A City of Hidden Gems and Vibrant Energy
In the 13th installment of Travel Hot Takes, Josie Copson makes a passionate case for her hometown, Birmingham. A few months ago, a TikTok trend showcased the widespread dislike people have for the city. A user named RosyAmyG3, in a live stream about summer holidays, declared, “I’m going to Birmingham,” and the internet quickly used that audio to mock parts of the city they found unimpressive.
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Against the backdrop of ongoing bin strikes, it was an easy target. However, negative narratives about Birmingham have been around for much longer. As someone who grew up near this much-maligned city, I believe it’s both ignorant and unfair to dismiss it so easily.
It wasn’t until I went to university in Cardiff that I realized what the outside world thought of my city. Signing up for The Getaway newsletter revealed how much people enjoy attempting the accent, but also how some viewed Birmingham as a grey, lifeless place devoid of culture and intelligence. Research supports this; a study from Bath University showed that Brummies are often perceived as less intelligent.
Jokes were fair game, but they took a different shape when targeting other cities. No one said “sorry about that” to Nottingham or Newport. Most people slagging off Birmingham had never even visited. They hadn’t taken the exit at the spaghetti junction (Birmingham’s notoriously complex interchange), and so they should probably have 0121, do one.
My experience and opinion couldn’t be more different. Here’s why I believe Birmingham is one of the best places on the planet.
The Rome of Britain
I’m ready to be trolled, but I want to start my defense with a place not technically in Birmingham — The Black Country Living Museum. While it’s located in the neighboring Black Country, I couldn’t write this without mentioning it. Not only does it incorporate the city’s history into one immersive tourist attraction, but it’s also my personal Disneyland, and I’m not the only one who thinks it’s bostin’. Last year, it picked up the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.
The open-air museum, which features in Peaky Blinders, has rebuilt old buildings brick by brick in an easy-to-navigate patch of land, allowing visitors to step back in time and discover the rich history of the world’s first industrial landscape. It’s such silly fun, talking to actors who’ll pretend to marvel at your iPhone, before heading to a vintage fairground to discover your future at a Big-style fortune-telling machine, or pulling up at the car garage filled with traditional vehicles.
Hours can be passed by donning a hard hat to go down the mines or getting a lesson from a Victorian teacher — being mischievous with a blackboard and chalk for the strict educator character is a rite of passage in the childhood of people from my ends. As buying a ticket grants you access for a whole year, I’ve been known to walk in just to grab the famous fish and chips cooked in beef dripping, and fill my pockets at the traditional sweet shop, before heading to the reasonably priced pub.
Similar to the way Diet Coke tastes better at McDonald’s, Vimto tastes much better at the Elephant and Castle pub than the ones that can be bought at a corner shop. Don’t ask why, just drink.
Heading into Birmingham city centre, there is plenty more culture to soak up. My idea of a great day out is a wander through the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, home to a rotating wheel of exhibitions. Most are free. I distinctly remember an Andy Warhol special, in which my face was transformed into a painting in his style, being one of the best days of my summer holidays in the 00s.
Currently, it is honouring local working-class hero Ozzy Osbourne by telling his rags-to-riches story in its halls, which will now take on extra significance following his death. Once outside the museum, you’re treated to the beauty of the classic architecture of Chamberlain Square, often described as Romanesque. It’s the perfect place to nail the Instagram shot for your weekend away, so you can play your part in dismantling the viewpoint that the city isn’t pretty.
Also worth a look is the Birmingham Library, which has a distinctive circular aluminium design. Once you’ve got your fill of the books, head up the escalators and onto the secret roof garden, where you’ll get a bird’s eye view of the cityscape.
Talking of Italy, Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice, and they can be explored on boat tours or enjoyed from one of the lively waterfront bars.
The Most Fun a Human Can Have
Nightclubs are on their way out. Gen Zers are said to prefer running clubs to raves, and online chitchat to face-to-face dates. But you’d never know it in Birmingham. Here, people are still in search of a good time at all times.
If you’ve listened to Lotto Boyzz’s song Birmingham, then you’ve heard of Broad Street, but what you really need to know about is the nightclub Bushys, officially Bushwackers. Just a five-minute taxi away, it is open from 1am-6am every Sunday morning and unites the most committed partygoers. It’s an addictive place that meant I was rarely awake for roast dinners for most of my early adulthood. Everyone should experience it once.
For those who don’t want to move their hips until sunrise, there’s the legendary Jam House, opened by Jools Holland in 1999, that has welcomed Chaka Khan, The Specials and Westlife to the intimate stage. Big names are not a requirement for a good night here, just a pair of shoes you can dance in as the band covers all the crowd-pleasers. It’s like the best wedding party you’ve ever been to every single night.
Everything about Birmingham has an essence of whimsical silliness about it, from the bull stationed outside the Bullring that has more outfits than Paris Hilton’s chihuahuas to the metallic silver Selfridges building replicating a woman’s body and the Pat Butcher mural in Digbeth.
The People Make the Place
Birmingham is full of characters. It is the place that gave the world national treasure Alison Hammond, who still lived in Solihull until very recently. She’s not the only superstar in residence. There’s Jamelia, along with Cat Deeley, Emma Willis, Jeff Lynne, and Julie Walters. My personal favourite to drop into conversation is actor Felicity Jones. But it’s not just those who’ve found fame who make it; it’s every person.
Brummies have been voted the top 10 friendliest people in the UK, and it’s why, wherever I hear the distinct lilt of a Birmingham accent, I instantly feel comforted. Even the usually cold retail assistants at designer concessions are down-to-earth in good ‘ol Brum. So when I’m putting myself into debt for a new pair of Christian Louboutins or a Louis Vuitton bag, at least I get a smile in the process.
It’s also one of the country’s most diverse cities — according to the 2021 Census, over half of Birmingham’s residents identify with an ethnic group other than White British, and it’s home to people from 187 different nationalities. I felt lucky that, as a mixed person, I got to live somewhere so reflective of the world.
The influence is clear in the food scene, you can get a beautiful Indian curry (Birmingham is often credited as popularising the balti) or a beef dinner, both of equal standard in the same vicinity — Opheem and Pastures are fail-safe options. While in December, the city looks like it belongs in a Hallmark movie, thanks to the Frankfurt Christmas Market (referred to as the German market by locals).
A New Chapter
In 2023, more people visited the West Midlands (Birmingham being its biggest city) than ever before. So, viral trends aside, I’m hopeful its negative reputation is on the way out. My city has so much to offer, and anyone who refuses to see that is, to be honest, a bit lazy.
I’m sure a weekend in Birmingham (ideally sleeping at the gorgeous and recently renovated Grand Hotel) could convince even the biggest naysayers. And not that it matters, but the Birmingham accent is one of the sexiest in the world. Just listen to Thomas Shelby.
