Category: lifestyle

DATING IN BIRMINGHAM: PART TWO

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 14th February 2021
1 Comment on DATING IN BIRMINGHAM: PART TWO

It’s that time again but this time throw in some masks, order in the wine and lock those doors because this Valentine’s day you’ll be staying at home, You’ll be watching those shite romance films where the ending is way too happy in the current climate we are in, you might have to put up with your partner demanding a V Day shag or if your lucky, you’ll be snuggled up on the sofa with your pet. For me? I’ll be wondering why I ever got into food and not start a sex toy line in a pandemic…Anyway… Dating in Birmingham was a bit of fun last year, Brummies showcasing their cringe worth dating experiences in Brum and WOW, you guy’s were honest!
So many have been demanding a part two, and here we are and again, you all delivered.
So put your feet up Bab, I won’t recommend getting yourself a drink as it might end up in your face by the time you’re finished reading this…Yikes.

I LEFT MY PANTS IN POP WORLD

I met this guy on Tinder and we decided to go to Brindley Place for a meal. We had a couple of drinks and we were quite tipsy so we headed to Broad Street. Out of all the bars he chooses the worse one, Pop World and I thought what the heck lets just do it! We threw more drinks down us and I desperately needed the toilet, I went to the toilet and rushed back out when I heard Lady Gaga. I rushed over to him, expecting him to be happy to see me he looked more scared than happy. He covered his mouth and I asked him what’s wrong? He then said, “What have you done with your skirt?” I looked down and my skirt was GONE, I was wearing just a thong. I started to panic and sat down straight away and grabbed his jacket to cover me. Poor thing had to go to the girl’s toilets to retrieve my skirt, It didnt put him off though as hes still with me after four years.

-Jenny

DATE SWAP

This was my 3rd date with Lucy and we decided to go to Subway City with a few of my friends. As we got in, it was £10 for 10 drinks, so we all got pretty drunk. We were upstairs and, I left my date who was happily dancing with my mates. I went to the bar to get another drink and then went back upstairs and saw Lucy right by the door with two girls. I came behind her and put my arm around her then I kissed her. Suddenly I hear someone screaming my name and I looked in the direction I heard my name and it was my Lucy? I was completely confused, I looked at the girl I kissed who was in complete shock. I then rubbed my eyes a bit and realised that it was most defiantly was not my date, it was some random girl. I never did see Lucy after that…

-Chris

GIRL BYE

I once went on a Tinder date and his first words were ‘you’re not very photogenic are you’ I think it was a backhanded compliment that I look better in real life…

-Nicole

SOMEONE PHONE HOME

I met a guy off Tinder in Bridgnorth. When I got there he told me had already had 6 pints before he met me, as we sat down I realised he was the most socially awkward person ever and basically was not saying a word. To get myself through the pain of the date, I had no other choice but to get absolutely smashed. I’m not quite sure what ended up happening but in the end he stormed off leaving me alone in the pub. I tried to call a taxi but couldn’t get through to any, so in the end I went into Prezzo and they took pity on my very drunk self. They let me sit down and half go to sleep on the table while I waited for my poor dad to pick me up.

-Anonymous

I BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SWIPE

I met a lad on online dating from the local area. It was a week before Valentines Day and he tells me during the 1st date that he has a card and gift for me, I said it was only the 1st date? Seriously no need, But cute- Well, it was, until end of the date he hands me his tshirt unwashed. He said it has his scent on and I can sleep with him at night, Yuck! Then I open the card and it was a whole essay of how much he loves me and we can spend our lives together. This was written before he even met me, WTF?! As you can guess, I didn’t meet him again. Thankfully two weeks later, I met my lovely husband and 11 years on, we are still going strong.

-Kelly

WHEREFORE ART THOU BOOTY?!

I met this guy who was really into Shakespeare, and because I wanted to sound cultural and high brow I agreed to go to see a Shakespeare play on our first date. It was the most boring thing ever and he kept laughing really loud at all the jokes, Then when we left he proceeded to tell me he had booked a hotel for us. Bearing in mind this was the first time I met him and had spoke about 10 words to him because of the play, I politely declined and he ended up going to the hotel on his own…

-Anonymous

NANA DOES NOT APPROVE

I met this girl off Bumble and it was our second date and we decided to get some lunch in the Bullring. As we were walking I really needed to fart so I decided to let one out but then soon as I did a group of people came towards us and it was my dates family. They stopped to talk and they said hello to me but then suddenly this disgusting smell surrounded us and my dates nan was there standing right next to me. I could tell she could smell it as she kept sniffing, covering her mouth and then she turned to me and said “Oh thats filthy” That was the last time I saw her and I dont blame her for not seeing me as Nana was disgusted.

-Tom M

ARE YOU WELL HUN?

I went on a first date in Birmingham with this guy called Luke who I met on Tinder. When I met him he seemed a little off as in drunk, but I just thought maybe its nerves. We went for food and he called me Emily, I told him my name is Rachel, He looked at me confused and said: “I thought I was on a date with Emily?” I was shocked, I asked him if he was okay and he then proceeded to say ” Oh yeah your Rachel, and Emily is the skinny one. I think her dates tomorrow, sorry, I had some coke before I came out” Wow, that was my queue to go, never again TINDER!

-Rachel

RATE MY SHITS

I met this guy off Tinder and for our first date a table at an Indian restaurant in Moseley as he knew I liked Indian food. We met, he seemed nice and then we sat down for our meal. I noticed half way through our mains that he was sweating and his voice was starting to shake a bit, he then asked the waiter if there was a toilet and walked off quite quicky… I was literally waiting at the table for 25 minutes, I started to worry. The waiter came over to me and said “I think your partner has gone” I then asked the waiter why he thought that and he then said he saw him leaving in a hurry holding his coat covering his bum/legs. My date shit himself and left me to pay the bill…and whats so funny is that he text me two weeks later asking what would I rate him as a first date…

-Tracy

IT WAS A RUN BY PORKING!

We went to the Bullring for our first date, coffee and lunch. She was nice but she wasn’t for me so I never messaged her again. I went out in Digbeth one night with the lads and I was outside having a fag when all of a sudden I felt something hit the back of my head, It was a ham sandwich and it was the girl I went on the date with. Thank god I didn’t go on another date with her, who carries a ham sandwich with them at 2 am in the morning?

-Tim

MILFS ON BROADSTREET

I was seeing this girl from Bumble called Anna for about 3 weeks, I went round her house and even met her mother who was a bit crazy but pretty hot! I was out in Birmingham one night with the lads in Broad Street and I spotted Anna who was out on a Hen Do with her family and friends, we all got really drunk especially Anna’s Mom. That night I was supposed to go home with Anna but I went to the Travelodge on Broad Street with Anna’s Mom instead, OOPS.

-Sam C

Bab about Town

Tags Birmingham, dating, valentinesday

lifestyle

HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY BAB ABOUT TOWN

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 26th September 2020
17 Comments on HAPPY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY BAB ABOUT TOWN

So it’s been a year today since I hit that publish button on my blog, I was a complete nervous wreck, I had to change my top twice as I was sweating like a sweating like a nun in a field of cucumbers and I consumed a whole tub of Marks and Spencer’s spicy chicken wings (no regrets) It’s funny because now I look back and think why the hell did I not do this earlier? Its been a hell of a journey and with this post, I want to be a little bit more open with you all, as to why I started this blog and what I have achieved from blogging.

BEFORE BAB ABOUT TOWN

Since the age of ten, I have also had an interest in writing, the number of stories I have written all crammed into my closet is crazy, many girls collect shoes, I collect scripts. My love for writing suddenly was put to the back of the mind when I was nineteen and was in a serious relationship. One thing I have learned from relationships is that love does distract us from our passions in life, sometimes we don’t notice because we are so wrapped up in love or the idea that we are in love. Suddenly my life was almost planned out for me, work in courts, marriage, kids and growing old together with my Ex. I do remember wanting to do the blog when I was in a relationship but as the years passed I seemed to lose a lot of confidence in myself and just cancelled out that dream.

I would call myself a bit of loner because I liked going out a lot on my own with my camera, taking pictures of Birmingham, it was sort of therapy for me really, creating a world that was in my mind that really, I wanted to live in, so weird because even in a relationship, I still felt very alone.

Due to the breakdown of my relationship, it sent me in a deep depression for months, the worse thing I did was hide it and that is the worse thing you can do when you are feeling down. I would say, I was punishing myself for the breakup, I stopped believing in myself, I was a complete NOB to myself and it was like my mind was bullying my body 24/7. It’s hard to look back because I look at that depressed Girl and God, I feel so sorry for her. I remember sitting in my room one night thinking “You either stop moaning and kill yourself or you get some balls and live your life to the fullest” Just like that, I did the sulking, I did all the crying in the world and I got some balls and wrote a list of things I wanted to achieve before thirty. Of course, getting over/dealing with depression is not as easy as that, it took a lot of time to finally forget the negative and focus on the positive, I really owe it to my friends and family who provided me with a blanket of love and support through such a horrible time.

