Birmingham Journals

Weekend in Birmingham

A January 2007 trip to Birmingham by barbara

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Photo - Hotel du Vin & Bistro, Birmingham, England More Photos
Quote: A late New Year's party took us to Birmingham.

Hotel du Vin & Bistro

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Hotel | "Hotel du Vin & Bistro"

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Photo - Hotel du Vin & Bistro, Birmingham, England
Quote:
With only a night to stay in Birmingham, we were happy to find our hotel had a personality. While one of the English gentlemen in our party seemed to recall the building in which we were staying as a hospital many years ago, the Hotel du Vin & Bistro feels like a nice retreat from the hustle-bustle of a busy city now. The front lobby is nicely appointed with a painted ceiling and leads to a courtyard with a retractable roof. There you'll find two "guests" enjoying the natural light, waiting for a cocktail: two modern statues, one sitting, the other standing. I had to wonder if the lady statue was a little chilly in the midst of her perpetual musings as she forgot to wear her clothes....Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 19, 2007

Hotel du Vin & Bistro
25 Church Street
Birmingham, England B3 2NR
(0121) 200 0600

Cadbury World

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Attraction

Cadbury World Photo - Cadbury World, Birmingham, England
Quote:
Cadbury World is located about 4 miles from Birmingham in an area called Bourneville that the Cadbury family actually built up itself for employees. The idea was to create a "society" around the factory so that workers and owners alike would benefit from the business. While I could argue that the set-up they created undermined the employee's incentive/ability to get onto the property ladder for himself, there is no doubt at all that the original Cadbury company was way ahead of its time when trying to balance its profit motive with the social welfare of those wor...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 7, 2007

Cadbury World
Linden Road (Bournville)
Birmingham, England B30 2LD
+44 (121) 451-4159

Royal Worcester Visitor Centre

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Attraction | "Royal Worcester Complex"

Worcester Museum Photo - Royal Worcester Visitor Centre, Birmingham, England
Quote:
When I think of England, I think of tea. When I think of tea, I think of tea pots. When I think of tea pots, I think of fine china. When I think of fine china, I think of a few fine porcelain factories operating in England. One of the factories I think of is Royal Worcester, which seems pretty natural since porcelain has been produced in Worcester since 1751. About 45 minutes outside of Birmingham, going south towards Bristol on the M5 (You'll pass the turn-off to Cadbury), you will find a wonderful opportunity to buy not just a tea pot... but a tea pot even the Queen would be proud to own. AND you can go to a museum to learn all about why Royal Worcester produces qualit...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on November 21, 2007

Royal Worcester Visitor Centre
Royal Worcester Severn Street
Worcester WR1 2NE
+44 (1905) 23221

Black Country Museum

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Attraction | "Black Country Living Museum"

The Black Country Museum Photo - Black Country Museum , Dudley, England
Quote:
The Black Country Living Museum is close to Birmingham but not actually within the city. In fact, the different counties that make up the Black Country might be considered Brommie suburbs, but once upon a time, they were industrial centers for England. Why is the region called the Black Country?The land involved was mined for coal, so the land itself turned black. Chimneys puffed, so the sky was black with smoke. The fires burned, so at night the world turned red. Coal has long ago left England for a variety of reasons. The resource is still there, but it's not mined. The grass has turned green again, the sky blue, and the nights are the only t...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on June 25, 2008

Black Country Museum
Tipton Road
Dudley DY1 4SQ