic park in the middle of the<br />
capital city for a musical celebration featuring some of the<br />
biggest names to ever grace a stage. The 2016 events saw<br />
the likes of Take That, Stevie Wonder and Florence & The<br />
Machine; all headline events programmed with their music<br />
in mind, offering quite possibly the best picnic in the park<br />
opportunity in the world.<br />
Line-Up: Massive Attack, Florence & The Machine/Kendrick<br />
Lamar, Carole King, Mumford & Sons, Take That, Stevie<br />
Wonder
ENTERTAINMENT // SPONSORED BY LETTTERBOX DIRECT UK<br />
33<br />
Godiva Festival<br />
War Memorial Park, Coventry<br />
You need only look at the price-hike for Glastonbury over<br />
the years (starting out at £1 for the first festival in 1970, to<br />
its £200+ pricetag today) to know that attending festivals<br />
quickly becomes expensive business, not exactly ideal for a<br />
family outing even if you all love music. All the better then<br />
that events like Coventry’s Godiva exist – an entirely free<br />
family-friendly festival, Godiva 2016 has pulled in music icons<br />
The Boomtown Rats, Scouting For Girls and The Charlatans<br />
for a party where everybody can be involved.<br />
Line-Up: Boomtown Rats, The Charlatans, Scouting For Girls,<br />
Space, Mystery Jets<br />
2000 Trees<br />
Upcote Farm, Cheltenham<br />
Quite possibly the biggest Alternative music festival in the<br />
UK, 2000 Trees offers two days of camping and the very<br />
best up and coming artists in the music industry, having<br />
proved the ideal launching point for the likes of Frank Turner,<br />
Scroobius Pip and Wolf Alice, amongst countless others.<br />
The 2016 event sees the likes of Alt. Punk legends Refused,<br />
reformed Ska-Punks The King Blues and prolific rocker<br />
Ginger Wildheart (performing both solo and with his group<br />
Hey!Hello!) descend on Upcote Farm for a two day Rock and<br />
Metal extravaganza.<br />
Line-Up: Refused, Twin Atlantic, The Bronx, The King Blues,<br />
Ginger Wildheart, Ash<br />
Wireless Festival<br />
Finsbury Park, London<br />
Pop music doesn’t get much of a bigger home than at<br />
Finsbury Park for the annual Wireless Festival, a threeday<br />
celebration in the capital that will see massive chartstorming<br />
acts like Calvin Harris, Chase & Status and The<br />
1975 all blast out some great tunes. A perfect cure for the<br />
summertime blues, Wireless Festival is an absolute must for<br />
the chart-savvy Pop fan looking to enjoy some of the hottest<br />
acts in the UK.<br />
Line-Up: Calvin Harris, The 1975, Miguel, Chase & Status, J.<br />
Cole, Future, Boy Better Know, Kygo<br />
T in the Park<br />
Strathallan, Pethshire<br />
Scotland’s biggest festival, and one of the best places in<br />
the UK to catch a huge mixture of acts old and new, T in<br />
the Park draws from genres including Rock, Indie, Pop and<br />
Electronica to pull together a line-up that will well and truly<br />
bring some sunshine to the (far) north. The 2016 line-up<br />
includes the likes of legendary Manchester band The Stone<br />
Roses (soon due to release their first album in 22 years),<br />
Scottish musical hero Calvin Harris and Californian Funk<br />
Rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers.<br />
Line-up: Stone Roses, Calvin Harris, Red Hot Chili Peppers,<br />
Rodrigo y Gabriella, Bastille, Courteeners
34 ENTERTAINMENT // SPONSORED BY LETTTERBOX DIRECT UK<br />
STAYING HEALTHY AT FESTIVALS<br />
The sun is out, the bands are rockin’ and the mud is basically everywhere; festival season 2016 is well and truly<br />
upon us. In The City are on the case to give you the top tips to maintaining your body as a temple for festival<br />
season 2016.<br />
Come rain or shine, make sure you wear sun-tan lotion<br />
What most people tend to forget over the summer (and<br />
especially at festivals) is that even if its overcast and raining<br />
like its November, you’re still spending a lot of time in<br />
the summer sun and can catch it pretty hard if you aren’t<br />
careful.<br />
Chuck a bit of suntan lotion on before you head out of a<br />
morning and you’ll be thankful come 11pm, when you try to<br />
avert your gaze from the snakeskin like soreness that was<br />
your best mate’s face.<br />
Festival food: The undoing of many a great weekend<br />
Greasy grub is a mainstay of the festival experience, and no<br />
weekend is complete without an oozing cheeseburger on<br />
Sunday morning to flush out the hangover. With that in mind<br />
though, be aware that overly greasy grub has the downside<br />
of also making you need the loo more, and come Sunday<br />
afternoon you’ll rather spend a year huffing dog-droppings<br />
than sit in a Portaloo for five minutes.<br />
Bring your wellies<br />
The most obvious tip of them all, and yet one that always<br />
somehow seems to get overlooked (and I know I’m certainly<br />
guilty of this one myself). Save wrecking your brand new<br />
£90 boots from River Island, or foolishly trusting your<br />
Converse knock-offs to not turn to toilet paper the second<br />
they get a bit wet, and invest in some wellies that you can<br />
use over the weekend.<br />
Mints: Instant hydration (feeling) and a way to fend<br />
off devil breath<br />
If you’ve ever watched Bear Grylls, you’ll no doubt have<br />
heard the suggestion that should you be struggling to stay<br />
hydrated you should suck on a button/pebble to keep your<br />
mouth moist and stop you from drying out. Whilst this<br />
has been proven to not help in terms of staying hydrated,<br />
the last thing you want when you’re singing along to your<br />
favourite band is to come down with dry throat.<br />
Enter then, the humble mint – something to suck on to keep<br />
your mouth watering if you can’t get to the bar (which,<br />
let’s face it, at some point you won’t be able to) and more<br />
importantly something which’ll help fend off the god-awful<br />
festival breath.<br />
by Rich Hobson
ENTERTAINMENT // SPONSORED BY LETTTERBOX DIRECT UK<br />
35<br />
THE POWER OF PASSION<br />
Whilst it would be unrealistic to say that the fine fettle of the Midlands live music scene is down to one particular<br />
person or organisation, the fact remains that the Midlands’ strength is in its strong promoter base, and this base<br />
doesn’t come much stronger than Surprise You’re Dead Music – run by founder Ian Shaw out of the<br />
Custard Factory in <strong>Birmingham</strong>.<br />
Founded in 2014, the SYD story actually<br />
stretches back much further to 2003,<br />
when Ian was working with The Mirror<br />
newspaper, doing tax and accounting. Bored,<br />
and left to his own devices for much of the<br />
day, Ian decided to try and build his own<br />
career, eventually putting on live music shows<br />
in his home town, Wrexham.<br />
From there I went from being a Rock and<br />
Metal promoter to promoting a whole variety<br />
of acts in Wrexham, and then I started<br />
working for a record label called Lockjaw<br />
Records, which at the time was based in Worcester. I realised<br />
very quickly that you had to have a story behind the band to<br />
get them into the magazines, or a tour, but none of the bands<br />
were touring so I was like ‘Right I’m going to book these bands<br />
some tour dates to go with the release they have coming up’.<br />
Ian was eventually taken on by booking agency Factory Music,<br />
working with a lot of Heavy Metal artists from around the<br />
world. Ian moved to <strong>Birmingham</strong>, where he formed Surprise<br />
You’re Dead promotions, and was instrumental in setting up the<br />
Custard Factory venue The Oobleck.<br />
I was really keen to get involved on putting in shows<br />
in <strong>Birmingham</strong> because all the tours generally come to<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>. The stepping stone into the bigger market<br />
was when I joined the Oobleck; all of a sudden I was getting<br />
bigger shows with artists I’ve always wanted to work with,<br />
and it sort of snowballed from there.<br />
Spreading much further than just putting on shows, however,<br />
Ian now also runs three venues (The Live Rooms in Chester,<br />
The Central Station in Wrexham and The Station in Cannock)<br />
and works with international booking agency TKO, where<br />
he is responsible for bands including The Dirty Youth, New<br />
Year’s Day and InMe. With so much work on his plate, what<br />
things really fill him with professional pride?<br />
I get stupidly excited every time – from a booking agency<br />
point of view – my artists get confirmed to play any kind<br />
of festival. I always have two or three acts play download<br />
and I love seeing my bands on posters and knowing that<br />
you got that artist on the festival. I’m always gonna love<br />
being involved with live music, putting on live music, and<br />
my ultimate goal would be to own my own venue and to sit<br />
back at relax...only joking! There is no relaxation in owning a<br />
live venue, but I want my own venue in <strong>Birmingham</strong> or just<br />
outside.<br />
With the number of big-name acts Ian has managed to<br />
successfully see into the Midlands area already, this dream<br />
could be a reality sooner rather than later. Ian’s story is a<br />
perfect illustration of how passion can pay off in a big way,<br />
if you’re willing to put in the work necessary to get things<br />
done.<br />
For a list of upcoming shows by SYD Music, visit:<br />
www.surpriseyouredeadmusic.co.uk<br />
by Rich Hobson
ENTERTAINMENT // SPONSORED BY LETTTERBOX DIRECT UK<br />
37<br />
SUMMER TASTERS – FOOD & DRINK; FROM TRADITIONAL TO EXOTIC<br />
Whether you’re a shrimp on the barbie fan, love the flamin’ fruity flavour of Caribbean food, or just can’t live<br />
without a chargrilled sausage in a bun in the summer. There’s no denying that the sun brings out our inner foodie,<br />
desperate to chomp down on some of the freshest flavours around and quench ourselves in the most exotic drinks<br />
we can get our tongues to.<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Beer<br />
Bash<br />
(21st – 23rd <strong>July</strong>)<br />
The Bond Company,<br />
180-182 Fazeley Street.<br />
B5 5SE<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Caribbean Food Festival (29th – 31st <strong>July</strong>)<br />
Centenary Square, Broad Street, B1 2EP<br />
The sun is shining, and the weather is sweet – Summer 2016<br />
might have got an early start this year, but regardless of how<br />
the weather turns out on the day (this is England after all!)<br />
visitors to <strong>Birmingham</strong>’s centenary square between 29th and<br />
31st of <strong>July</strong> can get a sultry taste of the sun courtesy of the<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Caribbean Food Festival.<br />
Celebrating Caribbean culture, food and arts, the<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Caribbean Food Festival is a chance to enjoy<br />
the rich and diverse culture of the various Caribbean islands<br />
at your doorstep.<br />
Move over Munich,<br />
there’s a new kid in<br />
town. <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Beer Bash started in<br />
2013 as a collaboration<br />
between enthusiasts,<br />
bloggers and tweeters<br />
who concocted the concept whilst discussing their love for<br />
beer. Working to bring together the best craft beers from<br />
around the UK and gather them together for an Oktoberfest<br />
style celebration of all things brewed.<br />
Now in its third year, <strong>Birmingham</strong> Beer Bash is the city’s top<br />
event for the discerning beer connoisseur, and will feature as<br />
part of the brand new <strong>Birmingham</strong> Beer Week – make sure<br />
your best hangover cure is ready to go!<br />
Entry: £9 - £28<br />
by Rich Hobson<br />
INGREDIENTS:<br />
25ml Bacardi Carta Blanca<br />
20ml Malibu Coconut Rum<br />
10ml Crème de Cacao<br />
25ml of Coconut Cream<br />
COCKTAIL OF<br />
THE MONTH<br />
SNOW<br />
IN THE<br />
SUMMER<br />
Summer’s here at Mechu Cocktail Bar & Club<br />
and we’ve come up with a special treat to<br />
reflect the sometimes glorious (but often<br />
unpredictable) weather of the city! A refreshing<br />
take on the pina colada but with all of the<br />
strength of a good martini. Served straight up<br />
in a classic martini glass, the ice cold balance of<br />
Snow in the Summer offers a balance of coffee<br />
and coconut with a kick of white rum.<br />
Chill your martini glass for<br />
ultimate refreshment. Add all<br />
ingredients to your boston shaker<br />
and let loose. Shake until the tin<br />
frosts over and double strain. Add<br />
a tiny splash of Blue Curacao that<br />
sinks to the bottom to finish.<br />
ENJOY!