WHY I STARTED BAB ABOUT TOWN

“Start a blog” was on my list to do before turning 30 so, I did some research and I went on Twitter and got some advice on how I could put together a blog. What was it going to be about? well, I thought I love photographing and talking about Birmingham, so why not combine them together and create a blog based on my City with reviews, beautiful photography and Brummie banter, I love my City and so, I wanted my readers to fall in love with Birmingham like me. People who know me well, know I am a bit of a Gobshite, so if I was going to put together a blog it had to be honest, true and pure Amy, The Amy who doesn’t think before she speaks, shouts Balls all the time and talks about how fucked up vaginas are. I remember drafting up my first post and thinking why would anyone read this? but then I thought well at least I’m going to give it a go and say at least I tried.

To be totally honest with you I think well, I know! I definitely underestimated the blog and myself. I thought maybe I will do this for a couple of weeks, maybe months and then get bored of it or just think no one is reading it so what’s the point? However as I kept up my writing and documenting my way through Birmingham and posting it on the blog/social media, I started to get followers, subscribed readers, business contacts regarding promotional/PR collaborations for the blog and invites to new business openings in and out of Birmingham, that is bloody crazy. The weirdest thing is going out in Birmingham and to have someone come up to you asking if your Bab about Town and then proceed to talk about your blog like your some big shot, That is bizarre to me, but its a nice bizarre! It just makes me think wow, people like you, they like your blog, your writing is actually interesting…Now, how the fuck do I become a millionaire from this?! 😛

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?

The main lesson I have learnt from Bab about Town is don’t be afraid and it’s never too late to achieve what you want in life. Why do we think of the negative before the positive? Sometimes you just got to tell that negativity in you to shut the fuck up and take a backseat because I remember all the negative thoughts on this day last year and all I can say is MAHA MOTHERFUCKER! Honestly is important in the blogging game, I panic if I have attended a venue or if I’m tasting out a new menu and it’s not up to scratch but you have to be honest, and there’s the disrespectful way or the professional way, A lot of people rely on me, to tell the truth, and I have always said that my blog will always be open and honest to my readers. Another lesson is that blogging is not easy, you can write a post about pretty much anything but it needs to grab readers, lucky for me I am a photographer and I do use a lot of photography to lure the reader into my blog posts but obviously, your words need to match. I am always researching, educating myself and not many people know that I am dyslexic. I’ll put a sentence together in my head and when it comes to writing it down, it makes no sense. I can sometimes sit on a sentence for 30 minutes, trying to work out if it makes sense or not, so this is something I am still learning to deal with but it never stopped me from blogging.

ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO GET INTO BLOGGING?

The best advice I can give is to be consistent, be true and remember to give yourself the credit you deserve once in a while because you bloody deserve it. It’s a tough world out there and starting this blog up when I was in two minds of ending life completely proved how strong I am, we all go through a rough patch in life and you either go forward or shutdown, I chose to go forward and use that negatively in my life to push forward and strive for positively in life. I know your probably thinking who the hell does this girl think she is, Jesus Christ or something but honestly, what I am telling you, it works, I am the proof in the pudding baby.

WHATS NEXT?

More content, more reviews, more laughs and more bad bitch vibes of course. My life is about to get REAL, maybe I am a bit behind in getting a house etc but I needed to do this before jumping into the serious stuff. How can anyone fall in love with you when you haven’t got love for yourself? 2020 has been a bloody bizarre year but I have made sure I have given myself the love I need, that lead to more people falling in love with me and the blog. The blog has helped me to grow up, and the girl last year to the woman now I don’t know at all, no confidence, always putting herself down. This blog post is quite emotional for me because it’s kind of saying goodbye to that person, it sounds morbid but it’s almost like putting her to sleep…
Who knows what will happen next? but I can only see Bab about Town growing and getting bigger, I have worked really hard on this blog and I will continue to work hard and remember to give myself a bit of loving and credit that I deserve now and again. You never know, I might have a sodding book by next year?! I might even be a Victoria Secret Model…Well, anything is possible if you got enough nerve right? the only thing is stopping you is you, and like I said before, sometimes you just got to tell the fear in you to shut the fuck up.

Thank you to everyone who’s believed in me, friends, family, and people who don’t even know me but saw the potential, really thank you. Its been a crazy and exciting journey, and I can’t wait to celebrate with you all next year!

Much love
BAB x

Tags Birmingham, blogging, cake, celebration, events, fashion, lifestyle, Personal

lifestyle

AIN’T NO PARTY LIKE A BED AND A BREW BAB: THE CLEAR SIGNS THAT YOU ARE TOO OLD FOR CLUBBING

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 1st September 2020
3 Comments on AIN’T NO PARTY LIKE A BED AND A BREW BAB: THE CLEAR SIGNS THAT YOU ARE TOO OLD FOR CLUBBING

I have seen a lot of things in my time on Broad Street in Birmingham, I have seen suited up cats, walking dildos, and I once saw a girl throw up the River Nile, I’m not kidding, she was like a bloody hose pipe without the off switch. When friends say “let’s go clubbing” that is the first thing I think off is that god awful street in Birmingham but then, I also think about the terrible house music, the sweaty bodies all over me and the unpleasant fart smells that no one owns up to. Once upon a time, I loved clubbing, I loved getting all sweaty in my clothes, screaming let me be your fantasy and throwing back the cheap neon shots. Time is getting on now and well, I just rather be in an old man’s pub with a pint listening to a bit of Dexy’s Midnight Runners Come. I’ll be honest those clubbing days were a lot of fun and It took me a while to get out of that phase and realise its not that fun anymore. So, what were the signs? when is it time to say I am too old for the club, well, here are the signs to look out for and realise that you are too old for the club!

YOUR CRAVING MCDONALDS AT 10PM

All that build-up, all those hours of getting ready, only to hit the club for one drink and end up in McDonalds at 10pm for a Big Mac.

YOU CANT “GET LOW’ ANYMORE TO FLO RIDA

I mean, why the hell would you want to dance to that song anyway…

YOUR WIPING THE TOILET SEAT IN THE CLUB AND REFUSE TO SHARE YOUR TOILET WITH YOUR BESTIE ANYMORE

I remember the days of rushing to the toilets with your friends after all those vodka and cokes, and sharing a lovely toilet seat covered in other peoples urine and cigarette ash…Bliss.

ITS HAPPY HOUR! BUT YOUR FIRST THOUGHT IS I GOT TO GET UP EARLY TOMORROW…

I got a 6 am alarm, shit loads of work to do and bloody loads of meetings, have you ever done an all-nighter and gone into work the next day pissed as a fart? It took me a good hour to find my work trousers the following morning only to realise that I was already wearing them and had dropped toothpaste down my crotch…FFS.

YOU DONT EVEN MAKE IT OUT TO THE CLUB…

Have you ever gotten ready, had a glass of wine then suddenly your bed is more appealing than a night out with the girls and hideous shots…yeah, happens all the time mate.

“LETS GO TO THE NEXT CLUB!!”

Everyone has that Twat in each friendship group who doesn’t know when to call it quits on a night out but we still bloody love them to death but not when you want to call it a night. You have done your bit, you had a couple of drinks, you bopped up and down on the dance floor, that should do it, right? HECK, NO! There is always some fucker who can’t call it quits until they pulled a one night stand and a kebab.

YOU ARE ASKING FOR THE PRICE OF DRINKS

£10 for a sodding Gin and Cranberry, does that include the bloody whole bottle of gin?!

WHEN EVEN MR BRIGHTSIDE CANT BRING YOU ONTO THE DANCE FLOOR

I remember the days of Mr Brightside, the whole of Snobs flooding to the small sticky dance floor, jumping all over random people, people hugging each other screaming the lyrics and then at the end of the song leaving the dance floor smelling like someone’s stinky armpit. Good times, but now when this song comes on and you see the big sweaty crowd forming I just think BACTERIA and I cant be arsed to shower when I get in…

YOU DIVE ON YOUR FRIEND WHO IS “TOO DRUNK” BECAUSE HE/SHE IS YOUR TICKET TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!

Right, so who is the one friend that is absolutely going to get shit faced tonight and is your ticket out of this joint to a Mcdonalds and an early bedtime.
8pm “I’m Fucked mate”
And we have an escape plan, exxxcellent!

YOU LOSE YOUR FRIENDS ON PURPOSE SO YOU CAN GO HOME EARLY

“Just going to pop to the toilet, back in a bit”
Runs to the exit and Dials Uber
Get home, fling heels to the floor, whip off the bra, jump into PJs, pray to the Lords that you don’t have those clingy friends that like to pee in the same toilet as you and go to bed.
MI5 you can hire me anytime Babe.

WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE TRYING TO GET YOU TO DANCE BUT ALL YOUR THINKING ABOUT IS WHATS HAPPENING ON LOVE ISLAND RIGHT NOW?

You agree to go out with your friends, you have a drink, you have a bite, you have a bitch, and then you are forced to sway side to side on the dance floor to some god awful pop music, but all your thinking about is whats going on in Love Island right now…and then Sean Paul comes on…FFS.

