If you’re a Tolkien fan, make sure you don’t miss Middle Earth Weekend at Sarehole Mill this weekend, 11 and 12 May. It’s a free event celebrating Tolkien’s life and works, and this year there’s a special emphasis on The Hobbit, the theme being “An Unexpected Party”.
Across both days there will be re-enactments, stalls, games, tours of Moseley Bog, parades, stories and a costume competition.
It’s a great place to take kids. Check it out at: http://www.middleearthweekend.org.uk/
Dudley Zoo won’t be like any zoo you’ve seen before. Amongst all the animals and walkways, contained with its walls is a beautiful 11th century castle, pride of place on the hill in the centre of the complex. Reach it by walking around all the exhibits or by taking a nerve-wracking cable lift up the side of the hillside. The castle is home to Falconry displays within the zoo and is a wonderful place to bring a picnic.
There are lots of animals spaced out around a wide area, and if you want to see everything, it would be wise to take the whole day to do so. There’s all manner of creatures from mammals to birds, reptiles to spiders. My personal favourites from the mammals were the Himalayan black bear and the ring tailed lemurs, but the collection of big cats the zoo has are certainly not to be missed either, especially the beautiful sleepy snow leopard. The lemurs can be seen up close and personal through the purpose-built lemur walk, and will quite happily walk along the handrails to you in groups- it’s quite a sight to see two or three walking behind each other, their ringed tails swinging as they go.
If birds are your thing the zoo doesn’t disappoint here either, having a large penguin enclosure, many species of brightly coloured birds and curious owls, including the burrowing owl, a species that lives underground instead of high in the treetops. There’s a friendly resident raven that will come and take a look at you as well; rescued as a young hatchling and raised in the zoo, this bird is clever enough to not want to leave, every visitor she sees she regards as her own kin.
The otters seemed to be the star attraction in their area both for humour value and their noise- they’d get together in groups and sing, whilst others lay on their backs and juggled stones with what looked like big smiles on their faces.
Dudley Zoo certainly impressed us with the amount of animals it had, though it is a little run down in places and could do with a bit more sprucing up. It’s a great place to visit for all ages, though kids in particular will love spotting all the different species. Take a picnic, enjoy the castle grounds and don’t forget to bring your camera!
Prices and opening times as well as a full list of animals available at http://www.dudleyzoo.org.uk/
4.5/5, nearly perfect but could use some work.
Best for: Families, Groups of Friends, Suitable for Kids
If you’re looking to fill up on foods from around the world, look no further than Jimmy Spices. For a set price you can make your way around the tables as many times as you want to sample dishes from Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, the Americas and India. And once the main courses are over there’s a plethora of desserts to try, from simple ice-creams, chocolate fountains and marshmallows to traditional English trifle.
Jimmy Spices is the perfect place to go to celebrate special occasions, as there really is something for everyone. It might not be the best place if you want to sit and talk, as your party will be constantly up and down to get more food, but if you time it right you’ll have the chance to sit and eat together.
Jimmy Spices prides itself on its live food stations where chefs freshly prepare meals from the ingredients you pick- this way you can only include the ingredients you like and have a feast for the senses.
There are 7 restaurants mostly based around the Midlands though a few are based elsewhere in the country. Restaurants can be found at Birmingham Broad Street, Sutton Coldfield, Solihull, Stratford Upon Avon, the NEC, Staines and Epsom. Midlands Guide Magazine visited the Broad Street branch to bring this review to you.
Visit http://www.jimmyspices.co.uk/index.php for more ideas of dishes and special offers.
4/5 Great Dining Experience, you can try a bit of everything.
Best for: Groups of Friends
Situated in Edgbaston, Birmingham, the botanical gardens is host to extensive lawns and landscapes, aviaries and butterfly houses. Pride of place goes to four glasshouses showcasing plants and atmospheres from tropical rainforests, subtropics, Mediterranean plants and an arid desert-like house.
The tropical house is hot and humid and home to a variety of trees, climbers, ferns, shade plants and water features. The subtropical house is similar but slightly cooler, accommodating tree ferns, palms and pines. The Mediterranean house is a riot of colour in Spring and has lots of beautiful flowers in all shapes and sizes, complimented by the citrus centrepieces reminiscent of the type of the world they are found natively. The arid house is aptly named and dry, hosting all types of cacti and other desert-loving plants.
Outside the glasshouses, sloping lawns give way to the pretty gardens and aviaries. Make sure to check out the Japanese garden and bonsai collection, and stop to enjoy a bite to eat in the cafe overlooking the pleasure garden. There’s always plenty of events on to enjoy and even an adventure playground for the kids.
Events coming up in the month of May include a bonsai demonstration on 19th May, the re-opening of the butterfly house on the 25th and the cacti show on the 26th.