0844 870 0000 (24hr)<br />
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SPOTLIGHT<br />
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SPONSORED BY THETICKETSELLERS<br />
WWW.THETICKETSELLERS.CO.UK
40 NIGHTLIFE // SPONSORED BY THETICKETSELLERS<br />
Welcome to the Nightlife section of In The City Magazine, presented by TheTicketSellers.<br />
NIGHTLIFE TAKEOVER<br />
SECRET GARDEN PARTY FESTIVAL<br />
Over the coming months,<br />
we will be providing<br />
our readers with<br />
industry gossip, breaking<br />
news, inside stories and a<br />
comprehensive list of the best<br />
events to go to, in and around<br />
the West Midlands.<br />
Each month, we will also introduce you to one of our<br />
promoters through our brand new blog, Backstage. Here we<br />
delve into the habits, hobbies and lives of our promoters, to<br />
find out how they tick and why they do what they do. <strong>July</strong>'s<br />
edition welcomes Shardfest to Backstage. This fantastic<br />
community festival returns on 23rd <strong>July</strong> and features a<br />
massive line-up of artists to include X-Factor famed James<br />
Arthur, Reggie n Bollie, Musical Youth, Lemar and so much<br />
more. We managed to track down one of the festival<br />
directors, Paul, to ask him a few questions. This is what he<br />
had to say;<br />
When did Shardfest start and how has it changed?<br />
Shardfest is moving into its 3rd Year and we've come a long<br />
way from a group discussion on Facebook. Yes, Shardfest<br />
was born from a group of friends on Facebook reminiscing<br />
about the fantastic Shard End Carnival from years gone by.<br />
Shard End had one of the oldest Carnivals in <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
dating back to the early 50’s, but in 2001 it ended thus<br />
taking away a great source of community cohesion.<br />
When did you start putting on events?<br />
In January 2014 a group met to see if we could reignite the<br />
Carnival under the new name of “Shardfest”... We had the<br />
vision of putting together an event to bring the community<br />
together but with the extra attention to detail that the event<br />
had lacked thus leading to its downfall all those years before.<br />
What made you decide to be a Festival organiser?<br />
I just wanted to do something for my community and to help<br />
bring everyone together.<br />
What's your favourite event?<br />
Favourite and most admired event has to be the Isle of Wight<br />
festival. They started up much like we have and it's fantastic<br />
to see how they've grown.<br />
What was the first festival you ever attended?<br />
I've actually never attended a festival (apart from my own).<br />
If you could have anyone headline your event who would<br />
you choose?<br />
My dream headline act would have to be Jeff Lynn and ELO<br />
simply because they are from Shard End, so that'd fit quite<br />
nicely with our event!<br />
If you weren't putting on festivals, what would you be doing?<br />
Along with running Shardfest I've also got a day-job working<br />
on the railway, so I'd have to say that's what I'd be doing.<br />
What are your 3 must have festival promoter essentials?
NIGHTLIFE // SPONSORED BY THETICKETSELLERS<br />
41<br />
Have no fear, get your marketing spot on and book the right<br />
artists.<br />
What's the best bit of tech you use at your event/festival?<br />
TheTicketSellers ticketing and entry system. It's really<br />
helped me streamline things and taken a big weight off my<br />
shoulders.<br />
What makes your event stand out from all the rest?<br />
It's an affordable community event that has something for<br />
everyone, young and old.<br />
Where would we find you on the last night of your festival?<br />
Trying to chill out after a manic build up and ensuring<br />
everything is running smoothly!<br />
Finally - Do you ever get used to portaloos?<br />
NO NEVER! They're horrible things. It's the luxury toilet block<br />
for me.<br />
News<br />
In mid-June the former Gatecrasher reopened as<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>’s very own Pryzm, which is billed as the biggest<br />
nightclub In The City. It has gone through a £1.4 million<br />
refurbishment to create a multi-room club with an R&B main<br />
arena known as Curve and a retro disco room called Vinyl.<br />
If you didn’t manage to get down to the new venue in June<br />
we recommend that you drop in and let us know what you<br />
think. But don’t worry if <strong>Birmingham</strong> isn’t your scene as they<br />
are also opening a Pryzm in our neighbours to the East,<br />
Nottingham, in <strong>July</strong>.<br />
Also a heads up for those of you that had an amazing time<br />
at Swingamajig and <strong>Birmingham</strong> Pride earlier this year, the<br />
2017 dates for both of these are now on sale! Buy soon so<br />
that you can make sure you have the tickets at the cheapest<br />
possible rates.<br />
Thanks for reading and we hope you have a fun and safe<br />
<strong>July</strong>, whichever event you go to :)<br />
If you are a promoter and you would like your event listed for<br />
free or if you are interested in advertising or editorial, then<br />
please get in touch with us on <strong>ITC</strong>@theticeketsellers.co.uk<br />
15 MINUTES 4 U PRESENTS STEPPING OUT<br />
You have two great opportunities in <strong>July</strong> to enter a dance<br />
event beyond imagination when 15 Minutes 4 U presents<br />
Stepping Out. Set at Aston Student Union - Stepping Out<br />
will entertain in a amazing disco setting; a high energy fun<br />
audience.<br />
Stepping Out is a brand new dance culture event hitting<br />
the West Midlands. Focusing on dance culture, the event<br />
is aimed primarily at the dance and UK artist audience.<br />
Attendees can actively get involved to dance and watch<br />
performances from some of the globe's hottest talent while<br />
watching their favourite artist rock the mic.<br />
Attendees will be wowed with a dazzling lighting display and<br />
have a chance to grace the dance floor and perform their<br />
moves and routines for fun while our locally based DJ's rock<br />
the dance-floor with their favourite dance routine anthems.<br />
Those who can't dance have no need to fear, as they can<br />
also learn simple dance steps to their favourite songs and<br />
come within touching distance of some of the hottest dance<br />
talent from across the globe and region. Friends are also<br />
encouraged to join in the fun and proudly display their group<br />
routines and setting the dance floor on fire.<br />
Special appearances by a hot, weekly line-up means this<br />
fun-engaging and unforgettable celebration of dance and<br />
friendship promises you leaving with memories to last a<br />
lifetime.<br />
There are different line-ups, hosts and activities to suit<br />
each age group with; under 11’s attending for free between<br />
10:30am and 11pm, under 18s at £7.50 between 3pm and<br />
8:30pm, and over 18s finishing the day from 9pm at £11.<br />
Summer may have well and truly landed, even though the weather didn't get the memo but this hasn't stopped our promoters<br />
offering a diverse range of events, to cater for all music lovers. Check out our very first free listing on the next pages and make<br />
sure you grab a copy of In The City Magazine each month, as our listing will dramatically grow in size, covering more events<br />
and music styles.
42 NIGHTLIFE // SPONSORED BY THETICKETSELLERS<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Jazz - Still Waters<br />
Friday 1st <strong>July</strong><br />
7:15pm - 11pm<br />
The Red Lion, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £6.50<br />
Music of the Night<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 11pm<br />
Brierley Hill Civic Hall<br />
From £10<br />
Pilgrimage<br />
Friday 1st <strong>July</strong><br />
8:30pm - 2am<br />
Hare and Hounds<br />
From £8<br />
Jay Hutton Meet and Greet<br />
Friday 1st <strong>July</strong><br />
9pm - 3am<br />
Popworld <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £8<br />
Rocket<br />
Friday 1st <strong>July</strong><br />
9:30pm - 2am<br />
The Jam House, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £5<br />
Swampmeat<br />
Friday 1st <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 2am<br />
The Dark Horse, Moseley<br />
From £5.50<br />
Mischief Presents Thomas Jules<br />
from Rudimental<br />
Friday 1st <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 3am<br />
Luna, Solihull<br />
From £5.50<br />
Click Friday<br />
Friday 1st <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Hagfest 2016<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
12pm - 8pm<br />
Hagley Playing Fields<br />
Adults £10/ Family £25/Aged 3-17<br />
£5<br />
So It Goes & Nightingale Presents<br />
The Street Party<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
2pm - 6am<br />
The Nightingale Club<br />
From £8<br />
Pleasure Ladies Nights<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 10:30pm<br />
The Hub, Kent Street<br />
Standard £14.50/Student £5.50/<br />
VIP options available<br />
Rocking the Boat<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 9:30pm<br />
The Singing Cavern, Dudley Canal<br />
From £11<br />
Star Wars & Beyond: A Space<br />
Spectacular<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
Starts 7:30pm<br />
Symphony Hall<br />
From £19.50<br />
Summer Extravaganza<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 2am<br />
The Swan, Stourbridge<br />
From £5.50<br />
Lock Down<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
9pm - 4am<br />
The Drum, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £8<br />
Raver Reunited: Summer<br />
Slammer Payback Party<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
9pm - 6am<br />
The Emporium, Leicester<br />
From £5.50<br />
Stevie Wonder Night<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
9pm - 4am<br />
The Night Owl, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £5.50<br />
Hot92 Birthday Party<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
9pm - 5am<br />
Myyst Nightclub, Hurst Street<br />
From £5.50<br />
Rocket<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
9:30pm - 2am<br />
The Jam House, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £10<br />
ONEDUB presents U-Roy<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm-4am<br />
Irish Centre, B12 0LN<br />
From £13.50<br />
Loaded Saturday<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 4am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Unda-Vybes Session Live<br />
Saturday 2nd <strong>July</strong><br />
11pm - 6am<br />
Rainbow Venues<br />
From £10<br />
Sutton Vintage & Arts Summer<br />
Fair<br />
Sunday 3rd <strong>July</strong><br />
11am - 5pm<br />
Sutton Coldfield Town Hall<br />
From £1<br />
Danny Bhoy<br />
Sunday 3rd <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 11pm<br />
Glee Club, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £10<br />
Paws<br />
Monday 4th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 10:30pm<br />
Hare and Hounds<br />
From £7<br />
Speed Dating<br />
Tuesday 5th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 10pm<br />
Revolution, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £19.95<br />
Lucy Porter & Cary Marx<br />
Wednesday 6th <strong>July</strong><br />
6:45pm - 7:30pm<br />
Glee Club<br />
From £12<br />
Tim Exile Flow Machine Tour<br />
Wednesday 6th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 11:30pm<br />
Green Street Arts (22 Green<br />
Street), Digbeth<br />
From £5<br />
ZOO <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Wednesday 6th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 3am<br />
Popworld <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4.50<br />
Big Wednesday<br />
Wednesday 6th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Americana International<br />
Thursday 7th - Monday 11th <strong>July</strong><br />
1pm Thurs - 8pm Mon<br />
Draycott Showground, Derby<br />
From £43<br />
Lionel Richie<br />
Thursday 7th <strong>July</strong><br />
Doors Open 18:00<br />
Barclaycard Arena<br />
From £45.70<br />
Millbrook<br />
Thursday 7th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 11pm<br />
Hare and Hounds<br />
From £5
NIGHTLIFE // SPONSORED BY THETICKETSELLERS<br />
43<br />
‘Allo ‘Allo<br />
Thursday 7th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 10:15pm<br />
The Shirley Centre<br />
From £13.50<br />
Omar<br />
Thursday 7th <strong>July</strong><br />
Starts 9:30pm<br />
The Jam House, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £8<br />
P.A.R.T.Y Psychedelic Disco<br />
Thursday 7th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 3am<br />
Pryzm, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Andrew Lawrence<br />
Friday 8th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 11pm<br />
Glee Club, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £11<br />
Wow 80s Tribute<br />
Friday 8th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 12:30am<br />
Arena Aldridge, Walsall<br />
From £5<br />
‘Allo ‘Allo<br />
Friday 8th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 10:15pm<br />
The Shirley Centre<br />
From £13.50<br />
Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul<br />
Festival 2016<br />
Friday 8th - Sunday 10th <strong>July</strong><br />
1pm Fri - 11pm Sun<br />
Moseley Park<br />
Adults from £46<br />
Ladies night in support of<br />
breast cancer<br />
Friday 8th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 3am<br />
Geisha, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £14<br />
Click Friday<br />
Friday 8th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
15 Minutes 4 U Presents<br />
Stepping Out<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
Under 11’s 10am - 1:30pm<br />
Under 18’s 3pm - 8:30pm<br />
Over 18’s 9pm - 2:30am<br />
Aston Students Guild<br />
U11 Free/ U18 £7.50/O18 £11<br />
‘Allo ‘Allo<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
Matinee 2:30pm - 5pm<br />
Evening 7:30pm - 10:15pm<br />
The Shirley Centre<br />
From £13.50<br />
Pleasure Ladies Nights<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 10:30pm<br />
The Hub, Kent Street<br />
Standard £14.50/Student £5.50/<br />
VIP options available<br />
The Naked Beatles<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 12:30am<br />
Land Rover Sports and Social<br />
Club, Solihull<br />
From £5<br />
Stereosonics<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 12:30am<br />
Arches Venue, Coventry<br />
From £9<br />
Soul Nostalgia Night<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
9pm - 3am<br />
The Village Hotel, Coventry<br />
From £6.50<br />
The Granville Sessions<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 2am<br />
The Dark Horse<br />
From £5.50<br />
Kandy Krush<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 6am<br />
PST, Digbeth<br />
From £8<br />
Hidden & Moon Lounge<br />
Reunion<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 6am<br />
Hidden Nightclub<br />
From £9<br />
Bunny Wailer & Max Romeo:<br />
Roots Renaissance<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 3:30am<br />
O2 Academy, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £29.50<br />
Loaded Saturday<br />
Saturday 9th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 4am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Smash Entertainz; Im Friggin<br />
30!!!<br />