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, clubbing, clubs, funny, goingout, nightlife, old

lifestyle travel

DAY TRIP TO STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 17th August 2020
8 Comments on DAY TRIP TO STRATFORD-UPON-AVON

It’s been a while since I last visited this medieval market Town, my last visit I can recall being smacked in the face by butterflies, smelling what only can be described as “shite” through holes in the wall (in some bizarre Museum) and having to be dragged out of charity shops because I couldn’t stop buying ugly jackets. I haven’t exactly created a perfect picture for Stratford-upon-Avon however this visit is definitely a bit more appealing, I promise! My best friend and I decided to go for a bit of a girly day out, featuring a hell of a lot of banging bites, booze, and bitching…What do you expect? We are Girls…

Oozing history, beautiful architecture, and fabulous independents, and let’s not forget about the generous offering of attractions for families, great boozers for the tired parents, and picturesque parks for those who just want a bit of peace of quiet. Yes, Stratford-upon-Avon is the perfect day out.The Town Centre is just under a 10-minute walk from the station, and a lovely walk it is with medieval architecture, flowers in bloom, and fantastic shops to do a bit of window shopping.

When we arrived we were feeling a little bit peckish so we headed to The Cornish Bakery on Henley Street, a lovely little Bakery that is well presented offering a selection of pastries and hot drinks that you can take away or dine outside in their outdoor seating area (currently no seating inside due to Co-Vid) I went for a Cornish Pastie with sweet potato and feta, god it was beautiful. The coffee tasted great and the staff there are generally very friendly there A great start!

We next went for a little walk around the Town, down some quiet streets full of pretty doors that you would see plastered all over Instagram and Pinterest. The weather was so hot, literally was gasping for a drink every five minutes so we thought…BEER. We headed to The Rose & Crown pub (Part of Greene King pubs) which is a lovely traditional pub with quite the quirky outdoor seating area with a cool-ass barn in the back. very spacious, great drink selection (especially Ales) and a relaxing atmosphere, no old rowdy men here. The pub also serves food which we didn’t order but looked great, its dog-friendly, Table service, and all CO-VID measures are in place, so I felt very safe in there. I went for quite the large Abbott Ale that went down a treat.

Next, we went on another walk around the town popping into some independents, brought a gorgeous vintage bag from Razzle Dazzle in The Courtyard which is a beautiful quirky little vintage shop with very appealing prices! full of vintage attire, jewellery, and I also spotted a few hideous jackets that I just bloody adore. Stratford-upon-Avon is home to a lot of amazing Bakery independents such as York’s, Daisy blue, and MOR Bakery. I hear the Cruffin’s at MOR Bakery are out of this world so of course, I had to pop in and order one. I wouldn’t say they are out of this world but my god, they are out of this bloody UNIVERSE! Say hello to peanut butter and jelly cruffin. Inside MOR Bakery was pretty busy however they now have a take-out hatch where you can order take out coffee and bakes such as cruffin’s!

For lunch, we decided to go to The Fourteas on Sheep Street which is a beautiful 1940s tea room, if you are a lover of all things vintage you will love it here! Tuck into an afternoon tea surrounded by 1940’s decor accompanied by 40’s music. We sat outside on a beautiful little terrace outside that definitely came in handy in this heat! Feeling quite full from the ale, I decided to go for a light lunch opting for the frittata Zenios with chorizo and feta cheese. A very tasty dish that just did the trick of filling me up and giving me the energy to venture on yet another walk around the Town! I clocked the afternoon tea on the table behind us that looked pretty good so when I next come to Stratford it would be lovely to try it out!

We went for a walk around the River and I have to say as it was such a lovely day it was pretty packed. Full of families, couples, and so on, but all were keeping to social distancing rules. We did want to hire a boat however the queue was just way too big and waiting in this heat was not something I wanted to do. We sat on the bank of the river and admired the beautiful scenery.Most of the museums were shut but it didn’t really matter because there was still plenty to do and plenty of things to try…like more alcoholic beverages?

Onto the next pub, which is the very popular Actors pub called Dirty Duck, known to be popular with some of the theatre’s Actors/Actresses (They have a wall in the pub with all the actor’s pictures who have visited The Dirty Duck) The front was pretty packed out but they had a quiet little beer garden at the back in which we soaked up the sun in sipping on some Pimms! The service was great, the staff were very friendly and kudos to them for creating a safe environment to eat/drink in. Very popular pub so you may want to book a table before you visit!.

On the way back to the train station we popped into a few more independents and quite frankly some bizarre shops such as the all-season Christmas shop. The Harry Potter shop is a must-visit for true Harry Potters fans full packed full of HP merchandise for you to get your hands on even your very own wand! We walked past Shakespeare’s birthplace which was pretty impressive to see but, of course, we couldn’t go in due to Co-vid.

All that was left was a 40-minute train ride back to Birmingham! A day well spent trying out new independents, cooling down with booze, and soaking up the sun looking out on beautiful surroundings. Please see the list of independents/pubs we tried out below and if you would like to know any more information please just comment below!

The Cornish Bakery

Rose & Crown Pub

MOR Bakery

The Fourteas

Dirty Duck

Amy Eliza

Tags dayout, lifestyle, photography, shakespeare, stratford, stratforduponavon, travel, westmidlands

Birmingham lifestyle photography

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE BIRMINGHAM: AFTER LOCKDOWN ONE

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 4th July 2020
12 Comments on THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE BIRMINGHAM: AFTER LOCKDOWN ONE

The last couple of months have been challenging, from no rules to rules, restrictions, and penalties. I have been dreaming about this day for a long while since the start of lockdown I would kick myself daily the number of times I would wake up in the morning and moan about going into Birmingham for work. Now, we can finally see the light at the end of this long and confusing tunnel, sometimes I still think Did it actually happen? restrictions are being lifted, the number of deaths are falling, and it seems, most of us are getting our smiles back. It’s been challenging but now, we are almost at the finish line, but we must stick with our strategy and still be alert. So, I thought as everything is easing up a bit, it was the right time to reunite with Birmingham, to see my cousin, and to roam through our awesome city. Would it feel like Brum? what’s changed? Will it feel normal? Am I safe? All these questions were running through my mind and a lot of you have the same questions too responding to my IG stories last week. So, I thought I would put a post together to answer those questions and give you a little glimpse of the Birmingham we all know and love.

On arriving in Birmingham it wasn’t quite the zombie apocalypse aftermath that I was expecting especially in the City Centre. I was expecting scenes from I am Legend, scrunched up rolling newspapers, empty stores, eagle-like birds patrolling the skies, and silence. What I got instead was the countdown to Christmas shopping scenes, it was like the scene’s out of The Grinch (without the explosion of Christmas decor) where all the who’s in Whoville are rushing to buy Christmas presents and carrying bags that are way too big for them- One lady had eight large bags, possibly smaller than me! People were going about their day and well, it looked like a normal “busy” day in Birmingham. Add in a couple of hand sanitiser stations, floor markings, and queues -(never thought I would see the day of people queuing up for Poundland), but other than that, it was normal until you walk past Primark…

AVOID PRIMARK

There’s me, laughing at all these sad people waiting to get into Primark on the first day of reopening, I said: “Look at all those people lining up for shit Disney merch, fluffy flip flops and face wipes, have they not heard of online shopping?” However, I find myself queueing outside Primark for £2.50 sunglasses, face wipes, and pants…You Tit Amy Langston. However, I came away with ZERO and an almighty headache.
What’s social distancing like in Primark? Well, It doesn’t exist Bab. There were floor markings and hand sanitiser stations but social distancing? Out the bloody window on the way to the bloody North Pole!
It just does not exist here, someone sees a bargain and another person sees the same bargain and then you find yourself walking past two people who are fighting over the last pair of Disney pants. I couldn’t believe it, I had people brushing past me, and why is it every time you go to Primark there is always someone up your arse?

Take my advice, if you really need your basic bitch wardrobe, just shop on eBay, most of the fashion in there looks like it came out in the 90’s so just hit the charity shops instead. I have to admit I didnt feel that safe in there and I wouldnt recommend to go just yet.

DIGBETH

Now Digbeth was a bit of a ghost town, it was 1 pm and no one was about just business owners having their meetings and the one group of builders eating their sorry wife’s lunches. Many businesses in Digbeth are not open, I know this week they will be so there is a lot of meetings taking place implementing safety procedures and so on. It’s so strange because whenever I am in Digbeth it’s absolutely thriving with creatives, you always bump into a street artist, photographer, or a tv crew. However, what’s so nice to see is the street art and some added additions to this colorful urban village. The blue NHS heart sign, the Hope artwork, and the massive Co-vid wall art, all are very impressive. Businesses such as Birdies, Ghetto Golf, The Night Owl and so on are all closed still, but I still couldn’t hold my excitement of walking past these once lively places and reminiscing of my drunken times there “Oh look that’s where I found a Marks and Spencer’s sandwich!” They may be closed for now but boy, the memories are still alive and well

Digbeth felt very safe, even walking past people they were keeping their distance. Also, we walked past a few venues that had builders inside so I am guessing there are going to be a few new neighbors moving into Digbeth!!