Check out all of the events as well as more information at: http://www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk/home
3/5 Could do with a few more exhibits.
Best for: Families, Couples, Groups of Friends. Suitable for Kids.
Tel. 0844 826 1463
Meridian Leisure Park, Lubbesthorpe Way, Braunstone, Leicester LE19 1JZ
Hollywood Bowl on Meridian Leisure Park, Leicester, has been on the site for at least a couple of decades now, and it could use a bit of refurbishment. It looks a bit dated and worn inside now, but that doesn’t really diminish from the experience of ten-pin bowling, and the place is nearly always busy, especially in evenings and school holidays. You can book and pay online now which is quick and simple, a much-needed system to bring the place into the 21st century.
It’s advised to have two games as one might just not quite be long enough, and you can have up to 8 players on a lane. If you book in advance it’s quite easy to get a lane as there’s plenty of them. To keep the adults happy there’s a bar at one end and a cafe for the kids the other. Don’t worry if you’ve got big feet- a variety of shoe sizes to suit everyone is available, and the same goes for the bowling balls, from the tiniest XXS to XXL grip sizes and 6-16 weights.
If you want to brush up on the finer points of bowling there’s a pretty tongue-in-cheek guide on their website, otherwise Hollywood Bowl is a relaxed family attraction. Check out the deals on their site to save a few pennies- if you go at off-peak times there might be substantial discounts!
http://www.hollywoodbowl.co.uk/
3.5/5- refurbishment is needed for a higher score.
Best for: Families, Groups of Friends. Suitable for Kids.
What do you want to see from Midlands Guide Magazine? Been to a family day out that was particularly good that you want others to know about, or have a restaurant you love to spend time in? Let us know and we’ll add it to the list of places to visit!
Battlestorm is a laser quest arena situated in a warehouse in Stourbridge. The 5000sq feet arena is decorated with barricades to hide behind, military scenery and atmospheric effects such as lights and sound effects.
Groups are split into two teams- the desert team and the green team- and competitive games are played. Games include free for all’s, attack and defend, last man standing and team death matches. Each player wears a jacket- the colour will depend upon the team you’re in- with sensors and uses a replica weapon.
Battlestorm offers party packages and can cater to large groups, and this is usually the best way to have a game as you’re with people you know- smaller groups can be put together with other people. There are also sessions to suit every level of ability, from complete beginner to advanced members’ evenings, and play-time can vary depending on what sort of game you’re after. Prices range from £5 for a 20 minute session to £20 for an hour and a half. Party package prices vary.
When I visited I was part of a large group of around 15 people and we had a 90 minute session in which we played lots of games, some team based, some individual based, and got to see leaderboard scores at the end of every game. It seems to me that group-based is definitely the way to go if you want to get the most out of the experience- the arena is pretty big so having more people means more opportunities to score!
Call 01384 424 691 to book or visit the website at http://www.battlestormhq.co.uk/index.html for more information.
3.5/5
Best for: Groups of Friends
The East Midlands Designer Outlet is located just off the M1 near Nottingham, and is a great out-of-town shopping area with many bargains to be had in more than 70 stores. The Designer Outlet prides itself on bringing savings of up to 70% on many well-known brands, and there’s something for just about everyone.
Fashionistas will love the popular clothes stores alongside fancy designer boutiques, and food lovers with a sweet tooth will adore the Cadbury’s factory shop with many chocolates that you can’t necessarily get in ordinary stores. Those with more refined tastes can be found in the Whittards of Chelsea tea shop, where Midlands Guide Magazine sampled a deliciously warm and filling winter Mango tea. Games shops, bookshops, travel stores, the list goes on.
Facilities at the outlet include a food court to refuel over lunch and a play area to entertain the kids. It might be wise to visit with an idea in mind of which shops you want to buy from, as it could be quite a long way to come if you leave empty-handed.
The verdict: well worth a visit, although the layout of the place can be frustrating if you want to go back to stores and it gets cold with the wind whistling around the buildings. Take a look at the list of stores beforehand and plan out your budget! Despite there being some good savings to be had, you could end up spending more than you think.
Best for: Couples, Groups of Friends, Families, Suitable for Kids
Birmingham LG Arena – 22nd – 23rd March (2 shows including matinee) & 17th April
This March and April, the pop juggernaut that is One Direction rolls into Birmingham’s LG arena. There’s no question, these five boys have taken over the world with their army of fans, but can they justify the hype over an hour and a half set?
After an introductory video of the boys inviting the audience to a party, the show kicks off with party song Up All Night at which point the mainly young crowd explodes at seeing their idols in the flesh. It suitably kicks off the energetic mood and party theme, which continues throughout the concert.