Sunday 10th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 11pm<br />
6 on Broad Street<br />
From £7<br />
Ladies Charity Night<br />
Sunday 10th <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 2am<br />
Reflex, Stoke-On-Trent<br />
From £8<br />
Matt Cardle<br />
Monday 11th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 11pm<br />
Glee Club, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £25<br />
Speed Dating<br />
Tuesday 12th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm -10pm<br />
Vertu, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £19.95<br />
Scott Matthews<br />
Tuesday 12th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 11pm<br />
Glee Club, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £12.50<br />
Jazzlines presents Reedbass<br />
Tuesday 12th <strong>July</strong><br />
Starts 8:30pm<br />
The Jam House, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Free<br />
ZOO <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Wednesday 13th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 3am<br />
Popworld <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4.50<br />
Big Wednesday<br />
Wednesday 13th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Luke Rainsford & Laurenmarie<br />
Thursday 14th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 11pm<br />
The Flapper<br />
From £2.50<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Jazz - Mosaic<br />
Sean Gibbs<br />
Friday 8th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:45pm - 11pm<br />
The Red Lion, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £3.50 (Members free)<br />
Sublime DnB Weekend - 15<br />
yrs of Dispatch Recordings -<br />
Metalheadz<br />
Friday 8th <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 6am<br />
The Queens Head, Redditch<br />
From £11<br />
Guns 2 Roses<br />
Friday 8th <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 12:30am<br />
Arches Venue, Coventry<br />
From £9
44 NIGHTLIFE // SPONSORED BY THETICKETSELLERS<br />
1-Eye Reggae Review<br />
Thursday 14th <strong>July</strong><br />
Starts 9:30pm<br />
The Jam House, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Free before 9pm, £5 after<br />
P.A.R.T.Y<br />
Thursday 14th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 3am<br />
Pryzm, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
All Out<br />
Thursday 14th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 4am<br />
6 On Broad Street<br />
From £6<br />
Aspatria Music Festival 2016<br />
Friday 15th - Sunday 17th <strong>July</strong><br />
5pm Fri - 8pm Sun<br />
Bower Park, Cumbria<br />
Weekend from £50/ Day from<br />
£10<br />
The Night Owl First Birthday<br />
Weekender<br />
Friday 15th - Sunday 17th <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm Fri - 10pm Sun<br />
The Night Owl, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £8<br />
Rufus Wainwright<br />
Friday 15th <strong>July</strong><br />
Starts 7pm<br />
Symphony Hall<br />
From £40.50<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Jazz - Julian Siegel<br />
Quartet<br />
Friday 15th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:15pm- 11pm<br />
The Red Lion, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £6.50<br />
Cracked Actors / Millie Manders<br />
/ Lobster<br />
Friday 15th <strong>July</strong><br />
9pm - 1am<br />
The Big Bull's Head<br />
From £4.50<br />
Click Friday<br />
Friday 15th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Essence Presents the Red and<br />
Black Ball<br />
Friday 15th <strong>July</strong><br />
11pm - 4am<br />
6 on Broad Street<br />
From £10<br />
Nice - Underground Garage<br />
Friday 15th <strong>July</strong><br />
11pm - 5am<br />
Rainbow Venues<br />
From £11<br />
15 Minutes 4 U Presents<br />
Stepping Out<br />
Saturday 16th <strong>July</strong><br />
Under 11’s 10am - 1:30pm<br />
Under 18’s 3pm - 8:30pm<br />
Over 18’s 9pm - 2:30am<br />
Aston Students Guild<br />
U11 Free/ U18 £7.50/O18 £11<br />
Musical Picnic<br />
Saturday 16th <strong>July</strong><br />
Starts 10:30am<br />
Symphony Hall Cafe Bar<br />
Free<br />
Pleasure Ladies Nights<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Saturday 16th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 10:30pm<br />
The Hub, Kent Street<br />
Standard £14.50/Student<br />
£5.50/ VIP options available<br />
Sarah Millican<br />
Saturday 16th <strong>July</strong><br />
Starts 8pm<br />
Symphony Hall<br />
From £28<br />
Raveology & Highgrade<br />
Presents Summer Convention<br />
2016<br />
Saturday 16th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 5am<br />
O2 Academy<br />
From £11.25<br />
Loaded Saturday<br />
Saturday 16th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 4am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
The Budapest Ragtime Band<br />
Sunday 17th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm- 10pm<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Botanical Gardens<br />
From £13.50<br />
Sarah Millican<br />
Sunday 17th <strong>July</strong><br />
Starts 8pm<br />
Symphony Hall<br />
From £28
NIGHTLIFE // SPONSORED BY THETICKETSELLERS<br />
45<br />
Sun Kil Moon<br />
Tuesday 19th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 11pm<br />
The Glee Club, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £27.50<br />
Mamma Mia<br />
Wednesday 20th <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 10pm<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Hippodrome<br />
From £28<br />
Gospel Central<br />
Wednesday 20th <strong>July</strong><br />
Live band on from 9pm<br />
The Jam House, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Free<br />
ZOO <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Wednesday 20th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 3am<br />
Popworld <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4.50<br />
Big Wednesday<br />
Wednesday 20th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Secret Garden Party<br />
Thursday 21st - Monday 25th<br />
<strong>July</strong><br />
2pm Thurs - 12pm Mon<br />
Mill Hill Field, Cambridgeshire<br />
Adults from £185.99<br />
Nozstock The Hidden Valley<br />
Thursday 21st - Sunday 24th<br />
<strong>July</strong><br />
5pm Thurs - 11:30pm Sun<br />
Rowden Paddocks,<br />
Herefordshire<br />
Adults from £121.90<br />
Scotty T’s World Tour<br />
Thursday 21st <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 10:30pm<br />
O2 Academy, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £10<br />
Mamma Mia<br />
Thursday 21st <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 10pm<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Hippodrome<br />
From £28<br />
Midlands Tattoo Industry<br />
Show<br />
Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th<br />
<strong>July</strong>,<br />
9am - 3am<br />
Greene King Stadium, Hinkley<br />
From £12.50<br />
Moon Duo<br />
Friday 22nd <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 10pm<br />
Hare and Hounds, Kings Heath<br />
From £11<br />
The Copper Rooms present:<br />
Terrorvision<br />
Friday 22nd <strong>July</strong><br />
7:30pm - 10:30pm<br />
The Copper Rooms, Coventry<br />
From £22<br />
Barb'd Wire plus support from<br />
TooNice<br />
Friday 22nd <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 12:30am<br />
Arches Venue, Coventry<br />
From £9<br />
Click Friday<br />
Friday 22nd <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Shardfest<br />
Saturday 23rd - Sunday 24th <strong>July</strong><br />
1pm Sat - 10pm Sun<br />
Norman Chamberlain Playing<br />
Fields<br />
From £21.60<br />
Mamma Mia<br />
Saturday 23rd <strong>July</strong><br />
2:30pm - 5:30pm<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Hippodrome<br />
From £28<br />
Pleasure Ladies Nights<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Saturday 23rd <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 10:30pm<br />
The Hub, Kent Street<br />
Standard £14.50/Student £5.50/<br />
VIP options available<br />
Discharge<br />
Saturday 23rd <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 12:30am<br />
Arches Venue, Coventry<br />
From £11<br />
It's a 'Mackabee Affair' -<br />
CELEBRATING 35 YEARS<br />
Saturday 23rd <strong>July</strong><br />
9pm - 2am<br />
Rialto Reborn, Coventry<br />
From £16.50<br />
Loaded Saturday<br />
Saturday 23rd <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 4am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Bob The Drag Queen<br />
Saturday 23rd <strong>July</strong><br />
11pm - 5am<br />
The Nightingale Club<br />
From £9<br />
ONEDUB presents Rastafari<br />
Way<br />
Saturday 23rd <strong>July</strong><br />
11am onwards 24 hour event<br />
Morbec Farm, Essex<br />
£27.50<br />
The Rajasthan Heritage Brass<br />
Band<br />
Sunday 24th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm- 10pm<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Botanical Gardens<br />
From £16.50
46 NIGHTLIFE // SPONSORED BY THETICKETSELLERS<br />
Big Wednesday<br />
Wednesday 27th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Port Eliot Festival<br />
2016<br />
Thursday 28th -<br />
Sunday 31st<strong>July</strong><br />
11am Thurs - 10pm<br />
Sun<br />
St Germans, Cornwall<br />
Mamma Mia<br />
Adults weekend from<br />
Monday 25th <strong>July</strong><br />
£172.50<br />
7:30pm - 10pm<br />
Day tickets available<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Hippodrome<br />
From £28<br />
Summer Jam<br />
Mamma Mia<br />
Thursday 28th <strong>July</strong><br />
Tuesday 26th <strong>July</strong><br />
5pm - 11pm<br />
7:30pm - 10pm<br />
Motorpoint Arena,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Hippodrome<br />
Nottingham<br />
From £28<br />
From £19.50<br />
Mamma Mia<br />
LatinMotion presents Del<br />
Wednesday 27th <strong>July</strong><br />
Camino<br />
2:30pm - 5:30pm<br />
Thursday 28th <strong>July</strong><br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Hippodrome<br />
9pm - 1pm<br />
From £28<br />
The Jam House, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Free before 9pm, £5 after<br />
Conya Doss & Teri Tobin<br />
Wednesday 27th <strong>July</strong><br />
Thursday Club - Arron Crascall<br />
7pm - 10:30pm<br />
Thursday 28th <strong>July</strong><br />
Hare and Hounds<br />
9pm - 3am<br />
From £13.60<br />
Walkabout, Solihull<br />
From £5.50<br />
The Launch Pad<br />
Wednesday 27th <strong>July</strong><br />
Summer Gathering Festival<br />
Live music from 8:30pm<br />
Friday 29th - Sunday 31st <strong>July</strong><br />
The Jam House, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
12pm Fri - 3pm Sun<br />
Free<br />
Donington Park, Derby<br />
ZOO <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £48.60<br />
Wednesday 27th <strong>July</strong><br />
World Yoga Festival 2016<br />
10pm - 3am<br />
Friday 29th - Sunday 31st <strong>July</strong><br />
Popworld <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
7am Fri - 10pm Sun<br />
From £4.50<br />
Beale Park, Berkshire<br />
Adult weekend from £152<br />
Day tickets available<br />
Rebel Rebel<br />
Friday 29th <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 12:15am<br />
Arches Venue, Coventry<br />
From £8<br />
OBSXSSION Events<br />
Presents: #ZimLinkUp<br />
Friday 29th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 4am<br />
Myyst <strong>Birmingham</strong>, Hurst<br />
Street<br />
From £10<br />
Click Friday<br />
Friday 29th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 3:30am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
Big Family Festival<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong> - Sunday<br />
31st <strong>July</strong><br />
10am - 11:45pm<br />
Dunton Hall, Sunton<br />
Coldfield<br />
From £30<br />
MADE <strong>Birmingham</strong> 2016<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
12pm - 12am<br />
The Digbeth Triangle<br />
From £43.45<br />
MADE... My Night 2016<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
11pm - 6am<br />
Secret Venue<br />
From £19.50<br />
Academy Events Presents<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> ICW: Seven<br />
Nation Army<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 12am<br />
O2 Institute<br />
From £19.10<br />
Pleasure Ladies Nights<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
7pm - 10:30pm<br />
The Hub, Kent Street<br />
Standard £14.50/Student<br />
£5.50/ VIP options<br />
available<br />
Straighten Out<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
8pm - 12:30am<br />
Arches Venue, Coventry<br />
From £11<br />
Mad P Top Buzz Birthday<br />
Bash<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 5am<br />
PST Rooftop, Digbeth<br />
From £11<br />
Anomaly<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
10pm - 5am<br />
Rainbow Venues<br />
From £5.50<br />
Loaded Saturday<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
10:30pm - 4am<br />
Snobs, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
From £4<br />
The Nightingale 00's Party<br />
Saturday 30th <strong>July</strong><br />
11pm - 6am<br />
The Nightingale Club<br />
From £9<br />
Hacienda Classical<br />
Sunday 31st <strong>July</strong><br />
3pm - 9pm<br />
Rainbow Venues<br />
From £35<br />
Include your event for free or upgrade your listing<br />
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For all enquiries contact one of our team at:<br />
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SPOTLIGHT<br />
MONTHLY<br />
FEATURE<br />
SPONSORED BY ALPS ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING SERVICES<br />
WWW.ASKALPS.COM
50 MONTHLY FEATURE // SPONSORED BY ALPS ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING SERVICES<br />
DON’T MOVE; IMPROVE!<br />
It’s a situation many of us may find ourselves in; you’ve moved out, got yourself a home and spent a few years living<br />
there, getting comfortable. Then, one day the itch for a change hits – you want a change of scene; more space,<br />
more colour in your life and it’s something you believe can only be achieved by moving home.<br />
by Rich Hobson<br />
Think again! It has become increasingly popular amongst homeowners to invest in their homes, choosing home building<br />
projects which could not only spruce up and potentially extend their living space, but also add massive value to their<br />
homes in the process. So sit back, set your tea down to cool and grab a notepad to read up on some of the tips we have<br />
aggregated to tell you – Don’t Move; Improve!<br />
Plan, Plan, Plan!<br />
Though it’s true that the best plans<br />
of mice and men often go astray,<br />
the biggest key to remember when<br />
making the decision to undertake<br />
a project on your home is to<br />
conceptualise an idea of exactly what<br />
you want, why you want it, and what<br />
you want out of it. This will not only<br />
help you realise your dream easier,<br />
but also save you tonnes of cash in<br />
the end.<br />
…and plan some more<br />
Once you have an idea of what you<br />
want in your head, and are ready to<br />
invest in your project, you’ll be ready<br />
to… plan a little more, sadly. Before<br />
you rush off to hire a contractor to<br />
build the swimming pool you always<br />
knew you needed, make sure you get<br />
planning permission from your local<br />
authority, and just to be *extra* safe<br />
speak to the neighbours too – the last<br />
thing you want is to get £2000 deep<br />
into a project and find out that you<br />
aren’t actually legally qualified to turn<br />
your house into Trump Towers.
FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE<br />
PLEASE CONTACT US AT:<br />
t: 0121 230 8089 | e: enq@askalps.com | www.askalps.com
52<br />
MONTHLY FEATURE // SPONSORED BY ALPS ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING SERVICES<br />
Balancing The Budget<br />
The plan is in place, and you figure you’re all ready<br />
to get started and jump right into the world of home<br />
improvements? Not yet! The last main stage of<br />
planning is to figure out a budget and timescale for<br />
your project – this is especially important if you have a<br />
strict budget you are sticking to (after all, it’s nice that<br />
you can enjoy your newly refurbished kitchen, but not<br />
so much if you’re eating cold beans for six months to<br />
achieve it) or are hiring outside help, as it will give you<br />
an idea of how big/small your project really is.<br />
Compare quotes from different companies (and<br />
retailers) to make sure your money goes the distance,<br />
and keep in mind that all estimates you make should<br />
err on the side of pessimism so you don’t get any<br />
nasty surprises.<br />
More power, less cost<br />
Everything’s in place, the budget is balanced and<br />
prepared and you are ready to dive right in to make<br />
your home the very best that it can be. Often times a<br />
building project in the home can have some knock-on<br />
effects to improve the overall effectiveness of your<br />
house, and one of the biggest avenues to explore in<br />
this is to optimise the energy-effectiveness of your<br />
home.<br />
If you’re installing new windows, consider double<br />
glazing (though be aware: if you aren’t, then don’t<br />
worry too much as the energy saved is minimal), a loft<br />
conversion could include some insulation or maybe<br />
underfloor insulation to keep heat loss in your home to<br />
a minimum – there are plenty of avenues to explore,<br />
and you should definitely explore them to guarantee<br />
that your house works as a great investment, rather<br />
than a giant cash sink. Turn to page 54 for more tips<br />
on how to keep your house eco-friendly.<br />
Conversions – From home owner to<br />
home lover<br />
If your main gripe with your home is that you lack<br />
space, for whatever reason (you need more storage,<br />
not enough bedrooms, a new baby on the way etc.),<br />
first consider before you look to the housing market<br />
to solve your woes – do you have unused space in the<br />
house you already live in that could be used better?<br />
If so, turn over to Page 55 for a fuller guide on how a<br />
conversion might just be the project for you.
54 MONTHLY FEATURE // SPONSORED BY ALPS ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING SERVICES<br />
MINIMUM ENERGY, MAXIMUM RESULTS<br />
It’s no big secret that energy bills are soaring, so often it is down to the savvy homeowner to know the<br />
best ways to save money and energy in keeping their home as efficient as possible. by Rich Hobson<br />
Loft Insulation<br />
Much like the bills, heat rises. As such, many homeowners<br />
will find that a large source of heat loss in their homes<br />
is through the loft area. One of the most cost effective<br />
options for saving money, loft insulation is extremely useful<br />
for keeping costs low, and some homes even qualify for<br />
free grants which can help with the cost of installation.<br />
Cavity Wall Insulation<br />
As with loft insulation, cavity wall insulation is a (fairly)<br />
easy and highly effective form of preventing energy loss in<br />
the home. Though this mainly only applies to homes that<br />
don’t already have insulation, cavity wall insulation is worth<br />
looking into and, similar to loft insulation, government<br />
grants are available to help with installation.<br />
Under-floor Insulation<br />
Under-floor insulation is a more complicated form of<br />
energy saving – it can reduce heat loss through the floor<br />
by up to 10%, but can also be extremely costly to get done<br />
professionally as it may require removing floorboards. An<br />
alternative option is available, whereby the homeowner<br />
can install the insulation themselves (using a material like<br />
mineral wool, at an average cost of around £300), but<br />
shouldn’t be tried by anyone unconfident in their own<br />
abilities.<br />
Switching to energy saving bulbs<br />
Another simple and easy to implement energy saving tactic,<br />
energy saving bulbs do exactly as it says on the tin. Bear in<br />
mind that there’s no need to go for a top of the range bulb,<br />
you’ll likely find that the more expensive you go with the<br />
bulb, the less money you’ll save using the bulb.<br />
Dishwasher vs Marigolds<br />
A true triumph for couples who’ve ever argued about the<br />
expenses of using a dishwasher over washing up in the sink,<br />
it turns out that using a dishwasher is actually cheaper than<br />
the old fashioned method. Of course, this only applies if<br />
the dishwasher is full when used (which, unless you’re a big<br />
family eating together every night, is unlikely), but a top<br />
tip for keeping the cost down is to scrape dishes off before<br />
loading them in, so that a quick rinse in the dishwasher will<br />
get them sparkling clean.
Transform your conservatory into<br />
a room you can use all year round<br />
THE PERFECT ROOFING SOLUTION FOR YOUR CONSERVATORY<br />
AFTER<br />
BEFORE<br />
25%<br />
OFF<br />
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ROOFS FROM<br />
£1950<br />
INCLUSIVE<br />
Ensign’s 100% customer satisfaction<br />
rating* allows you to order with<br />
complete confidence. We can even<br />
arrange a viewing of a local installation!<br />
• 10 year insurance-backed guarantees<br />
• Electrics & plastering undertaken<br />
• Wide range of roof tile colours & designs<br />
• Building Regulations arranged<br />
• Our own expertly trained fitters<br />
• Leading midlands based roofing specialists<br />
*CPA Report<br />
“WOW...what an amazing<br />
transformation. Very<br />
professional from start to<br />
finish. Would recommend<br />
Ensign to anyone.”<br />
Mrs Sealey, Solihull.<br />
CALL TODAY TO<br />
BOOK YOUR FREE<br />
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0121 403 3033<br />
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56 MONTHLY FEATURE // SPONSORED BY ALPS ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING SERVICES<br />
CONVERSIONS: BIGGER IS BETTER<br />
Having a project to work on in the home is a great way<br />
to invest for the future, extend your liveable space<br />
and quite possibly add a massive chunk of value to<br />
the property. Certainly not something you’d be thinking of<br />
if you’re strapped for cash, these projects are perfect if you<br />
have time and money available to invest in making your<br />
house the best it can be.<br />
The most obvious conversion that will come to most people’s<br />
minds is to invest in loft conversion, using the extra storage<br />
space for something more than just a retirement home for<br />
old toys, knickknacks and Aerosmith album titles. A loft<br />
conversion can add up to 20% to the value of a property, and<br />
the investment offers more living space without having to<br />
move home.<br />
Of course, it may very well be that you already have a loft<br />
conversion in place, in which case perhaps a basement<br />
conversion will better serve your needs. Certainly not for<br />
the tight of wallet (requiring digging as well as fitting, not to<br />
mention checking the structural implications of digging etc.)<br />
but this kind of conversion is growing increasingly popular, if<br />
only because having another extra room can always come in<br />
handy for removing clutter.<br />
In addition to these options, another hugely popular<br />
conversion is to get rid of unused garage space and turn the<br />
whole garage area into a further extension for the home. It is<br />
believed that around 90 percent of all Britons’ garages will<br />
not contain a car, so make use of the extraneous space and<br />
turn it into an area that fulfils your needs.<br />
K<strong>ITC</strong>HENS & BATHROOMS<br />
Perhaps a major home development project isn’t on the<br />
cards for you right now – maybe you don’t have the<br />
time, the cash or the inclination to undergo a massive<br />
project just yet, if so you could always dip a toe into the<br />
world of room redevelopment, making sure that your living<br />
space is the absolute best you hope it could be.<br />
The two most popular rooms for redevelopment are, of<br />
course, the kitchen and the bathroom – after all, you’ll<br />
probably spend a lot of time in one or the other! Whether<br />
it’s a simple design change, wherein you change the décor<br />
and tone of the room, or a full development, with all new<br />
appliances and layout changes, this kind of redevelopment<br />
is (relatively) easy to plan, shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg,<br />
and ultimately can contribute to your satisfaction about your<br />
home, as well as potentially adding a bit more value too.
Enjoy the delights of<br />
the UK comfort and<br />
style with outstanding<br />
coach travel from<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>’s experts.<br />
www.caltours-coach.co.uk<br />
Caltours of <strong>Birmingham</strong> upcoming destinations<br />
Berrington Hall<br />
Tuesday 5th <strong>July</strong><br />
Chipping Campden and Hidcote<br />
Thursday 14th <strong>July</strong><br />
Henley on Thames and River Thames Cruise<br />
Wednesday 27th <strong>July</strong><br />
Moseley Old Hall<br />
Tuesday 2nd August<br />
Abergavenny Market<br />
Tuesday 9th August<br />
Lytham St Annes<br />
Saturday 13th August<br />
Plant Hunters Fair & Abbeywood Gardens<br />
Sunday 21st August
SPOTLIGHT<br />
TRAVEL<br />
SPONSORED BY CALTOURS<br />
WWW.CALTOURS-COACH.CO.UK
60 TRAVEL // SPONSORED BY CALTOURS<br />
THE HIGH FIELD TOWN HOUSE HAS OPENED!<br />
A LUXURIOUS HAVEN IN THE CITY<br />
The High Field Town House is a luxurious boutique hotel with 12 individually styled rooms. With just five minutes<br />
from <strong>Birmingham</strong> city centre, and only a moments stroll from "<strong>Birmingham</strong>'s best breakfast", served in The High<br />
Field, it is sure to make your stay memorable. We caught up with General Manager Sarah Robinson to find out more...<br />
You are renowned for your high end, individualised Pubs,<br />
tell our readers where your pubs are situated.<br />
Peach is a collection of 17, individually designed great<br />
pubs, mainly in market towns in the heart of England.<br />
We serve good quality, fresh, honest food and drink<br />
in relaxed, welcoming surroundings. We have pubs in<br />
Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Bedfordshire to name just a<br />
few.<br />
What makes your pubs unique?<br />
GIN FIELDS<br />
Saturday 13th August<br />
“You are the Gin to my Tonic”<br />
The High Field presents Gin Fields, an adult kind of festival.<br />
The BBQ will be fired up, our very own DJ will be spinning<br />
the decks & of course there’ll be Gin, lots of Gin!<br />
There'll be special appearances from some of our fabulous<br />
suppliers, including a few guest Gins too. Tickets are<br />
available now £10 each, to include a G&T on arrival, tasters<br />
and your very own Grand Gin Glass. Visit the events page of<br />
our website to book.<br />
Head down from 2pm, we are sure you don’t need any more<br />
of an excuse. After all, love is like a bottle of Gin.<br />
The High Field<br />
22 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, B15 3DP<br />
t: 0121 227 7068 | e: highfield@peachpubs.com<br />
www.highfieldedgbaston.co.uk<br />
No two of our pubs are alike, but what they share is really<br />
high quality food and drink. We only serve the good stuff,<br />
and would never serve anything we wouldn’t be happy<br />
to eat ourselves. We care about our real ale, work with<br />
suppliers we trust and allow our Chefs to write their own<br />
menus, changing them with each season.<br />
Your new venture is into the world of Boutique Hotels, how<br />
did this come about?<br />
Venturing into hotels is not something new too us, we<br />
already have rooms in four of our pubs. We felt <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
needed something different though, and when the lovely<br />
house next door became available, we jumped at the chance<br />
to convert it into boutique hotel rooms. As with the design<br />
of The High Field, which bought a country feel to town, the<br />
12 bedroom High Field Town House majors on country house<br />
comfort and style.<br />
The hotel is in Edgbaston is the plan to create a chain of<br />
these hotels across the region/Country?<br />
Peach is not a chain, it’s a group of like-minded enthusiasts.<br />
We will never be the biggest pub or hotel company; we’re<br />
out for perfection on a small scale, fuelled by passion for
TRAVEL // SPONSORED BY CALTOURS<br />
61<br />
good food and drink. Every pub is unique, individually<br />
designed to suit their town or village and represent each<br />
pub’s history. Only some of our pubs offer B&B rooms, we<br />
will never develop into a chain of hotels.<br />
What can people staying at the hotel expect in terms<br />
of service?<br />
The Town House offers a strong contrast to the modern<br />
hotels that largely make up the <strong>Birmingham</strong> hotel scene.<br />
We use natural themes and colours, with bolder shades in<br />
the Sitting Room, the hotel’s answer to a formal reception<br />
lobby. We’re using a self check-in service using the latest<br />
technology, allowing independent stays in the hotel. Guests<br />
will have full use of the hotel's honesty bar, and we promise<br />
our usual Peachy welcome in the pub just next door.<br />
What facilities will be available at the hotel?<br />
All our rooms are individually furnished with period walnut<br />
and mahogany furniture with powerful rain showers and<br />
40 inch high-spec TVs in all rooms. Some of our premium<br />
rooms have free-standing roll-top painted baths as dramatic<br />
features too. Our English wallpapers are hand-printed and<br />
the sitting room features an honesty bar in a beautiful old<br />
French cupboard. The pub will be serving “<strong>Birmingham</strong>’s<br />
Best Breakfast” every morning, as well as lunch and dinner<br />
each day of the week.<br />
What is the menu like?<br />
Our menus are seasonal, and our Head Chef, Ian Meek and<br />
his team devise a range of daily specials. We buy top quality<br />
ingredients, our meat is free-range and our fish is native<br />
where possible. We pride ourselves on serving British gastro<br />
pub food of the highest quality.<br />
Is it family friendly or more couple orientated?<br />
We are very family friendly, but cater for smaller intimate<br />
dinners too. Dogs are also welcome in the bar, so you can<br />
stop by after a Sunday morning walk too!<br />
What will you hope your customers will take away with<br />
them in terms of experience from staying at the hotel?<br />
The need to return. As soon as possible!<br />
by Roxanne Smith
62 TRAVEL // SPONSORED BY CALTOURS<br />
WE ALL LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE –<br />
THE UK’S BEST SEASIDE<br />
LOCATIONS<br />
Come rain or shine, wind or snow, there’s little that will deter the Great British public from heading out to the<br />
beach for some sand and surf during the summer. Here are our top picks for places you should visit this year<br />
By Rich Hobson<br />
Aberystwth, Wales<br />
A popular choice for students looking to move out by<br />
the sea, Aberystwyth is also hugely popular for tourists<br />
visiting Wales’ gorgeous coastline. A taste of Wales<br />
at its most proud, Aberystwyth houses the National<br />
Library of Wales and is home to a great number of<br />
authentic Welsh pubs – perfect for an afternoon of beer<br />
garden hopping.<br />
Brighton, England<br />
A little under an hour from London, Brighton has been<br />
a popular seaside destination for holidaymakers across<br />
the UK for over 100 years, pleasing with its small-town<br />
charms and numerous amusements including the<br />
famous Palace Pier, pebble beach and the ultra-chic<br />
shopping area The Lanes.<br />
Gullane, Scotland<br />
The perfect destination for the golf enthusiast, Gullane<br />
attracts many with its selection of sea-view golf<br />
courses, regular Open Championship venue Miurfield<br />
among them. Gullane is a typical seaside town of<br />
Scotland, with its wild beach possessing numerous<br />
dunes and coves which will leave tourists thankful for<br />
Scotland’s untamed nature.<br />
Porthcawl, Wales<br />
A traditional holiday resort, Porthcawl boasts much of<br />
the features that have made the rest of Wales’ seaside<br />
locations so attractive to visitors, but Porthcawl’s<br />
biggest unique draw is that it offers consistent surf<br />
which isn’t as choppy as in other areas of Wales,<br />
making it perfect for beginners.