We decided to walk through China Town and the Gay Quarter which was pretty quiet, no one was about even checking out some of the street art in which, you would see one or two photographers there but it was deserted. I got to check out Bath passage in which you might have seen on social media as it had a new lick of paint…as in a lot of lick of paint! The artwork is incredible and what an amazing background for a photoshoot! If you want to check this out and not too sure where about it is, it’s off Ladywell Walk, right next door to the Cantonese Restaurant.

COFFEE SHOPS

A couple of coffee shops we walked past in Brum had queues outside such as Faculty and Java, Everyone was keeping their distance and I saw one or two employees standing outside making sure people were too., We headed to 200 Degrees which was completely empty, so weird, this place is always packed out! Social distancing procedures have been put in place in 200 Degree (floor markings, sanatizer stations) and I felt very safe in there ordering my drink. Instead of opting for the coffee I went for their summer drinks range and opted for a summer berry smoothie which was mighty refreshing as it was bloody hot as hell day! And do you know whats nice to see? smiles, Its’ nice to see that the impact of the virus hasn’t broken employees’ spirits, There are still smiles a bout.

FOOD

I know a couple of café/restaurants were open for collection, so we just decided to download the UberEATS app instead of going on the hunt for food (best option if you still feel a bit on edge) We ordered from a much loved Brummie favourite-Bonehead. “It’s not going to be the same” well you can shove that comment down your pie hole because it was just as good as eating in their restaurant! fried to perfection chicken dipped into a smoky mayonnaise sauce with waffle fries, SENSATIONAL. Ordered and ready to be collected within 20 minutes, now that some serious service in a pandemic!
We decided to head to the Mailbox and chill out by the canal. It was bizarre, I am uset to seeing this place so full of life, it was quiet, really quiet. I have to say it was so lovely to sit on the canals and eat our food, it took me back to my time in Amsterdam the sun was blaring down on us, the food was delicious and the sound of water splashing against the canal walls was someway therapeutic. I think that was the most chilled out I’ve been in the last four months

KIDS ARE BLOODY EVERYWHERE

Walking from The Cube towards the Birmingham Library it was starting to get a little bit busier, the tram was running, the fountains outside the library were surrounded by kids and families and sunbathers all huddled around each other. It was like anaimals gathering round the watering hole on a hot day, it was packed out! Another negative and I am sorry parents but its children. I understand that some kids can be little bastards sometimes I know, I uset to be one BUT we are in a pandemic if your kid runs up to a random kid and licks their face don’t just ignore it, DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILD. I’m pretty sure if that was me going up to some random and licking their face I am most likely to get a well-deserved punch or end up in a cell for the night. The kids were knocking into all kinds of people, god knows what the parents fed them that day but it’s a worrying sight to see because of course, they are putting themselves and others in danger. Now, that doesnt apply to all children,I also saw some good eggs on that day sitting quietly or just playing with their Mothers but the Scallys need to be told.

New buildings, new businesses are popping up near the Birmingham Museum, The Dishroom terrace was something new and I could see new signage for restaurants opening soon to Birmingham where Paradise Forum once was. It’s good to know that we are still heading for the future here in Brum.

A lot quieter by the big Mama statue, few people around but all spaced out reading books, drinking their Starbucks, and sunbathing. Walking towards the Bullring/Grand Central was where it started to get very busy again, queues for the apple store, music blaring, and performers still performing..

I understand we are still learning and adapting but there are some players that don’t want to abide by the rules. Like it or not, we are a team at the moment, we are all in this together. Birmingham is on its way back returning to full glory, the businesses are cooperating but the public…not so much. Did I feel safe? yes in some areas of Brum, the shopping centres not so much. There were gang’s of kids and families of eight or more shopping near the Bullring without a care in the world if they brush past you. If your really worried about Co-vid I would advise to just avoid the shopping centres in Birmingham for a bit as I was really taken back at how selfish some shoppers are, It honestly felt like I was invisible to them.

I am not going to lie, I am quite worried about the re-opening of pubs today, I do think it will be absolute carnage. There are a lot of selfish people out there who only care about themselves and how much booze is in their liver. They are not going to like being told what they can or can not do, and If you are one of those people, just get pissed at home save someone the headache that’s working their ass off to pay bills to look after a chump like you. If you are heading out this weekend and thinking that it’s going to be “a mad night on the town with the lads” then you are sadly mistaken. Have a laugh, have a drink, bloody smile of course, but don’t just go out to get completely rat arsed because you can easily just do that at home? These independent businesses have struggled in the last couple of months, many business owners have woken up daily wondering if they are going to survive, some businesses owners are excited yet absolutely terrified for this weekend so please, understand. Be sensitive, and be kind. Remember, we are nearly at the finish line, focus, and we will succeed.

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, city, coffee, coronavirus, Food, photography, shopping, streetart, travel

lifestyle

THE STAY AT HOME DIARIES

So, I am on week 6 or maybe it’s week 7? I don’t even know anymore; it feels like week 86 especially with my new fine-line features on my forehead. The days are long, the biscuit tin is empty again and I am slowly but surely losing my mind that I am not able to talk to friends face to face or strangers’ dogs. I think the reason I am losing my mind (I suspect everyone is losing it to) is because we don’t have any idea of when this virus will pass, and we can go back to normality. A good thing is that the alcohol cabinet has not been completed raided…just yet. It’s not all doom and gloom at home, I have been quite busy discovering new independents, developing new skills aka eating quietly and saving & planning for the future.

When the lockdown was first announced and I was told to stay at home, I was pretty pissed about it. I didn’t want to isolate but then I sat down and thought about all the things I could do and didn’t have the time before to do them, for example, a “Sex and the City all-nighter” (INSERT TROLL FACE) thats when I started to get excited and celebrate the isolation…

DAY ONE: LOCKDOWN AKA FREEDOM

DAY FIFTEEN: WELL THATS ALL MY CHORES DONE FOR THE YEAR, THIS SHOULD BE OVER SOON…

DAY TWENTY FIVE: CALLED NAN 50 TIMES TODAY AND THE WALL IS IGNORING ME!!

Of course, I wasn’t speaking to the walls, but I definitely have been speaking to the birds. It does get a little depressing when you can’t see your friends and family but I am grateful that I live with my parents still, In December I was thinking to rent in Birmingham however took the wise decision not to go forward with renting as it’s just dead money and I want to continue to see my savings rise so I can buy not rent, so best deicison I have made because god knows what I would be like on my own. So I have been keeping busy and here are a few thing that I have been doing whilst in lockdown AND a few updates on me!

INDEPENDENT SHOPPING

So, I have been focusing more on shopping independently whilst in lockdown so buying my essentials independently rather than queue at Asda for half an hour for out of date bread. I have tried out some new fantastic independents in which I have blogged about in My North of Birmingham self-isolating guide and hoping to review in my next blog post. I finally got to visit some well-known favourites such as OnTheBreadLine well known for their tasty bakes and breads, also discovering new businesses such as Silvertree Catering which have become an instant favourite of mine for delivering my essentials.

SUPPORTING BUSINESSES

Most of you will know that I have been constantly supporting local independent businesses throughout lockdown. I’d put together a self-help guide to help those who are isolating and can’t make it to the lengthy ques of Tesco, why go queue for basic Bitch Warburtons when you can get freshly home-baked bread delivered to your front door? I have been so busy every week researching and updating the blog post, I have been posting quite a lot on my social media to get the word out for businesses and the response has been incredible! Many people use the guide every day and have passed it to those who are vulnerable, what is so heart-warming is receiving messages from people who have said the guide has helped their vulnerable loved ones so much (I cried the other day because a girl messaged me saying she uses the guide every day to help her ill Dad and that it’s literally saved them) I have put a lot of hard work into the guide so it’s really lovely to hear such positive feedback from people. I have mentioned above that I will be putting together a review blog post of all the independents I have used whilst in lockdown so look out for that next!

HELLO BABY! SAY HELLO TO MY NEPHEW HENRY KIT

There’s a new member of the family, introducing Henry Kit who is absolutely lovely! Well and truly over the moon, I have a nephew! It’s a shame at the moment that we can’t hold him, so frustrating as well when you see him and he just looks like he needs a cuddle! A bit of positivity that the family needed after losing Nasher (our dog) I think as a family it all hit us really hard and it seems that we were all really down so it’s nice to have something new coming in and perking us all up.

IMPROVING AND DEVELOPING NEW SKILLS

Okay, so I have really got into my cooking lately, I love experimenting with all kinds of things (wink wink) but especially with food. Last weekend I made this pretty dirty burger and I was pretty impressed with myself using Stripclubs Streetfood DIY kit. I have also been experimenting with healthy meals as well, trying to cut out the yeast and cut down on the salt/sugar intake (that burger is definitely not an example of it) but I’ve made meat-free burritos and spicy prawn one pans, that was absolutely delicious! So, I am excited to look forward to having my own kitchen and experimenting more. I have also been topping up my photography skills, street photography/food photography/ and floral photography. It’s always great to keep creative, I have even taken up drawing again which was absolutely bizarre holding a pencil to paper as the last time I did that was in detention at secondary school, God I hate pencils.