With only two albums to their name, One Direction are lacking a collection of hits, and it shows over the hour and a half. The band continue with bouncy, but middle-of-the-road album tracks, such as Heart Attack and the Mcfly-penned I Would, and it’s not until six songs in until we hear their first recognisable hit, One Thing. Not that the crowd care. They could have come out and read the phonebook for an hour and a half and they would have gone just as wild, and this opening section does give the boys chance to make full use of the stage and allow the audience to get to see each member. For such a young band, they have a remarkable stage presence.
Around the half-way point comes the obligatory “fly above the crowd and arrive at a podium towards the back” moment. It’s here they perform current single One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks). After the huge pinball machine extravaganza at the Brit Awards in February, it may be a bit of a disappointment to some to see such a big song confined to a small platform. The band also engage in a question and answer session with the fans, who have been asked to send in questions via Twitter. They also make the effort to find the fan in the crowd, which will surely send any ‘Directioner’ into a crazed frenzy.
The boys engage in banter between each other and the crowd throughout the concert – Niall’s attempts at accents are particularly humorous. It’s obvious the chemistry between the band, and the chats are warm and funny. Though it’s clear during these points the age of their fan base; at one point, Harry Styles asked the crowd to “boo” school and homework, which no doubt makes everyone over the age of 15 feel out of place. The video segments work well, and are generally entertaining to watch, unlike the majority of concert interludes. One particular clip, in the style of a hidden camera TV show, features Louis dressed as an old man and shocks a young fan by unveiling himself. It’s a genuinely touching moment that shows the affection the boys have for their fans, whilst confirming the belief that they don’t take themselves too seriously.
The energy dips just after the half-way point, as we’re treated to a string of slower numbers. It’s here that the lads showcase their talents, and prove to their critics that they can do more than jump around on stage. Niall whips out his acoustic guitar and plays along to several songs, against a night-time city lights background. As expected, the highlight of this is Little Things; a song that feels like it was made for just an acoustic guitar and a sea of lighters (well, phone lights. One Direction fans are far too young to carry lighters.) It’s a magical moment. One or two of the up-tempo numbers over-used earlier wouldn’t have gone amiss here though, to keep the pace flowing.
After a quick costume change, the band are back and rocking out to the first ‘surprise’ of the night, their version of Teenage Dirtbag. Whilst a fairly obvious choice of cover, it’s refreshing for slightly older members of the audience to have something they can sing along to, and will hopefully introduce their young fans to music from a different generation.
Predictably, their biggest songs are left until last. The main set finishes with a visually eye-popping rendition of recent single Kiss You, followed by an encore of mega-hits Live While We’re Young and their global-breakthrough What Makes You Beautiful. If you haven’t feared for the roof of the arena before, you will now. If you aren’t too busy joining in the fun.
Eloise, 13, said of the concert “I can’t find the words… it was simply amazing.” Georgia, 12, added, “I loved seeing them in the flesh,” feelings that seemed to be echoed by the hysterical crowd.
It was an enjoyable and energetic concert, and the band’s enthusiasm and chemistry with each other is genuine and heart-warming. It’s also clear that they’re having just as much fun as the audience are. It will please die-hard fans, yet the more casual concert-goer may want to wait until they have a more extensive back catalogue. That said, it’s still a fun night out, and the only opportunity to see the biggest band in the world live in this country this year before they take the show around the world, if your eardrums can stand the screaming of pre-pubescent girls.
Rating – 4/5
By David Bates. Follow David on Twitter @DavidPBates
The Water’s Edge, Bindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HL
Birmingham Sea Life Centre is a great attraction for a family day out. Kids will love all the different sea creatures and the interactive nature of some of the exhibits, with quiz questions to answer along the way and interesting facts to find out.
The best times to go are when the feedings or guided talks are happening, it really helps you make the most of your time there and you might find out things you didn’t know about the animals!
A great feature of the Sea Life Centre is the 4D cinema. A short 3D animated film is shown with a twist- your seat will rumble, little blasts of air will hit your legs and you might even get splashed with a bit of water, all to add to the immersive experience of the film!
The centre could be a little bigger, as it didn’t take long to walk around, but the time you spend in there will definitely be increased if you’re taking kids, since they’ll want to spend time watching everything and you might find it difficult to move them along to the next exhibit. A jellyfish exhibit opened in February however, which will add another room of critters to the tour.
The gift shop at the end is pretty extensive and I don’t think you’ll get away without a purchase, but if you complete all the answers on the quiz correctly you can pick up a surprise prize!
Book online in advance for the best deals, especially if you have a larger group- prices are much cheaper than just turning up on the day.
3/5
Best for: Families, Suitable for Kids
Midlands Guide Magazine 