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63<br />
Portrush, Northern Ireland<br />
Northern Ireland’s Portrush is hugely popular for its<br />
central location when allowing tourists access to the<br />
North Coast, and the many natural landmarks that are<br />
within reach (Giant’s Causeway chief among them). The<br />
town also has beaches of its very own which are ideal if<br />
you’re not the location-hopping type.<br />
Portstewart, Northern Ireland<br />
Boasting a two-mile-long beach at Portstewart Strand,<br />
Portstewart’s golden sands are a prime attraction<br />
for tourists looking to sample an expansive beach<br />
landscape in the UK. The town itself is a typical mixture<br />
of quaint Irish village architecture and lively culture,<br />
offering excellent opportunities to catch some Irish<br />
folklore without falling into a tourist trap.<br />
St. Austell, England<br />
Set into the verdant Southern English countryside and<br />
resplendent in natural beauty, St Austell is popular<br />
for its choice of numerous nearby seaside resorts and<br />
access to the Eden Project. Beautiful and often sunny,<br />
St Austell is perfect for enjoying some Cornish ice<br />
cream or drinking a cold cider facing out to the cool<br />
sea.<br />
Tenby, Wales<br />
Don’t let the city walls fool you – Tenby is one of Wales’<br />
most welcoming seaside towns (and that’s saying<br />
something). With pastel coloured buildings right out<br />
of “Balamory”, Tenby is a vibrant and charming little<br />
town which oozes with history and unique charm<br />
accentuated by its numerous narrow cobbled streets.<br />
Tobermory, Isle of Mull (Scotland)<br />
As colourful as the children’s TV show that was filmed<br />
there (Balamory, which has already been mentioned<br />
on this article!), Tobermory combines rugged Scottish<br />
sea views with a picturesque seaside appeal that has<br />
helped endear it to families and tourists alike. Boat trips<br />
run daily to the nearby seal colony, and older visitors<br />
might wish to try a sample at the Tobermory Distillery.<br />
Whitby, England<br />
The famed setting of Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel,<br />
Whitby is a charming seaside town which revels in its<br />
gothic associations with multiple Dracula experiences,<br />
ghost walk tours and curiosity shops sure to please<br />
horror-loving travellers. The “old town” area comprises<br />
of classical cobbled streets and the famed 199 steps,<br />
which lead up to the iconic Whitby Abbey.
64 TRAVEL // SPONSORED BY CALTOURS<br />
GLOBAL DESTINATIONS AT YOUR DOORSTEP<br />
It is only befitting that the city of<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> should be serviced<br />
by an airport which can offer both<br />
incredible luxury and commercial travel<br />
opportunities, allowing access to and<br />
from the West Midlands to destinations<br />
around the globe. Flying to destinations<br />
as near as Aberdeen and as far away as<br />
Bahrain and Argentina, <strong>Birmingham</strong> is<br />
globally connected to offer passage to<br />
its customers, travelling for any reason<br />
– be it business or pleasure (or a mix of<br />
the two).<br />
With over 110 destinations covered by the<br />
airport, In The City have gathered you all<br />
the information you could need about<br />
some of the most intriguing destinations<br />
catered to by <strong>Birmingham</strong> City Airport,<br />
and whether or not they are better as a<br />
business or pleasure destination.<br />
Amsterdam, Netherlands<br />
Flight Time: 1 Hr 15 mins<br />
Business or Pleasure? Pleasure<br />
– Amsterdam has more tourist<br />
attractions within walking distance<br />
of each other than any other city in<br />
Europe.<br />
Argentina<br />
Flight Time: 15 Hrs 30 mins<br />
Business or Pleasure? Business –<br />
Argentina (and South America in<br />
general) is enjoying a massive business<br />
boost of late, and has one of the fastest<br />
growing economies in the world. A<br />
perfect business opportunity for the<br />
budding entrepreneur.<br />
Auckland, New Zealand<br />
Flight Time: 29 Hours<br />
Business or Pleasure? Both! New<br />
Zealand offers fantastic landscapes to<br />
explore, as well as emergent business<br />
markets for the intrepid business person.<br />
Chicago, USA<br />
Flight Time: 10 Hrs 30 mins<br />
Business or Pleasure? Both! – Chicago<br />
is one of America’s liveliest cities, with a<br />
wealth of tourist attractions to appease<br />
holidaymakers, as well as a booming<br />
business trade which makes it an ideal<br />
city to visit when looking to expand<br />
business out to the US.<br />
Dehli, India<br />
Flight Time: 8 Hrs 30 mins<br />
Business or Pleasure? Pleasure – Delhi<br />
is just one of India’s many vibrant<br />
cities, but gleams with beautiful sights,<br />
incredible arrays of aromas and colours<br />
creating an unforgettable experience for<br />
tourists.<br />
Dubai, UAE<br />
Flight Time: 6 Hrs 45 Mins<br />
Business or Pleasure? Both! Dubai<br />
has plentiful business opportunities,<br />
especially as a gateway to the United<br />
Arab Emirates, but is also famed for<br />
being a high-end luxury destination<br />
for tourists looking to lounge in lavish<br />
surroundings.
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NATIONAL EXPRESS TAKES INTERNATIONAL ROUTE TO PROFIT<br />
65<br />
They may have a near monopoly<br />
on quality coach travel around the<br />
UK and Europe, but <strong>Birmingham</strong>based<br />
transport giant National Express<br />
aren’t resting on their laurels, instead<br />
taking measures to ensure that their<br />
brand of high-quality transport is now<br />
exported to foreign locations.<br />
Recently revealing new statistics about<br />
their latest ventures in Germany (which<br />
were first announced back in 2013),<br />
the company has indicated significant<br />
growth with an 11% increase, in what the<br />
company has dubbed a “strong start” to<br />
the year.<br />
National Express were first awarded<br />
contracts to serve German cities<br />
including Cologne and Munster in<br />
2013, officially moving into Germany's<br />
profitable rail market in December. Since<br />
this expansion, the group’s turnover<br />
grew across all its divisions during the<br />
first quarter, with underlying passenger<br />
growth of 3% indicating that their<br />
investment is now paying off immensely.<br />
In addition to the growth in German<br />
business, National Express also unveiled<br />
a ten-year contract with UAE Country<br />
Bahrain in 2015, serving the capital<br />
Manama and various inter-urban areas<br />
across the kingdom. It is believed that<br />
the group has carried more than six<br />
million passengers since taking over the<br />
route at the start of 2016, and carries<br />
over a million passengers every month<br />
on its Bahrain bus services.<br />
These investments are not only<br />
increasing the company’s profit margins,<br />
but also allowing further opportunities<br />
to develop for international contracts,<br />
which could potentially also see their<br />
destinations list grow beyond the<br />
currently available territories.<br />
PUT YOURSELF<br />
IN THIS SPACE<br />
Get infront of over 50,000<br />
potential customers<br />
CALL OUR SALES TEAM NOW<br />
t:0121 230 8333<br />
e: advertising@inthecityuk.com
alps<br />
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68 PROPERTY // SPONSORED BY ALPS ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING SERVICES<br />
SEVEN CAPITAL<br />
REACHES NEW HEIGHTS<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> is changing. Or rather, <strong>Birmingham</strong> has<br />
always changed, ever amorphous and shifting as<br />
it accommodates new ventures, economic trends<br />
and social shifts to guarantee that it can always at the<br />
very least make strong competition as England’s “Second<br />
City”. Delve a little deeper into the city’s background,<br />
and you’ll see that at the forefront of this change are the<br />
city’s developers, both resident and national, who seize<br />
opportunities as they arise to complete <strong>Birmingham</strong>’s<br />
promise to be a city which always improves upon itself.<br />
Delve even deeper, and you’ll see one name come up time<br />
and again as one of the biggest “players” In The City’s<br />
economic growth, a name which often gets attached<br />
to some of the most hopeful and ambitious projects In<br />
The City, a name which has become synonymous with<br />
property innovation – Seven Capital.<br />
Privately owned, Seven Capital are a real estate<br />
organisation specialising in development and investment<br />
projects with numerous high profile success stories that<br />
back up their ability to see and seize hugely advantageous<br />
opportunities. Working throughout the West Midlands<br />
(and beyond), Seven Capital own properties in areas as<br />
diverse as <strong>Birmingham</strong>, Dudley and Liverpool, and have<br />
managed to capitalise on some of the most appealing<br />
architectural marvels in the Midlands.<br />
Currently, much of Seven Capital’s developments can be<br />
put into three separate portfolios; Residential, Commercial<br />
and Hospitality. Each property represents a massive<br />
commercial opportunity for the company, and also<br />
poses some attractive housing options for the discerning<br />
potential resident.<br />
Seven Capital Residential Developments<br />
Much of the company’s Residential developments have seen them redevelop disused office spaces in urban environments for use<br />
as trendy home spaces, with easy access to some of the West Midland’s most chic commercial and residential areas.<br />
The Landmark building, on Brierley<br />
Hill’s Waterfront district. The property is<br />
directly above the Merry Hill shopping<br />
centre.<br />
One Hagley Road – less than a mile<br />
outside of <strong>Birmingham</strong> city centre.<br />
Fabrick Square in Digbeth, one of the<br />
hottest regeneration areas in <strong>Birmingham</strong>.
Commercial Developments<br />
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69<br />
Seven Capital also have an extensive portfolio for commercial developments through their subsidiary Seven Capital investments.<br />
These developments include business parks and retail centres, spread throughout the Midlands in areas including <strong>Birmingham</strong> and<br />
Rugby.<br />
Broadway, Five Ways is just on the edge<br />
of <strong>Birmingham</strong>’s Financial District, and<br />
also on the edge of the city centre.<br />
Clock Towers Shopping Centre in Rugby<br />
comprises of 55 retail units leased by<br />
tenants including Boots, Argos and<br />
Superdrug.<br />
Bartley Wood business park buildings<br />
260 & 270 were acquired by Seven<br />
Capital, and have since been leased to<br />
global telecommunications giant Virgin<br />
Media.<br />
Hospitality Redevelopments<br />
Seven Capital’s Hospitality redevelopments are much more ambitious in scope than the other two types of venture. Stretching<br />
as far afield as Sydney and Dubai (as well as London and <strong>Birmingham</strong> properties), Seven Capital not only develops properties in<br />
hospitality, but also owns an operational hotel business.<br />
The Park Regis Hotel in Five Ways,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> houses 253 rooms, a Gin<br />
bar, a Presidential suite, a Saki bar, spa,<br />
gym, executive meeting rooms and a<br />
pan-Asian restaurant with a sky bar.<br />
The Park Regis in Sydney was the<br />
very first “Regis” hotel outside of the<br />
UK. 122 rooms with views spreading<br />
across Sydney, the Australian Regis is<br />
an ambitious development for Seven<br />
Capital.<br />
The Park Regis Kris Kin expanded<br />
Seven Capital even further, giving them<br />
development projects in the Middle<br />
East whilst still expanding their popular<br />
hospitality brand.<br />
Seven Capital have proven themselves to be canny developers in the ever shifting property market. Keeping<br />
both local and international interests in mind whilst expanding rapidly, to guarantee they maintain a position<br />
as not only one of <strong>Birmingham</strong>’s best real estate organisations but quite possibly one of the best in the<br />
country.