I have also been keeping creative in the garden and dabbling with a bit of self-portrait photography, mainly focusing on my editing skills and creating something that people wouldn’t expect has just been taken in someones back garden. My Dad has also shown an interest in photography so I have been teaching him portrait photography where of course MOI as the subject, I think he’s done a pretty good job!

HAD A MELTDOWN AND CHOPPED MY HAIR

So not many people know I wear hair extensions, so It came to many as a bit of a shock when I posted this on my social media. I chopped it myself, I just watched a YouTube video, washed my hair had a swig of beer and chopped it. I defiantly look older because I didn’t get ID’d for a Gin & tonic in Marks and Spencer’s the other day and the old little Lady who lives down the road from me stropped saying “Hello chicken” to me on my daily walks now. I feel pretty free without them although they did give me confidence but I feel like I have changed so much from when I first got them I had no confidence at all and now, I just feel 100% good about myself! It’s always nice to have a change so we shall see how it goes!

DATING ONLINE? NAAAH

The one thing that kind of sucks about being single is when you are constantly surrounded by people who are not single, it’s almost like you pressured into jumping onto a dating app and speaking to the first guy that you think is a worthy 5/10. Don’t get me wrong I have been on the dating apps, but it has become quite clear that I am just not interested. They say Hi, I say Hi back, they say I have a cute face and I just ghost them, I don’t like talking online, I rather do it face to face but its look like that’s not going to happen for quite some time. So, I’ll just jump on Bumble at like 10 pm at night and talk to someone for 30 minutes, I fall asleep and thenI forget about them the next day. I sound like an absolute fuckwit and I know girls would kill me for doing it because we give guys a hard time doing it to us girls but I can’t help feeling bored and obviously a bit frisky …oh Come on, We have all been there!

When the time is right it will happen and if doesn’t happen, oh well! there is always cute dogs to keep you company!

THAT COFFEE TREND IS BALLZ

I tried that Dalgona whipped coffee trend that everyone is going mad about and well honestly, it was just a bag of balls trying to attempt to whisk the bloody thing. I tried to do it old school using my hands and well, this was the finished product, my “whipped” coffee. Just embarrassing, it’s a coffee alright without the sodding whip! never again.

Daily walks and seeing new places, It’s always good to experience something new once a week. So I like taking my bike (robbing my Dads bike) riding down the country lanes and seeing new spots. I would go through the park but it’s just so packed! full of kids running into you and complete nobs in gangs on bikes, rather go somewhere quiet and on my own and feel like I’m not in Sutton for one day! It’s like a mini-holiday without the fruity cocktails, shit karaoke and GUCCI “lucky lucky” geared up blokes.

So there you have it, a little bit of an update on me in self-isolation! Hope you are all keeping safe and looking after yourselves, also remember to check in on your loved ones now and again!

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, family, Food, health, isolation, lifestyle, selfcare, suttoncoldfield

lifestyle Thailand travel

THE THAILAND DIARIES: PART TWO

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 22nd April 2020
19 Comments on THE THAILAND DIARIES: PART TWO

So, this is the part of the holiday where it gets a little bit out of control…I mean like almost dying on speedboats in the middle of nowhere and seeing certain objects that should never be taken out or even associated with a vagina, out of control.

If your reading this then I am guessing you enjoyed part 1 of the madness Jessica and I experienced in Thailand, but it doesn’t stop there at Chiang Mai, I mean, have you not heard what happens in Phuket? Trust me it’s not all madness, but I don’t think we actually prepared ourselves for the madness that Phuket had to offer. So here goes part two, again I have put together a blog post with lots of photos, hilarious stories and recommendations. We travelled from Chiang Mai to Phuket and some of the Islands. If there is anything that has caught your eye and wants to know more about just send me a comment and I’ll be happy to give you more information! Other than that, I hope I don’t disgust you too much.

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE PHUKET…HOLD ON TO YA KNICKERS!

After a very tight and sweaty flight from Chiang Mai, we finally arrived in Phuket and jumped into the nearest taxi we could find. The taxi guy proceeded to get more and more people into the taxi with us, it was like a bloody school trip, but we met a couple of them and decided to go out in Phuket. After an hour in a sweaty taxi, we finally arrived at the hotel which was a 4-star spa resort called Deevana Patong where we had a cute little bungalow to ourselves and was completely surrounded by lots of BUSH. It was around 8 pm and we headed to the famous strip in Phuket-Patong Beach. Now if you haven’t heard of Patong Beach, just imagine the strip in Malia but on a larger scale, more wild with half-naked women dancing to The Weekend, lights flashing so much they could give anyone an epilepsy fit, theatrical grand entrances to clubs and signs smacking of your face offering half-price sex shows and of course, a good time. The weirdest thing about this strip was that families were walking up and down carrying pushchairs and holding on to their clueless little kids who would just point at the bright lights. So innocent, what they don’t know is that the bright light that they are pointing at actually belongs to a strip club. As Jess and I were walking up the strip we noticed the two lads we met in the taxi, they took everyone’s numbers and mentioned that they couldn’t get in touch with the other two girls…hmmm. Anyway, we thought let’s give this Patong Beach a bloody go! So, we ordered in the shots, we ordered in the buckets and we pretty much ordered whatever the hell we wanted because it’s so dirt cheap out here, it was like getting pissed royally. The drinks started to kick in and we were all, how can I say it…. completely twatted. So, what do you do when you are so drunk and have lost respect for yourself?

You go see a ping pong show of course!

PING PONG SHOWS: “I HAVE NEVER PLAYED PING PONG WITH A VAGINA BEFORE”

So, the strip in Patong beach is just packed full of men and women holding up signs for ping pong shows, you simply can’t miss them because you will most likely walk into about four of them in one minute. We approached one of the guys who was holding up a sign for the show, we told him we were interested, and he said “follow me” then proceeded to take us down one of the side alleys of the strip. I was pretty drunk, but I remember at the time thinking “Oh balls, this would be scary if I was sober right now” From the outside, it was honestly like a scene from Grand Theft Auto Vice City where your about to rob a hooker house. It was a house, a very big American-like house like X-men but of course, on a small scale. We walked in and entered this massive room with a stage with two naked women performing and Drake on blast.

You have to buy a drink, and they cost about £20 for one bottle of Corona but that’s your entrance, show, and drink fee, BUT YOU HAVE TO BUY ONE if not, your gone and especially if you get your phone out. Looking around you have a right mixture from old men to couples of all ages just watching the show with smiles and all. To be honest with you, strip clubs are not my thing, I went to Legs11 once and it just wasn’t my cup of tea, but the free chicken wings were, so that is the only positive I have to say about strip clubs. I don’t know if it’s because they all look miserable but I mean, come on, there is nothing to feel all hot and excited about when you are performing in front of a bunch of 60-year-old men dribbling over you and can’t even “make it rain” on your ass.

But Thai girls, they love it. They genuinely look like they love their job even if it does involve shoving a goldfish up their fanny. When we entered the club, the show seemed to get a little bit more exciting probably because the young lads we were with and me and Jessica were cheering them on. We also, “got involved” with the girls and what I mean by “getting involved” is quite literally getting involved in playing tennis with their vaginas… At one point watching Jessica go head to head with a vagina, You could have told me I was at Wimbledon watching a Tennis match, I would most likely believe you as I was that drunk…Next thing I know I was on all fours on the floor trying to figure out how they shove a Budgie bird up there and a string of razor blades?!! I think the girls were loving our side of the room as they kept trying to get us all to interact with them, how it didn’t end up in a full-blown orgy I will never know.

MEETING THE PING PONG GIRLS

So, with all the drink, I consumed…a girl gotta pee. So, I headed to the bathroom whilst everyone was waiting outside for me and I noticed two of the “Ping Pong” girls in there. They asked me if I enjoyed the show and of course, I asked them the million-dollar question ‘Where the hell do these objects go in your vagina?” of course they said something in Thai and I didn’t have a clue what it means but she made a hand gesture of almost like a vacuum cleaner up the Vag. God knows what that means, but they shook hands with me and walked out of the bathroom. I was on my way out of the club with the others and then I realised “Fuck, I just shook hands with them, and they had their hands up to their vaginas all night”

ISLAND HOPPING: TAKE A PILL, HOLD AND PRAY

So, Jessica and I grabbed a boat to get to some of the Islands in Phuket. We hopped on board a small speedboat with an open deck with seats, when we were about to set off the driver said, “Whoa no one is leaving without taking an anti-sickness tablet” Yes, the Andaman Sea is not full of treasure, it’s full of puke.

We went on the top deck of the boat…what a mistake because we took off and everyone on the top deck was thrown like rag dolls, Jess and I were holding on for dear life and some people, well were just completely out of it…

This was a complete stranger falling asleep on Jess’s shoulder….

DID I DIE AND WAKE UP FAMOUS?!

