Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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United Kingdom : Birmingham - February 2009

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With Valentine’s Day this month, you might feel like buying your beloved a diamond ring, and there are few better places to do this than Birmingham. There’s plenty happening in the city this month, too, with The Killers, Il Divo and the Strictly Come Dancing tour pitching up at the NEC. Ron Toft reports

Getting around

Birmingham International

Bus: Buses from the airport to the city centre leave every 30 minutes and a single fare costs €1,95/£1.50.
Train: Trains run from Birmingham International to New Street Station; the journey will take around 10-20 minutes and a return ticket will cost €7/£5.30 before 9.30am and €4,50/£3.40 after 9.30am.
Taxi: A taxi from the airport into the city centre will cost around €22/£17 and take about 40 minutes.
Tourist information: The main tourist office is at The Rotunda, 150 New Street (tel. , beinbirmingham. com).

JEWELLERY QUARTER

Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter made the FA Cup, as well as whistles for the Titanic.

Sleep soundly – The recently opened Hatters Hostel, hattershostel. com/birmingham, dormitory rooms from €16/£14.50, private rooms from €62/£55) is the first facility of its kind in Birmingham. It provides hotel-style amenities, but with the fun and character of a hostel.

Culture vultures – See what working conditions in the jewellery trade used to be like by visiting the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter (75-79 Vyse Street, tel. ) – a former jewellery factory preserved as it was when it closed in 1981.

Dance the night away – Under the auspices of musical director Jools Holland, the Jam House (St Paul’s Square) stages live music nightly. The mezzanine restaurant here serves up dishes such as pigeon breast with vanilla risotto and tian of crab and leek.

Shop til you drop – If you truly want to sparkle, Marlow’s Diamonds (46-47 Warstone Lane) designs, makes and sells diamond rings and other jewellery.

BALTI TRIANGLE

Named after the sizzling, spice-laden curry introduced to Birmingham in the 70s by the Pakistani-Kashmiri community, the Balti Triangle centres on the areas of Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Moseley.

Must eat – Dishes at the Royal Naim (417-419 Stratford Road, Sparkhill, tel. ) are made with a unique selection of over 20 herbs and spices. Established for more than 25 years, Imrans Restaurant (264-266 Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook, tel. ) does good puddings. Try the rasmalai gulab jaman (sweets flavoured with rosewater and cardamom) and kulfi ice creams.

Must drink – Balti lovers who want to round off the evening with a pint should head to The Hen & Chicken (128 Moseley Street) or The Spotted Dog (104 Warwick Street).

EDGBASTON

Leafy Edgbaston is a suburb noted for its sporting heritage. Lawn tennis was first played in the area, in 1865 and Warwickshire County Cricket Club holds test matches and one-day internationals at its ground here.

Culture vultures – View stunning paintings by Rubens, Gainsborough, Turner, Van Gogh, Picasso and other famous artists at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts (University of Birmingham), or go wild at Birmingham Nature Centre (Pershore Road), where you can see more than 130 species.

Must eat – Michelin-starred Simpsons (20 Highfield Road, tel. ) is not just a top-notch French restaurant but also a cookery school. Its menu is full of seasonal treats such as roast red-legged partridge with poached cranberries, celeriac purée, braised celery and honey and cracked pepper sauce. For something completely different, try Shiraz (167 Hagley Road, tel. ), a Persian restaurant whose signature dish is chelo kebab makhsoos (marinated lamb fillets with steamed saffron rice).

NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE

The NEC complex is so big it’s almost a village. Venue for some 200 trade fairs and public shows annually, it is Europe’s busiest exhibition centre. The adjoining 12,500-seat LG Arena has attracted more than 14m people to over 1,400 concerts since 1980.

Sleep soundly – There’s plenty of choice on the accommodation front. The Premier Inn is a good budget choice.

Culture vultures – There’s something for everyone at the LG Arena (tickets/ event info: tel. ) as far as big name entertainment is concerned. This month there’s Priest Feast (14 February), Strictly Come Dancing Live! (17-22 February), Il Divo (24 February) and The Killers (26-27 February).

Compiled by Ron Toft