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Property Management<br />
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(in house Advisor)<br />
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If you think one of the above services is something that you<br />
may need now or even in the future, then why not get in<br />
touch and see how we can help you.<br />
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TESLA TAKES THE WORLD<br />
There’s very little argument to be had about exactly<br />
which companies are at the forefront of innovative<br />
technology in the motoring world. Though almost<br />
every motoring company in the world is now researching,<br />
developing, or even offering something in the way of<br />
eco-friendly electric tech, each can trace their commercial<br />
interests back to one other company who more or less had<br />
the market cornered for electric vehicular transport.<br />
That company, if you didn’t know already, is Tesla. Formed in<br />
2003, Tesla released their first vehicle in 2008 and became<br />
a global motoring superpower in 2013, when the company<br />
reported profits for the first time. It may seem odd to read<br />
that Tesla didn’t make a profit as such until ten years after<br />
their conception, but then those in the know (and especially<br />
those who have ever discussed petrol vs electric cars) will<br />
tell you; going green isn’t cheap, and it certainly isn’t easy.<br />
Still, Tesla and (in particular) its CEO and co-founder Elon<br />
Musk perservered through tough times to come out on top<br />
as one of (if not the) the foremost manufacturers of electric<br />
vehicles in the world. Not only did Tesla launch their own<br />
vehicles, but they were also an inciting catalyst for other<br />
car manufacturers to invest in eco-friendly technology<br />
in an attempt to create vehicles which would be less<br />
environmentally damaging.<br />
So, where are they now? Tesla’s presence on the UK market<br />
might not be as all-encompassing as one would hope in<br />
2016, but the truth remains that their vehicles are still (for<br />
the time being, anyway) more luxury items than instantly<br />
affordable, making them still something of an eccentricity<br />
on the UK market. In Europe, Tesla have a much stronger<br />
presence in countries like Norway, where consumers find<br />
it much easier to get government incentives to switch to<br />
electric vehicles.<br />
These incentives are not entirely exclusive to overseas<br />
however – the UK government also offers grants to drivers<br />
looking to switch to “plug-in” (electric) vehicles.<br />
Which begs the question – are they worth the cost? If<br />
consumer-led surveys are to be believed, most definitely!<br />
Tesla’s Model S topped driver satisfaction lists for Driver<br />
Power 2016, citing the Model S’s superior reliability, handling<br />
and driving ease as factors that saw it top the list, which is<br />
the biggest in the UK.<br />
So, where next? Well, Tesla is currently launching its first<br />
autopilot vehicles, which though not quite KITT from ‘Knight<br />
Rider’ just yet, is a strong step on the way, and allows a safer
MOTORS // SPONSORED BY COLLIERS<br />
75<br />
drive along long straight routes – perfect if you get bored<br />
on the motorway. The company are also currently working<br />
on the Model 3 vehicle, which they hope to be unleashed by<br />
2017 and will cost much less at launch than its predecessors<br />
did.<br />
Ultimately, Tesla are a company with many plates spinning<br />
at once, ever-shifting to match new technological<br />
developments and innovations and always ready to jump<br />
forward to stay ahead of the curve. Between their excellent<br />
electric cars, innovative battery technology and astounding<br />
technological projects currently in development, the<br />
company have their fingers on the pulse of every potential<br />
avenue to guarantee that they will surf the wave of<br />
innovation, be it in personal transportation or public…<br />
High Hopes for Hyperloop<br />
Dominant as they may be in personal electric vehicle<br />
technology, Tesla’s Elon Musk also has interests in improving<br />
public transportation to a futuristic degree, masterminding a<br />
project dubbed ‘Hyperloop’ which could see the public travel<br />
in carriages through tubes, utilizing alternative energy<br />
sources to provide a method of transportation which could<br />
revolutionise the daily commute.<br />
start-up firms, offering funding for tests but otherwise<br />
leaving the work to each individual group trying to crack the<br />
technology, with the first full tests set for August this year.<br />
The work is being covered by non-commercial groups,<br />
some of which are associated with the prestigious American<br />
institution Michigan Institute of Technology, which itself has<br />
been involved in some of the most cutting-edge technology<br />
innovations of the last 50+ years.<br />
One of the biggest obstacles facing the Hyperloop project<br />
is the logistics of building, maintaining and operating the<br />
tube system between locations, drawing some concern for<br />
the potential unwillingness of landowners to allow such a<br />
structure to be built across their land.<br />
It is a concern with decent foundations – no matter how<br />
beneficial a new technology development may be for<br />
people, there will always be somebody that complains<br />
that an installation is an eyesore, or stubbornly stick to the<br />
transportation they are familiar with. It’s a problem which has<br />
hampered efforts to build solar and wind farms in the past,<br />
but more interestingly a problem that was also faced when<br />
the railway was first suggested, offering some hope that<br />
eventually it is a technology which could be adopted despite<br />
its initial teething problems.<br />
Whether a viable transportation alternative, or Sci-Fi fantasy,<br />
either way the Hyperloop project is something which inspires<br />
a great deal of interest and imagination from the world at<br />
large, and could just inspire the next big transport revolution<br />
– a project befitting a company named after one of the most<br />
pioneering inventors of the past 200 years.<br />
By Rich Hobson<br />
Much as the smartphone would seem hilariously unrealistic<br />
to anyone in the early 00’s who owned the latest Nokia Brick,<br />
the idea of tube travel seems like a total fantasy as it stands<br />
now. However, there may be some real-world basis that could<br />
see the technology someday exist, albeit not exactly as we<br />
expect it.<br />
Enter Hyperloop – a conceptual transport system in which<br />
passengers are loaded into pods and fired through vacuum<br />
tubes at speeds of above 600 miles per hour from one<br />
destination to another in the shortest possible time. The<br />
concept has already reached prototype stage, with pods<br />
tested and run along magnetic tracks in a similar way to<br />
how maglev trains run in countries like Japan and South<br />
Korea. The tubes work via pressure; pumping the air out of<br />
the tubes reduces resistance, allowing high speeds to be<br />
achieved, as well as potentially using less energy than a train.<br />
Tesla’s Elon Musk hasn’t so much commissioned research<br />
into the project as issued a challenge to a variety of different
76 MOTORS // SPONSORED BY COLLIERS<br />
THE MOGUL - CLASS BENTLEY MULSANNE<br />
The new Top Gear<br />
series might<br />
have dropped<br />
onto our screens like<br />
pigeon droppings on a<br />
freshly waxed car, but<br />
that doesn’t mean that<br />
you are fated to never<br />
again be in the know<br />
about the hottest new<br />
cars on the market<br />
in 2016. For our <strong>July</strong><br />
Edition of In The City<br />
we have picked apart<br />
every detail of Bentley’s<br />
latest offering to give you the inside<br />
scoop on one of the hottest car releases<br />
this <strong>July</strong>.<br />
Enter the Mulsanne Speed, a hyperluxury<br />
limousine by the tsars of taste at<br />
Bentley, updating their hugely popular<br />
Mulsanne model. First launched in<br />
2010, and named for the Mulsanne<br />
Corner of Le Man’s racing circuit, the<br />
model has become synonymous with<br />
luxury travel in much the same way as<br />
its manufacturer has over its lifespan,<br />
almost dominating the market with its<br />
peerless offerings of top-class driving<br />
experiences.<br />
Fully furnished with luxury leathers,<br />
woods and metals, the Mulsanne<br />
Speed is all sleek design, with practical<br />
innovations that shift gears from luxury<br />
to true petrol-head territory without<br />
sacrificing any of the elegance that<br />
makes the car so perfectly catered to a<br />
luxury audience.<br />
Customisable in almost every way<br />
conceivable, the Speed factors in the<br />
kitchen sink approach that greatly<br />
endears the customisation market to<br />
motor lovers these days, capable of<br />
adding or taking away nigh on any<br />
feature imaginable to guarantee a<br />
personalised slice of highway heaven for<br />
the driver.<br />
Brandishing true muscle under the hood,<br />
the Speed boasts 505 horsepower and<br />
752 pound-feet of torque, meaning<br />
that when she goes she really roars<br />
with minimal fuss, able to launch to hit<br />
60 miles per hour in a little over five<br />
seconds, an impressive feat for a luxury<br />
vehicle!<br />
Fast, powerful and kitted out to be as<br />
deluxe as you like, the Bentley Mulsanne<br />
Speed 2016 model (to give it it’s full title)<br />
is a continued show of progress from<br />
Bentley, promising a ride which will both<br />
purr taste and luxury, but also scream<br />
pure performance results for the best<br />
driving experience you could possibly<br />
have.
Retail and Leisure Installations:<br />
TASC offer a complete site survey service,<br />
followed by quotation and discussion with<br />
project directors and managers. After<br />
acceptance our services include<br />
ordering, installing and commissioning the<br />
project. Staff training is also included to<br />
nominated members of the project team.<br />
Home Domestic Installations:<br />
TASC offer a complete turnkey service for<br />
our domestic customers creating<br />
sophisticated home surround sound<br />
solutions and large screen cinema<br />
entertainment experiences.<br />
Call us and find out who we have worked<br />
with over 30 years experience in the<br />
Leisure and Retail industry. You will not be<br />
disappointed.<br />
• Audio<br />
• Visual<br />
• Lighting<br />
• Technology<br />
• Design<br />
• Consultancy<br />
• Installations<br />
• Maintenance<br />
FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTE<br />
PLEASE CONTACT US AT:<br />
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SPOTLIGHT<br />
NIGHTS OUT<br />
IN THE CITY<br />
SPONSORED BY TASC<br />
WWW.ASKTASC.COM
80 NIGHTS OUT IN THE CITY // SPONSORED BY TASC<br />
DANCING & DINING IN DIGBETH<br />
Digbeth’s pre-eminence as the go-to hotspot for alternative <strong>Birmingham</strong> nightlife has been a long time coming, not<br />
least for the sheer variety of events that can be found in the area. An impressive amount of regeneration has gone<br />
into rebuilding Digbeth without sacrificing its wonderfully interesting history, leaving many of its best venues, pubs<br />
and clubs as they were when they were first established<br />
(with some establishments, like the Crown Pub, open since the 14th Century).<br />
That’s not to say that Digbeth isn’t at the forefront of innovation, however; the area also houses the Custard Factory, the de<br />
facto creative “capital” of <strong>Birmingham</strong>, and the very magazine you hold in your hands (or on your smartphone, if you’re<br />
a tech-type) right now. Celebrating our home in <strong>Birmingham</strong>, In The City has put together a guide for some of the best<br />
places to eat, dance and drink around Digbeth.<br />
CUSTARD FACTORY, DIGBETH<br />
Boxxed Warehouse<br />
104-108 Floodgate St,<br />
B5 5SR<br />
Can’t find an event that works for you? Sick of the same<br />
old playlists at club nights, the overpriced beers at gigs and<br />
the same décor in each and every venue you go in? Then<br />
Boxxed Warehouse might just be the place for you. A fully<br />
rentable event space with the provisions to cover just about<br />
any event you could want to put on, Boxxed Warehouse is<br />
in the space of Digbeth’s “Creative Quarter”, and houses<br />
a charming, rugged décor which offers a real change of<br />
place from the sweating walls and polished wood floors of<br />
Walkabout.<br />
From warehouse raves to punk all-day festivals, Boxxed has<br />
seen it all, and in addition to private events the building also<br />
hosts public events.
NIGHTS OUT IN THE CITY // SPONSORED BY TASC<br />
81<br />
Digbeth Dining Club @ Spotlight<br />
Spotlight Club<br />
Unit 2 Lower Trinity St<br />
B9 4AG<br />
Open every Friday after 5PM, Digbeth Dining Club is<br />
now best known as the best street food experience in<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>. Though it may now have events in Kings<br />
Heath and Codsall, the club didn’t get its name from<br />
nowhere and its foodie events at Spotlight in Digbeth<br />
are bonafide brilliance that’ll have you shouting “bon<br />
appetite!”.<br />
Don’t let the dining club moniker fool you though, DDC<br />
is about much more than just food; the events also bring<br />
craft beers into the mix, with DJs spinning great Soul,<br />
Dance and Jazz tracks.<br />
Digbeth First Friday<br />
Various locations around Digbeth<br />
You can’t talk about nights out in Digbeth without at<br />
the very least mentioning the brilliant Digbeth First<br />
Friday team, who put together a series of exhibitions<br />
and special events catered to making sure Digbeth’s<br />
visitors get the absolute most out of their visit to the<br />
area.<br />
Each line-up is secured in the weeks leading up to<br />
the actual event itself, announced through the www.<br />
digbethfirstfriday.com website. Digbeth First Friday<br />
usually pulls together activities as diverse as live<br />
poetry readings, street food markets, art exhibitions<br />
and comedy events.<br />
The Institute<br />
O2 Institute<br />
78 Digbeth High St<br />
B5 6DY<br />
Digbeth’s most established venue, having gone through<br />
multiple revamps over the decades (from Barfly, to<br />
Institute, to HMV Institute, to its current state as the<br />
O2 Institute), the O2 Institute hosts acts from almost<br />
every genre conceivable. A smaller venue compared to<br />
its bigger sister, the O2 Academy, the Institute offers<br />
a much more intimate setting for music, as well as its<br />
own unique club nights, comedy shows and even sports<br />
events.