After an hour on the bumpiest ride of my life, we finally managed to check out a couple of the Islands. We saw Maya Bay and waved to Leonardo DiCaprio, jumped into paddle boats and went through the sea caves of Koh Talu, sunbathed in Koh Bon and went scuba diving! We also went to Khao Phing Kan known as “James Bond Island” now, I have been doing some research on this and still don’t know the reason why we had multiple people coming up to me and Jessica asking for selfies. I was just minding my own business taking a photo of that weirdly shaped rock and I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned around and it was a group of guys asking if they could have a picture of me. I was so confused but agreed to do it as they seemed really innocent, but then after that, another guy came up to me with his WIFE?! Asking for a photo. I was thinking has something happened back home that I don’t know about. Am I millionaire walking round like I don’t have a bloody clue or are they getting mixed up with someone else? Weirdly enough Jess came over to me and was experiencing the same thing. We were only on the island for an hour, but it was the most bizarre hour of my life. I don’t have a clue what they have done with those photos, I might be on some Thai wife for sale website for all I know, that would explain the weird “Guywithhugedick wants to send you a message” emails I keep getting ever since.

THE ISLAND FULL OF CATS AND BIRDS

Another bizarre Island was Ko Panyi which is amazingly built on stilts! You might recognise this Village if you have watched “Jack Whitehall’s travels with my father” with the floating football pitch which was pretty cool to see. As we were walking around it had like these dingy little areas which we had to question ourselves if we were actually allowed to go down as it was part of people’s houses. Cats were roaming everywhere, never seen so many cats in my life and there were hundreds of these little birds in cages hanging up. They have a school, police station, health center and mosque on that tiny island which is bizarre because people are going about their day and then you just see tourists taking pictures of them, a very bizarre experience, not too sure I would like experience again.

The one thing I will say is Thailand’s strippers are so friendly, they want to include you in the fun and to be honest this one stripper that was dancing, I don’t think she even cared about the money because she just demanded girls to get up and dance with her. I was drunk but I wasn’t “lets dance with my tits out” drunk yet so I was just her little cheerleader on the side but fair play to Jess she got up there, although it kind of reminded me of a constipated hamster on a pole…Sorry, Jess haha but no one cared, it was fun! We got to play snooker with even more randoms, share these buckets that took me back to the sharing jugs in Weatherspoons and we all just let our hair down whatever problems we had back at home they were gone for this night. Even bashing a nail on the head with a hammer was fun? Yes, it’s a drinking game over in Thailand that could but luckily didn’t end up nasty, even the bartenders were getting involved and throwing drinks at us, and some for free.

That night Jess and I got separated from each other. I found myself jumping into a rooftop pool at 2 am in the morning and sharing a kiss with one of the guys who we met on the way to Phuket. Although it maybe wasn’t the best time to get close to someone as I split up with my boyfriend of 7 years and was completely clueless if I was okay to do this sort of thing (me being a stupid girl) I’m glad I did, it could have gone further but it didn’t because I’m just not that girl who has one night stands and moves on so quickly plus I was still thinking about him. I was so lucky that night because I could have found myself in a situation where the lad could have turned around and said “no, you are not leaving and we are going to have sex” but he fully understood I was so confused and hurt by the situation back home. We chilled out, talked and then he helped me get home.

DON’T EAT SALADS

After all the junk food we consumed, I just wanted something nice and refreshing like a salad. We found this lovely little restaurant in the town and although I got my salad, I also got a little something extra as well…The shits. Oh my goodness, I have never run so fast for the toilet in my life, luckily we got back and I was outside, Jess was inside sleeping and I just remember thinking “I do not feel good” and running for the toilet, good lord I think the whole of Thailand came out of me that night. Whatever you do in Thailand, just make sure you don’t eat a salad over there.

It was finally time to say goodbye to Thailand and I remember staring at the sunset in Phuket airport waiting to catch our flight home. I remember thinking I don’t want to go home; I knew what was facing me and I just didn’t want to be an adult and deal with it yet. The grieving process of a relationship ending, a job that I am not fussed about, and really, reality. So many hilarious and amazing memories with my cousin on that holiday, memories that make great stories to tell those who are feeling down and will guarantee to get some giggles. I miss the Thai coffee that gave us the shits, the beautiful and the not so beautiful scenery we would wake up to, the unwelcomed visitors (Lizards) that at the time was terrifying but looking back comedy gold and just living the best life with my best friend Jess. I think Thailand was the start of learning to love myself and I was starting to figure out what I wanted in life, and it will always be a holiday that opened my eyes and finally realising what I want in life. A big thank you to Jess for coming with me, she knew I was down, and she knew I needed it so much and it did help, Thailand I’ll never forget you and your bloody mad ways!

Hope you enjoyed it!

Amy Eliza

Tags Islands, lifestyle, photography, phuket, Thailand, travel

lifestyle

BAB’s CINEMA PRESENTS: TOP 10 WEIRDEST FILMS EVER THAT YOU NEED TO WATCH

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 1st April 2020
16 Comments on BAB’s CINEMA PRESENTS: TOP 10 WEIRDEST FILMS EVER THAT YOU NEED TO WATCH

I believe there are films made out there to just freak the hell out of us and completely leave the cinema baffled as to what the hell they spent their money on but…we kind of love it. We are all guilty, we love a film that makes us question, debate and turn to social media to get more answers. So, I thought why not put together a post of the films that made me do just that. Some of these films have completely lost me, question society and have even inspired me weirdly enough. Now you can look forward to putting your feet up every night, ordering in that popcorn and watching a film from the selection below, that’s right I got your self-isolating night’s covered for the next week. From biting vagina’s to killer cats, these are my weirdest films that you need to watch.

DOGTOOTH

“A controlling, manipulative father locks his three adult offspring in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner within the family compound. The children are bored to tears in spite of distractions like Christina, an employee of their fathers who makes regular visits to sexually service the son. Increasingly curious about the outside world, the older daughter hatches a plan to escape.”

This is one of those films where we can’t help but become in awe of its strangeness and horror. It’s a tough watch but I couldn’t help but watch with a mixture of confusion, horror and shock, its humanity at its most INSANIST. You have bloody weird incestuous relationships, people on all fours barking like dogs to scare of cats who they are told are complete monsters and knocking teeth out with dumbbells. Oh yeah, this film has bite alright.

MIDSOMMAR

A couple travel to Sweden to visit their friend’s rural hometown for its fabled midsummer festival, but what begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.

This is the one movie that I had to question myself on numerous times if I was high or not. Life lesson kids make sure you read about the movie before you go to see it because I got a glimpse of floral and automatically thought it was going to be this lovely romantic movie, my god was I wrong. People stuffed in bears, getting bludgeoned to death and some freakish women screaming like it’s the last orgasm of their lives. I still don’t know what I watched, I still couldn’t tell you what it’s about, but I bloody loved it.

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

Extremely shy Lars finds it impossible to make friends or socialize. His brother and sister-in-law worry about him, so when he announces that he has a girlfriend he met on the Internet, they are overjoyed. But Lars’ new lady is a life-size plastic woman. On the advice of a doctor, his family and the rest of the community go along with his delusion.

Possibly the sweetest film I have ever seen and Ryan Gosling is in it?! I couldn’t stop giggling all the way through and often there would be times where I would feel terrible about it and oddly enough, it is a very touching movie even if it is about falling in love with a plastic doll. I still can’t get over that Ryan Gosling agreed to do this movie but just shows, that sexy guys can take the piss out of themselves too! It’s weird and wonderful at its finest!

MELANCHOLIA

The lives of sisters Justine and Claire get entangled when they discover that Earth is about to collide with an enormous planet called Melancholia.

Within 5 minutes of watching this film, you will be captivated, mark my words. The cinematography in this film is insane, and the plot is pretty smart capturing the portrait of depression. It’s one of those films that is quite tough to stick with but try to because it’s worth it! Kirsten Dunst is amazing as ever definitely her best performance and there is an appearance from one of those hunky Skarsgard brothers in it as well. It’s haunting, terrifying almost like a nightmare you can’t escape but it is mesmerizing.

THE BAD BATCH

Arlen is abandoned in a Texas wasteland that is fenced off from civilization. While trying to navigate the unforgiving landscape, Arlen is captured by a savage band of cannibals led by the mysterious Miami Man. With her life on the line, she makes her way to The Dream. As she adjusts to life in the bad batch, Arlen discovers that being good or bad mostly depends on who’s standing next to you.

Another film which is pretty fucked! Involving cannibalism, short shorts, and that hunky Aqua man guy, so it’s worth a watch in my eyes. It’s a cross between Mad Max and the hills have eyes with some pretty good actors such as Jason Mamoa, Giovanni Ribisi and a hilarious guest appearance from Jim Carrey as a mute hobo?! It’s one of those films with an ending where you generally question why you spent two hours watching it but remember you are a sucker for biceps and Jim Carrey so then you carry on with your day. It had potential to go down a Kill Bill route maybe as TV series, but I am no Director, so what do I know, right?… Call me Quentin!

HEREDITARY

When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying to outrun the sinister fate they have inherited.