82 NIGHTS OUT IN THE CITY // SPONSORED BY TASC<br />
The Mockingbird @ The Custard Factory<br />
Gibb St<br />
B9 4AA<br />
Housed in the iconic Custard Factory building in the<br />
poolside courtyard area, The Mockingbird theatre<br />
is an ultra-chic bar with a wide selection of craft<br />
beers, ales and ciders, as well as gourmet food<br />
options which are a perfect base for a good night’s<br />
socialising.<br />
Much more than just a bar, however, The Mockingbird<br />
also hosts events ranging from comedy showcases,<br />
to cinema screenings of classic movies, to sporting<br />
events like the Euros, guaranteeing that whatever<br />
your preference the bar has a night that can cater for<br />
your personal tastes.<br />
.<br />
The Rainbow Venues<br />
160 Digbeth High Street<br />
B12 0LD<br />
Indoor, outdoor, above-ground, underground… The<br />
Rainbow has it all, comprising of multiple separate<br />
rooms all combined into one massive venue to cover<br />
almost every event conceivable. Be it a Punk Rock<br />
party in The Rainbow Cellar, a-loud-as-you-like Indie<br />
gig in the Rainbow Courtyard, or a massive event at<br />
the outdoor Rainbow Arena, the venue is able to put<br />
on spectacular events which fully utilize the venue’s<br />
unique spaces.<br />
Night Owl<br />
17 Lower Trinity St<br />
B9 4AG<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>’s premier Northern Soul and Motown<br />
Bar and Club in <strong>Birmingham</strong> (let alone Digbeth), the<br />
Night Owl has fast risen as the de facto place to go<br />
if you find yourself yearning for the Northern Soul<br />
experiences of old.<br />
The Night Owl hosts a series of weekly club nights<br />
including KoKo (Keep on Keeping On) every Friday,<br />
The Soul Hole every Saturday, and an open mic night<br />
every Wednesday for Soul, Jazz & Funk musicians,<br />
as well as a monthly party called Le Freak which is<br />
held on the last Friday of each month. Offering a<br />
selection of Soul, Jazz, Funk and Motown tracks old<br />
and new, the Night Owl is a must if you find yourself<br />
tired of the same Pop songs at the usual clubs.
NIGHTS OUT IN THE CITY // SPONSORED BY TASC<br />
83<br />
The Old Crown<br />
188 Digbeth High Street<br />
B12 0LD<br />
Digbeth’s Old Crown Pub is a timber framed 14th Century<br />
pub at the top end of Digbeth’s High Street, and an ideal<br />
place for a quiet pint or two before you hit the clubs in the<br />
area.<br />
The oldest secular building in Britain, the Old Crown<br />
supposedly dates back to 1368, meaning it has seen much<br />
of the history of the region, from before the Industrial<br />
Revolution right the way through to the early 1900s when<br />
the (now famous) Peaky Blinders may have frequented.<br />
With a gorgeous beer garden, and comfy interior, the Old<br />
Crown is the archetype of a British pub, brimming with<br />
history of its very own and perfect for a post-work drink.<br />
Club L’amour<br />
Suki10C<br />
21 Bordesley St<br />
B5 5PH<br />
Club nights don’t come much more intimate than the 150<br />
capacity Suki10C (Suck it and see) building. A colourful<br />
renovated pub on one of Digbeth’s trendier backstreets,<br />
Suki10C is the home of Club L’amour, a club night run by<br />
true nightlife lovers and geared towards offering the best<br />
experience possible.<br />
Hosting bands as well as club nights, Club L’amour<br />
is unique in its approach of not attempting to attract<br />
the masses, but instead to instil loyalty in its patrons<br />
through a mixture of great tunes and cheap drinks for a<br />
memorable experience.
Who are FP?<br />
We have over 23,000 customers in the UK and 96% rate us either<br />
excellent or very good at what we do, we have national field service<br />
technicians and a UK call centre.<br />
Our priority is looking after our customers and making sure that we<br />
exceed their expectations and listen to their feedback so we can<br />
continuously improve our products and services.<br />
So why not join our 23,000 customers today who already benefit from<br />
franking.<br />
Contact Us<br />
FP Midshires<br />
1 Victoria Square<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1BD<br />
Phone: 0121 314 1445<br />
Mobile: 07962 652 262<br />
Fax: 0121 616 0555<br />
Email: peter@fp-wmid.com<br />
MIDSHIRES<br />
MAILING
SPOTLIGHT<br />
BUSINESS &<br />
COMMUNITY<br />
SPONSORED BY ALPS GROUP<br />
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86 BUSINESS & COMMUNITY // SPONSORED BY ALPS GROUP<br />
MUSIC FOR YOUTH FESTIVAL<br />
Music For Youth Festival (5th – 9th <strong>July</strong>)<br />
Location: Various venues around <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Tickets: £5 - £17.50<br />
Five days of musical celebration for the<br />
talents of the UK’s most inspiring young<br />
musicians, Music For Youth Festival lands<br />
in <strong>Birmingham</strong> on <strong>July</strong> 5th for a massive pop-up<br />
celebration held at various places throughout<br />
the city.<br />
Boasting three huge stages, over 400 live<br />
performances and further pop-up performances<br />
throughout the city, Music For Youth is a huge<br />
community event which will entertain people<br />
young and old, connecting everybody through<br />
the universal enjoyment of music.<br />
Delivered in partnership with <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Town Hall and Symphony Hall, Music For Youth<br />
Festival takes advantage of <strong>Birmingham</strong>’s richly<br />
diverse music past. As well as its expansive<br />
selection of modern arts, styles and cultures,<br />
the festival also delivers a comprehensive<br />
programme of performers stretching from<br />
arts as diverse as Rock and Pop, to Jazz and<br />
Orchestra.<br />
This event offers its patrons the opportunity to<br />
explore the potential local stars of tomorrow,<br />
giving a glimpse to the dizzying array of acts<br />
and styles which could achieve commercial<br />
success in coming years.<br />
Group Types: Choirs, Folk & Roots, Brass & Wind, Orchestras, Infants<br />
& Juniors Ensembles & Chamber, Rock, Pop, Funk & Soul, Jazz
BUSINESS & COMMUNITY // SPONSORED BY ALPS GROUP<br />
87<br />
BRIGHTLET’S BRIGHT IDEA SEES IT IN THE SPOTLIGHT<br />
Camran Khan, Director of<br />
Technology for Innovation<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> Campus-based digital<br />
lettings and property management<br />
provider, brightLET, has been<br />
nominated for this year’s<br />
international Talent Unleashed<br />
awards.<br />
A<br />
cloud based lettings and property<br />
management platform<br />
that connects landlords directly<br />
with tenants, brightLET provides a 360<br />
degree service which enables users to<br />
advertise, find a property, communicate<br />
and manage tenancies online without<br />
using a third party.<br />
The Talent Unleashed awards recognise<br />
and reward game-changing,<br />
ground-breaking technology entrepreneurs<br />
and businesses from around<br />
the world across five categories: Best<br />
start-up for social impact, Best start-up<br />
for tech innovation, Best SME for tech innovation,<br />
Most Disruptive CIO/CTO and<br />
Best Tech IPO/Venture Capital Raising.<br />
Mr Khan was nominated for this year’s<br />
Most Disruptive CIO/CTO category,<br />
having reached the final 10 businesses<br />
nominated for the 2015 awards. The five<br />
grand prize category winners receive a<br />
trip to Silicon Valley in USA, where they<br />
will attend a cutting edge technology<br />
conference and a bespoke tour of some<br />
of the region’s leading tech companies.<br />
Camran Khan, Director of Technology<br />
at brightLET, said: “I am delighted to<br />
have been nominated for this prestigious<br />
award for the second year running and<br />
am thrilled to be representing the West<br />
Midland region as part of an awards<br />
programme which recognises worldwide<br />
leading digital innovators.<br />
“A global award of this calibre provides<br />
us with a brilliant opportunity to extend<br />
brightLET’s services to the global marketplace<br />
and comes at an exciting time<br />
for the company following the launch of<br />
our new commercial offering earlier this<br />
year.”<br />
brightLET are one of 12 start-ups recently<br />
accepted onto Innovation <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
Campus’ Serendip Smart City Incubator,<br />
a new offering aimed at accelerating the<br />
growth of digital start-ups by co-locating<br />
them with large corporates.<br />
Based at the Campus’ new 42,149 sq ft<br />
iCentrum building, start-ups can sign up<br />
to one of four sector-specific ‘quarters’;<br />
Digital Health, Intelligent Mobility, Internet<br />
of Things and Barclays Eagle Labs,<br />
which are being delivered by Innovation<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> in collaboration with the<br />
West Midlands Academic Health Science<br />
Network, Centro, the Transport Systems<br />
Catapult, RWE npower and Barclays.<br />
Applications for the second cohort of<br />
start-ups are now open.<br />
For more information on brightLET,<br />
please visit: www.brightlet.com
SPOTLIGHT<br />
CHARITY<br />
SPONSORED BY<br />
ALPS ACCOUNTANTS & COMMERCIAL SERVICES<br />
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90 CHARITY // SPONSORED BY ALPS ACCOUNTANTS & COMMERCIAL FINANCE<br />
BARNARDO’S 150 th BIRTHDAY<br />
Protecting and caring for vulnerable children is a universal concern, and though in the modern era the state has<br />
procedures and services geared towards looking after at-risk individuals, this has not always been the case.<br />
Travel back over<br />
150 years and<br />
Britain suffered<br />
something of an epidemic,<br />
with homelessness and<br />
vulnerability among<br />
children rife in both<br />
London and other cities<br />
throughout the UK. It was<br />
these tragic conditions<br />
that first spurred Thomas<br />
Dr. Thomas Barnardo<br />
Barnardo, a student of<br />
medicine at the London Hospital, to form his now iconic<br />
charity, in an attempt to not only care for children, but also<br />
train and educate them so that they would have skills that<br />
could assist them in later life.<br />
Over time Barnardo’s evolved to include orphanages,<br />
children’s homes and “ragged schools”, amongst numerous<br />
other projects, always working with the mission to ensure<br />
that no child would be turned away so long as the charity<br />
existed. Today, instead of homes in the old sense, Barnardo's<br />
has more than 960 services across the UK, to support<br />
vulnerable children. Last year they supported 240,000<br />
children, young people and families.<br />
Though the state stepped up in 1948 to care for children<br />
and ensure that they would be protected, Barnardo’s has<br />
never wavered from its core mission, establishing itself as the<br />
UK’s leading children’s charity and an invaluable service for<br />
supporting the nation’s youth.<br />
To mark their 150th anniversary, Barnardo’s staff, volunteers<br />
and supporters were invited by kind permission of their<br />
Patron, Her Majesty The Queen, to a Buckingham Palace<br />
garden party, to acknowledge the invaluable service they<br />
have offered for the past century and a half.<br />
by Rich Hobson
CHARITY // SPONSORED BY ALPS ACCOUNTANTS & COMMERCIAL FINANCE<br />
91<br />
1845<br />
Barnardo’s founder Thomas Barnardo is<br />
born in Dublin.<br />
2007<br />
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is appointed<br />
President of the charity.<br />
1866<br />
Thomas Barnardo arrives in London to<br />
study medicine at the London Hospital.<br />
His medical studies draw his attention to<br />
the plight of the great number of homeless<br />
and destitute children living in England<br />
2010<br />
Barnardo’s hits a whopping 100,000 children<br />
helped.<br />
1867<br />
Thomas Barnardo sets up a “ragged<br />
school” in the East End, where poor<br />
children can get a basic education.<br />
2013<br />
Barnardo’s opens its 500th store.<br />
1868<br />
Barnardo’s first boys home is opened at 18<br />
Stepney Causeway in London, and houses<br />
destitute children until 1939 when it is<br />
closed due to the blitz.<br />
2016<br />
Barnardo’s today – celebrating 150 years<br />
of helping and protecting at risk children,<br />
Barnardo’s is invited to a Royal Garden Party<br />
at Buckingham Palace.<br />
1873<br />
1889<br />
1891<br />
Thomas Barnardo Marries Syrie Elmslie,<br />
a fellow philanthropist. The pair are<br />
gifted are fifteen-year lease on Mossford<br />
Lodge, in Barkingside. This site is used by<br />
Barnardo to open a girl’s home.<br />
Fostering is introduced, allowing children<br />
the opportunity to return to a normal<br />
lifestyle and leave the care system.<br />
Barnardo’s starts employing a free<br />
education programme for under 10s<br />
"BARNARDO’S 150TH YEAR IS A<br />
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US ALL TO<br />
STAND TOGETHER AND SHOW OUR<br />
SUPPORT FOR THE MOST<br />
VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN THE UK."<br />
Javed Khan, Chief Executive, BARNARDO'S<br />
1905<br />
Thomas Barnardo dies, at the time of his<br />
death the charity cares for 8,500 children<br />
at nearly 100 homes.<br />
1947<br />
Barnardo’s Adoption society<br />
is established<br />
1948<br />
1970<br />
State takes responsibility for at risk<br />
children, meaning that charities like<br />
Barnardo’s are no longer the only<br />
support network available.<br />
Barnardo’s expands its fostering and<br />
adoption methods, helping children get<br />
back into loving homes.<br />
1988<br />
Barnardo’s changes its name from Dr<br />
Barnardo’s to simply “Barnardo’s”<br />
1989<br />
Barnardo’s shuts its last traditional<br />
orphanage home.<br />
1999<br />
Barnardo’s reaches a milestone of<br />
47,000 children helped since it was<br />
first established over a hundred years<br />
previous.
DIRECTORY<br />
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CITY<br />
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EAT, DRINK,<br />
PARTY, SLEEP<br />
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94 WHERE? IN THE CITY // SPONSORED BY EURO ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES<br />
RESTAURANTS<br />
American Restaurants<br />
Ed's Easy Diner<br />
Barclaycard Arena<br />
King Edwards Rd<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2AA<br />
0121 233 4005<br />
TGI Fridays<br />
180 Hagley Rd<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B16 9NY<br />
0844 6920 0225<br />
Buffalo & Rye<br />
11 Bennetts Hill,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B2 5RS<br />
0121 643 3312<br />
Five Guys Burger & Fries<br />
Bullring Shopping Centre,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 8BU<br />
0121 643 0215<br />
Original Patty Men<br />
9 Shaws passage,<br />
Digbeth, B5 5JG<br />
0121 643 2546<br />
Fish & Seafood Restaurant<br />
Bun & Bowl<br />
Unit 10, The Cube, Commercial St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RS<br />
0121 643 9896<br />
Le Monde Fish Bar & Grill<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2HL<br />
0121 271 0600<br />
Carribean Restaurants<br />
Turtle Bay<br />
81-91, John Bright St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1BL<br />
0121 643 1303<br />
Carat Bistro<br />
27 Warstone Lane, Hockley,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B18 6QJ,<br />
0121 236 0519<br />
Chinese Restaurants<br />
Chung Ying<br />
16-18 Wrottesley St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 4RT<br />
0121 622 5669<br />
Ming Moon<br />
Chinese Restaurant & Bar<br />
16 Hurst St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 4BN<br />
0121 622 5588<br />
Shanghaiye<br />
88 Holloway Head,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1QP<br />
0121 666 6899<br />
Shangri La Chinese Restaurant<br />
51 Station St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 4DY<br />
0121 616 2888<br />
Greek Restaurants<br />
Athens Café Bar Ltd<br />
31 Paradise Circus Queensway,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2BJ<br />
0121 661 8182<br />
Himalaya Restaurant<br />
1716 Longbridge Road South,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B45 9QD<br />
0121 453 4336<br />
Mediterranean Resteraunts<br />
Red Peppers<br />
The Mailbox, 117, Wharfside St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RF<br />
0121 643 4202<br />
Byzantium<br />
11 York rd<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B14 7SA<br />
0121 444 5444<br />
Would you like to showcase<br />
your Restaurant, Bar, Hotel or<br />
Club in this space?<br />
If so, contact us on<br />
0121 230 8333 or email at<br />
advertising@inthecityuk.com<br />
Italian Restaurants<br />
Bella italia<br />
102 New St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B2 4HS<br />
0121 643 1548<br />
Cariuccios<br />
The Water's Edge,<br />
Brindley Place,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2HP<br />
0121 633, 9262<br />
Cielo Ltd<br />
6 Brindley Place,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2JB<br />
0121 632 6882<br />
Cucina Rustina Ltd<br />
24 Ludgate Hill,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 1DX<br />
0121 233 2277<br />
Del Villaggio<br />
175 Broad St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B15 1DT<br />
0121 633 3553<br />
Filini Restaurant<br />
12 Holloway Circus,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1BT<br />
0121 654 6098<br />
La Galleria<br />
5A, Ethel St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B2 4BG<br />
0121643 5933<br />
Piccolino Restaurant<br />
Nine Brindley Place,<br />
2-3, Oozells Square,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2HS<br />
0121 634 3055<br />
Strada<br />
109-111, Wharfside St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RF<br />
0121 643 7279<br />
Zizzi<br />
The Mailbox,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RL<br />
0121 643 5605<br />
Buonissimo<br />
1 Albany Rd, Harbourne,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B17 9JX<br />
0121 426 2444<br />
Fumo<br />
1 Waterloo St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B2 5PG<br />
0121 643 8979<br />
Pasta Di Piazza<br />
11 Brook St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 1SA<br />
0121 236 5858<br />
San Carlo<br />
1 Waterloo St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B2 5PG<br />
0121 633 0251
0000_govna_group_halfpage_ad_Layout 1 07/04/2016 11:53 AM Page 1<br />
95<br />
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82 Lombard Street | Digbeth<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> | B12 0QR<br />
Telephone: 05600 763 804<br />
Email: info@govnagroup.co.uk<br />
Govna Group commercial property agents provide investments and<br />
professional consultancy services across core sectors including<br />
offices, retail, industrial logistics and commercial accommodation.<br />
Whether you're looking to buy, rent, lease, invest or develop,<br />
no matter how large or small your mandate, through teamwork<br />
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96 WHERE? IN THE CITY // SPONSORED BY EURO ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES<br />
Indian Restaurants<br />
Blue Mango<br />
Unit 5, Regency Wharf,<br />
Broad St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2DS<br />
0121 633 4422<br />
Celebrity Indian Restaurant<br />
44 Broad St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2HP<br />
0121 643 8969<br />
Eastzeast Restaurant<br />
197 Broad St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B15 1AY<br />
0121 643 4808<br />
Asha's <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
12-22 Newhall St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B3 3LX<br />
0121 200 2767<br />
Maharaja Restaurant<br />
23-25, Hurst St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 4BP<br />
0121 622 2641<br />
Jojolapa Nepalese Restaurant<br />
55-59, Newhall St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 3RB<br />
0121 212 2511<br />
Praza<br />
94 - 96 Hagley Road<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B16 8LU<br />
0121 456 4500<br />
Pushkar Cocktail Bar & Dining<br />
245 Broad St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2HQ<br />
0121 643 7978<br />
Japanese Restaurants<br />
Shogun Sushi & Noodle Bar<br />
The Mailbox, 27-29, Wharfside St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RS<br />
0121 632 1253<br />
Teppanyaki<br />
Unit E1, The Arcadian, 70,<br />
Hurst St, <strong>Birmingham</strong>,<br />
B5 4TD<br />
0121 622 5183<br />
Wagamama<br />
The Water's Edge, 66,<br />
Broad St,<strong>Birmingham</strong>,<br />
B1 2HL<br />
0121 643 7656<br />
Malsian Restaurants<br />
Bugis Street Brasserie<br />
Paradise Place,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 3HJ<br />
0121 200 2727<br />
Rofuto<br />
160 Broad St,<br />
Paradise Place,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B15 1DT<br />
0121 369 8888<br />
French Restaurants<br />
Cote Restaurant<br />
The Mailbox,<br />
120-122, Wharfside St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RQ<br />
0121 631 1587<br />
Annexxe<br />
220 Corporation St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B4 6QB<br />
0121 236 1171<br />
Modern Cuisine Restaurants<br />
Bank <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
4 Brindley Place,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2JB<br />
0121 633 4466<br />
Handmade Burgers<br />
14 The Water's Edge,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2HL<br />
0121 374 2498<br />
The High Field<br />
22 Highfield Rd,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B15 3DP<br />
0121 227 7068<br />
Ju Ju's<br />
Watermarque, 100, browning St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B16 8EH<br />
0121 456, 3384<br />
Purnell's Restaurant<br />
Newater House, 11, Newhall St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 3NY<br />
0121 2129799<br />
Opus Restaurants<br />
54 Cornwall St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 2DE<br />
0121 200 2323<br />
Simpsons<br />
20 Highfield Road<br />
Edgbaston B15 3DU<br />
0121 454 3434<br />
Spanish Restaurants<br />
Amantia<br />
Apartment 9, Sun House,<br />
9-10, Bennetts Hill,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B2 5RS<br />
0121 643 3647<br />
La Tasca<br />
King Edwards Road,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2AA<br />
0121 796 1286<br />
El Borracho<br />
65 - 67 Harborne<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B!5 3BU<br />
0121 454 3568<br />
Specialty Restaurants<br />
Blue Piano<br />
26 Harborne Road<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B15<br />
0121 454 6877<br />
Selfridges<br />
Upper Mall East,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 4PJ<br />
0121 600 6869<br />
Stageside Bar & Restaurant<br />
Ythorp St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 4AU<br />
0844 338 9000<br />
Bank <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
4 Brindley Place,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2JB<br />
0121 633 4466<br />
Las Iguanas<br />
Unit E203, The Arcadian, 70,<br />
Hurst St, <strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 4TD<br />
0121 622 4466<br />
Rodizo Rico<br />
207 Wharfside St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RN<br />
0121 285 2856<br />
Would you like to showcase<br />
your Restaurant, Bar, Hotel or<br />
Club in this space?<br />
If so, contact us on<br />
0121 230 8333 or email at<br />
advertising@inthecityuk.com
98 WHERE? IN THE CITY // SPONSORED BY EURO ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES<br />
BARS<br />
Apres<br />
39 Summer,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 1JJ<br />
0121 212 1661<br />
Zaras<br />
80 Broad ST, Five Ways,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B15 1AU<br />
0121 643 3334<br />
The Chameleon<br />
Restaurants & Bar<br />
1 Victoria Square,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1BD<br />
0121 643 2233<br />
All Bar One<br />
12G-13G, Water's Edge,<br />
Brindley Place,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2HL<br />
0121 644 5861<br />
All Bar One<br />
43 Newhall St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 3NY<br />
0121 212 2551<br />
Edmunds Bar<br />
29 Newhall st,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 3PU<br />
0121 200 2423<br />
Harvey Nichols<br />
Restaurant & Bar<br />
65 The Mailbox, Wharfside St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RE<br />
0121 616 6000<br />
Gas Stret Social<br />
166-168 Wharfside St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RL<br />
0121 643 0362<br />
Gingers Bar<br />
11 Newhall St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 3NY<br />
0121 200 1588<br />
Island Bar<br />
14-16 Suffolk St Queensway,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1LT<br />
0121 632 5296<br />
Jekyll & Hyde<br />
28 Steelhouse Lane,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B4 6BJ<br />
0121 236 0345<br />
MAKE YOUR<br />
LISTING BE SEEN<br />
Contact us now on<br />
0121 230 8333 or email at<br />
advertising@inthecityuk.com<br />
The Balcony Brasserie &<br />
Moet Rose<br />
Upper Mall East,<br />
Digbeth, B5 4BP<br />
0121 600 6869<br />
Viva Brazil<br />
7 Bennets Hill,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B2 5ST<br />
0121 212 1020<br />
Café Soya<br />
70 Hurst St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, G5 4TD<br />
0121 683 8350<br />
HOTELS<br />
Ramada Hotel ****<br />
160, Wharfside St, The Mailbox,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RL<br />
0121 643 9344<br />
Park Regis ****<br />
160 Broad St,<br />
Bimringham, b15 1dt<br />
0121 369 5555<br />
Jurys Inn City Breaks ***<br />
245 Broad St, <strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1<br />
2HQ<br />
0121 606 9000<br />
Bloc Hotel **<br />
77 Caroline St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 1UG<br />
0121 212 1223<br />
Hyatt Regency <strong>Birmingham</strong> ****<br />
2 Bridge St, <strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2JZ<br />
0121 643 1234<br />
Travelodge Hotels Ltd **<br />
230 Broad St, <strong>Birmingham</strong>, B15<br />
1AY<br />
0871 9846064<br />
The Paragon Hotel ***<br />
145 Alcester St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B12 0PJ<br />
0121 627 0627<br />
Crowne Plaza ****<br />
Holliday Street,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1HH<br />
0871 4234828<br />
Radisson Blu Hotel ****<br />
12 Holloway Circus Queensway,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1BT<br />
0121 654 6000<br />
Hotel La Tour ****<br />
Albert St, <strong>Birmingham</strong> B5 5JE<br />
0121 718 8000<br />
Holiday Inn Express ***<br />
65 Lionel St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 1JE<br />
0871 4234828<br />
Malmaison ****<br />
The Mailbox, 1, Wharfside,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 1RD<br />
0131 468 5000<br />
Hotel Du Vin****<br />
25 Church St, <strong>Birmingham</strong><br />
B3 2NR<br />
0121 794 3005<br />
Marriott ****<br />
12, Hagley Rd, Fiveways,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B16 8SJ<br />
0121 452 1144<br />
NIGHT CLUBS<br />
Nightingale Club<br />
Essex House, Kent St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B5 6RD<br />
0121 622 1718<br />
Bushwackers<br />
103 Edmund Street,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B3 2HZ<br />
0121 236 4992<br />
Nuvo<br />
11 Brindley place,<br />
2 Brunswicksquare,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B1 2LP<br />
0121 631 1600<br />
The Chameleon<br />
Restaurant & Bar<br />
1 Victoria Square, Hill St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B1 1BD<br />
0121 643 2233<br />
Legs 11<br />
193 Broad St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B15 1AY<br />
0121 665 6660<br />
Mechu<br />
59 summer row<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B3 1JJ<br />
0121 212 1661<br />
Medusa Gentlemans Club<br />
142 Suffolk Street Queensway,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B1 1LN<br />
0121 643 2442<br />
Spearmint Rhino<br />
64 Hagley Rd,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong>, B16 8PF<br />
0121 455 7656<br />
Bambu<br />
Kotwall House, 1 Wrottesley St,<br />
<strong>Birmingham</strong> B5 4RT<br />
0121 622 4124<br />
Myyst<br />
Unit A304, The Arcadian, 70<br />
Hurst Street, <strong>Birmingham</strong> B5 4TD<br />
0121 695 1191
100 MOTORS // SPONSORED BY TOWN AND COUNTRY INN PLC<br />
THE TICKETSELLERS<br />
WWW.TURKISHAIRLINES.COM