This film was good for the first 20 minutes, someone got their head decapitated and then it turned into a complete bore fest until the last 20 minutes where I think the movie producer’s thought “Oh fuck it, let’s just make this as weird as possible” in which they achieved. I watched this at the cinema and when it finished, the whole of the cinema was silent watching the credits roll. No one said a peep until 5 minutes after someone shouted “What the fuck was that about” in which the whole room engaged in a slagging session of this film. You might want to just read about it on Wikipedia and then skip to the end.

TEETH

Dawn is an active member of her high-school chastity club but, when she meets Tobey, nature takes its course, and the pair answer the call. They suddenly learn she is a living example of the vagina dentata myth, when the encounter takes a grisly turn.

Lads will be squealing in their seat and girls will be inspecting their muffins after watching this film. Yes, this movie is really about a vagina with teeth, the ultimate monster and orgasm killer. Is it any good? well, it’s a vagina with teeth what do you expect? it’s hilarious, disgusting and entertaining so worth a watch plus did I mention there is a vagina with teeth in it?

THE ROOM

The film centers on a melodramatic love triangle between amiable banker Johnny, his deceptive fiancée Lisa, and his conflicted best friend Mark.

“I did not hit her! I did not…Oh Hi, Mark”

That’s it, that’s the synopsis. This movie is labelled the worst movie of all time and that’s why you need to watch it NOW. Famous for its notorious lines such as “Oh, Hi Mark” “YOU’RE TEARING ME APART LISA” “You’re just a chicken chip chip” you will find yourself laughing for the wrong reasons because this film intended to be serious. A classic example of “so bad, it’s so good” prepare to laugh your balls off and not have a clue what’s going on.

PANS LABYRINTH

Ofelia moves with her mother to her stepfather’s house. At night, a fairy leads her to a faun who informs her that she is a princess and she needs to participate in three tasks to prove her royalty.

A fucked up Spanish rated 18 “Fairy tale” If you are struggling with your kids whilst self-isolating this is the film to get your kids in order.

This film is a lot, one moment you are trying to fight back the tears, the next you are on the edge of your seat screaming at the TV at what can only be described as a shrivelled up funky looking penis with arms and legs running after a little girl trying to eat her… It’s creepy, it’s brutal and it’s also a frightening masterpiece.

TUSK

A podcaster ventures into the Canadian wilderness to interview an old man who has an extraordinary past, and the American learns the man has a dark secret involving a walrus.

This has to be the weirdest movie I have ever seen in my life. This is on some human centipede level, another film that has convinced me that I must have been stoned whilst watching. In a nutshell, this old man is obsessed with walruses and decides to turn Justin Long’s character into a walrus. Justin Long in a walrus suit? you have to see it to believe it, what’s so odd is why Mr Long agreed to be part of this film AND Johnny Depp?! I laughed, I screamed, and I was totally confused AF! I have no words honestly for this film, go try it out maybe?

AMY ELIZA

Tags cinema, films, lifestyle, movies, netflix, selfisolating, weird, weirdest

lifestyle Thailand travel

THE THAILAND DIARIES: PART ONE…SORRY MOM & DAD

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 29th March 2020
15 Comments on THE THAILAND DIARIES: PART ONE…SORRY MOM & DAD

“Have you ever played ping pong with a vagina before?”

Well, it’s not the best start to 2020, is it? for many holiday seekers relying on that booked holiday to finally relax, top up their tans and maybe even find love, are sadly having to cancel their 2020 treat due to the outbreak of CO-VID 19. Yes, corona, you have well and truly buggered 2020 “The year that was going to be my year,” said the so many millions of people that say the same quote every year. However, let’s not take this as a negative because this year could be the year to reflect, plan and save for 2021.

I find that as you get older the time just flies by and sometimes you just don’t have the time to sit down with yourself and think “Okay, what do I want to do?” I am finding whilst I am self-isolating, that I have all the time in the world to think, thoughts that have never crossed my mind are now quite common in the past week and of course, memories. I was flicking through my phone and came across my Thailand photographs in which I started laughing straight away because I remember before I went to Thailand I felt very down about life, and I just wanted to escape Birmingham for two weeks with my cousin Jess. The memories we made, the experiences we experienced, and my god, the laughs we had. I looked back at the photos in which I am gleaming, I look so happy and you wouldn’t think I just came out of a seven-year relationship with someone who I thought I was going to marry. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, and Thailand was just that because I never fancied Thailand! a couple of my friends went before me and I would think “Why the hell would you want to go to a place like that?!” but soon as I got off that 12-hour flight, Thailand threw everything at me from condom restaurants (Yes for real), sex shows, to walking amongst beautiful temples and elephants. I learnt a lot from Thailand, and it’s a destination I would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat and so, if you’re gutted about your holiday being cancelled in Spain why not step out of your comfort zone and explore Thailand?

So I have put together a blog post with lots of photos, hilarious stories and recommendations. We travelled to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket so there is a lot to get through so there is going to be a part 2. If there is anything that has caught your eye and want to know more about just send me a comment and I’ll be happy to give you more information! Other than that I hope I don’t disgust you too much.

BANGKOK- WHERE WE ALMOST GOT ARRESTED

When we first arrived in Bangkok, we arrived with a bang…quite literally. It was like a scene you would see in a cartoon, we got off our 12-hour flight, grabbed our suitcases and headed to the escalators to get out of Bangkok Airport. We stepped onto the escalators (no steps) and missed the sign to hold onto our luggage- well my cousin Jess did, because the next thing I heard was the loudest screeching ever, so loud that the whole of the airport looked our way with panic expressions. I looked forward and I just see this suitcase running away from Jess and her running after it down the escalator. I couldn’t stop laughing and what was worse is that I needed the toilet so bad, I was having to control my bowels whilst laughing. The suitcase was heading towards these two doors made out of glass and I remember thinking “Oh shit, we are going to get arrested” the suitcase slammed of the glass doors, the sound was honestly like a bomb had gone off but luckily the doors never smashed. Jess grabbed the suitcase where security was standing looking very unimpressed. A close call to getting arrested and sharting but a moment I’ll never forget.

CABBAGES & CONDOMS- THE CONDOM RESTAURANT

I remember coming across this restaurant online thinking “This is not real! It’s got to be a joke?” so when we jumped out of our Tuk-Tuk and saw the sign and light shades made out of condoms, We knew instantly that this is going to be the weirdest dining experience we will ever experience in our lives. Just imagine condoms everywhere, floating in the sky, on the tables, mannequins and flowers made out of them, it got to the point I was starting to imagine dicks as well. The restaurant has a mission to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases and Hey, I thought I was just here for food but found myself in a sex-ed class reading of all the information boards on what you should and should not swallow. The food is pretty basic, but the springs rolls are pretty amazing, but I just kept catching the 100 condom light shades staring at me whilst eating and I couldn’t finish my rolls as I was thinking about dicks again. A very surreal experience and to our amusement when we paid for the bill, I was expecting some complimentary mints that you usually get at a Thai restaurant but nope, they gave us complimentary condoms instead.

MASSAGE- WITH AN ADDED CHEEKY FINGER

Okay, so we all know about the happy ending massage parlours in Thailand so can you imagine my face when I ask for a traditional massage and got more than what I asked for?! We went to some random parlour on the street in Bangkok, didn’t look into it but we were so desperate for a massage. They first scrubbed our feet then took us to this pitch-black room upstairs with two mattresses on the floor and told us to remove our clothes. We didn’t think much of it at first as it was just two middle-aged women plus, we have never had a Thai massage, so we did as what we were told and removed our clothes. This woman I had was pretty good she poured oil down my back and was rubbing all the knots out, from my neck to my feet however as she was gliding back up with the oil she got to my bum and well she, did me over didn’t she?! The crafty fucker slipped a finger in where no fingers shall ever go again, it was like 5 seconds, but I kept fighting with myself thinking if it happened or not. Soon as the women left I turned to Jess literally gobsmacked “I just lost my finger in bum virginity” We couldn’t stop laughing, Jess said her lady straddled her and kept thrusting her vagina in her bum, we couldn’t get out of there quick enough but my back felt great after so I’ll give her that.

CHIANG MAI- WHERE WE ALMOST GOT EATEN ALIVE.

Chiang Mai was one of my favourite places in Thailand although we had a lot of run-ins with the wildlife there, some good and some bad. One of the nights, we decided to take a look at The Night Bazaar which has everything from furniture to crocodile on a stick. On the way back we decided to get a Tuk-Tuk halfway then walk home. As we were walking past an alley, we could hear some growling, we looked down and there was a group of wild dogs. Now, these are not the dogs you get back home, they are almost mutated, dribbling and covered in wounds, not a pretty sight. They clocked us, then they started barking and charged at us. I have never run so fast in my life; I did not want to get eaten alive by dogs even if they are one of my favourite animals. The night didn’t stop there, as we were running a couple of rats decided it was a marathon and ran in front of us, so we screamed some more and increased our speed. When we got back to the hotel which was in the middle of the jungle, we felt so relieved until what I can only describe as a massive lizard orgy on our door to our room, the audacity of these big fuckers out here.

ELEPHANT NATURE PARK- A TRULY REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE

So, there is a lot of negativity when it comes to animal welfare with Thailand and especially with elephants. A lot of these horror stories you hear from elephants forced to dance to the public, carrying logs up mountains and working as beggars on the streets are sadly true. The biggest con of all is these “sanctuary’s” that make you believe that they are taking care of the elephants but when they close the doors after you leave it’s a different story. So, Jess and I did some research into legit sanctuary’s for elephants and the elephant nature park came up founded by Lek Chailert who has dedicated her life to rescuing abused elephants and is one of Asia’s heroes for animal welfare. Before you arrive you are educated in these amazing animals and how they are abused all over the world, you get to know some of the nature parks elephants stories but when you see the elephants now you wouldn’t have thought they had such a tragic past. They are chasing each other, flapping their ears and are free. No bull hooks are allowed in the nature park, each elephant has a keeper to look after them and you can see the incredible bond, they all have.

One elephant that I just fell in love with and had a tragic story was Jokia, Her story is very upsetting-Warning senstive content -Jokia is a female elephant who worked in the log trade. She suffered a miscarriage while pulling a log uphill and was not allowed to stop working to see if her calf was dead or alive. This event cause Jokia extreme physical and emotional trauma and she refused to go back to work. As a result, she was deliberately blinded in both eyes on two separate occasions by different owners.

Jokia has two best friends Navann and Sri Prae who help guide her throughout the park with their trunks. We got to meet Jokia and Navann, Navann was holding on to Jokia and they couldn’t stop flapping their ears when we greeted them. She looked so happy, for a human to hurt her like that and not attack us as we approached just shows how strong spirited and beautiful these animals are.

I shall call him Bagheera and he shall be mine!

The elephant nature park is something that will stick with me for a long time, they have strict rules of no riding, no ball hooks, no bathing, no performing and no abusing them in any sort of way. To see free elephants, behave naturally rolling around in the mud with their friends, chasing one and other and just smiling was enough for me. We did get to feed the elephants watermelon, watch them bathe in the lake and give them a stroke. The Nature park also recuse dogs, cats, and buffaloes, they all roam freely in the park and there are hundreds of volunteers who work to support the park

If you are going to a “sanctuary” where the workers carry bull hooks, promote elephant rides and elephant shows, they are chained, or not informing you about the welfare of elephants then it’s not a sanctuary, you’re paying these people to carry on abusing them. It might look great for a photo you riding on an elephant but many of the elephants at the Nature Park sanctuary have had their backbones dislocated because of this, the workers who they had worked for won’t see this (well, refuse to acknowledge) and sadly will abuse them, even more, to carry on with broken bones to make money or they die.

If you are interested in finding more about the Park, please head over to the website here

Just the best Frappe Latte at Dek-Doi Cafe just down the street from The Eco Resort where we stayed,

The sort of things you will find at the Chiang Mai markets, Me and Jess were trying to work out for a good 10 minutes if the Croc was a real or not.

That’s it for part one of The Thailand Diaries, Part two will be next week and this part gets a little bit freaky with Ping Pong shows, dancing with strippers, and bumpy rides Baby– Oh god I’m so sorry Mom!

AMY ELIZA

Tags bangkok, blogger, chiangmai, coffee, fashion, holiday, lifestyle, temples, Thailand, travel, travelthailand

lifestyle

SELF-ISOLATING: THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 22nd March 2020
27 Comments on SELF-ISOLATING: THINGS YOU CAN DO TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY

2020 has well and truly shat all over our lives with the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s turning out that many of us will have to switch off the light and close the door to society outside our four walls. Whether its two weeks, a month or three months of isolation, how the hell are we going to survive without Saturday’s nights in Be at One [insert troll face]

From concerns of isolation resulting in feeling lonely and depressed, this is the time we must come together to help one and other, two words that have summed up 2020 so far, Be Kind. So far, the community of Birmingham coming together to support hospitality business’s in the City has been a beautiful sight to see, from donations to media coverage it really does prove that the community will come together to pick up those who are suffering to help them back up onto their feet again. Even to those who are isolating, restaurants are now offerings deliveries, neighbours offering to go food shopping and strangers just checking in. It’s going to be tough, but it’s important to keep busy, isolating doesn’t mean you can’t speak to anyone and it doesn’t mean you have to completely shut out the whole world. There are many things you can do, things that will get you excited and motivated for the future. There maybe things that you haven’t had the time for and now you can finally do, so here are 10 things that I came up with that you can do whilst isolating.

SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19

For now, many businesses have closed their doors but still offering the option of online shopping, takeaways and deliveries. You can always support these businesses behind your computer screen by sharing content via social media, purchasing gift vouchers and personal donations. If you don’t want to see our independent’s disappearing from our streets then do visit them, buy something or purchase a gift card and use social media to promote them. It’s not just the independents who are suffering, it’s the elderly as well who many live alone, have no ways of transport and are vulnerable. I have seen on social media that many neighbours and even strangers are contacting their elderly neighbours to check in with them and see if they need any supplies then delivering them to their doors. A beautiful gesture that goes a long way to some as your face may be the first face, they have seen in a couple of days even sadly weeks.

YOU NOW HAVE TIME TO WATCH THE EIGHT SEASONS OF GAME OF THRONES

“It’s too long, I don’t have time for it”
YOU KNOW NOTHING, BAB. now it’s your chance to crack out those bloody long boxsets and watch them with your loved ones. It’s like Christmas but without the presents, 100 buffets and Mariah Carey…it’s like going back to the Jesus days oh wait, he did put on a fantastic buffet spread before he…Let’s just go the next paragraph, shall we!?

START AGAIN

All those new year resolutions that you swore to yourself you would do in the year 2020 (lose some weight and become a Victoria Secret model) but still haven’t done as your still warming up for the year well we could just scrap that as we have already failed and start again, right?
Who knows what this year will have install for us…well at the moment no toilet rolls.

THE BIG CLEAR OUT

Clear and breath Honey! let’s dive into that wardrobe and finally get rid of that booty call outfit that you had plans for about 10 years ago. The thing is you don’t have to just get rid, you can make a bit of profit from your clear out. Of course, Car boots are a great way of making a bit of money but due to the virus, these are to be avoided. What you can do, is sell online on websites such as Vinted, Depop and eBay. I use vinted a lot to get rid of clothes and accessories I don’t need anymore and I make a nice little profit. If the money doesn’t matter, you could always advertise on social media and give to those who could make use of it.

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

As mentioned above, you can make a nice little bit of income at home. Something I have actually thought about is dog sitting I mean, I do love them more than people so me and dogs watching Housewives of Atlanta would be the perfect isolation plan.

EXERCISE, CLEANSE…NO EXCUSES

You don’t have to go to the gym to feel good. Last year I did a yeast detox, I didn’t go to the gym, I went for a jog every day and cut down on rubbish. My skin was clear, I lost a stone within two weeks and I felt pretty sexy. I was starting to show a bit of skin but not too much Jesus, this isn’t a meat market! Just an arm or a leg. It gave me confidence however, I sadly fell back into my bad ways so at the moment I feel like an orangutan. Now, I have no excuse’s so I’ll be squatting and doing laps in the garden for The Victoria Secret show…[Insert Troll face]

TRY SOMETHING NEW: GET CRAFTY, GET BAKEY, AND GET SNAPPY?…

No, none of that makes sense I was just trying to be all arty-farty with my words but now is the time to try something new! Hobbies are never-ending from baking to adding to your cotton wool collection…okay, I made it up but if extreme ironing is a hobby then I’m sure as hell collecting cotton wool can be too. It keeps you busy, it gets you excited and who knows, you might be able to make a career out of it.

COMMUNICATE EVERYDAY

Isolating yourself doesn’t mean closing the door to your room and cutting off all communication. You should be talking to your friends and your family every day! Get on skype with your friends you could play a quiz, watch a film together or you could just catch up. It’s important to talk and check in with one and other as isolation can harm us all. We may feel lonely, sad and not communicating can cause boredom leading to focusing on the negativity in our lives. Check-in with everyone, If you live alone you might want to jump on social media, Bumble for friends and various chatroom apps. Remember it is important to talk if you are feeling the effects of isolation, don’t feel embarrassed as we are all going through this togeather and we are here to support one and other.

MISS LIFE? DOWNLOAD AND PLAY THE SIMS

Missing the drama in your life? well, you can always just recreate it on the Sims and get carried away for about a year. You could create an episode of Coronation Street which is actually thrilling in the game of Sims, you could build your whole life on there if you wanted to however It’s a bit weird when you’re talking to friends or family that you know that you have killed them a thousand times on the Sims and they don’t even know.

So there you have it, but I would love to know what you have done so far in Isolation? Leave me a comment below and remember, to stay safe Babs!

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, coronavirus, fashion, health, isolation, life, lifestyle, social

lifestyle

WHY BEING A WOMAN IS AWESOME

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 8th March 2020
9 Comments on WHY BEING A WOMAN IS AWESOME

Happy International Women’s Day!
I thought, why not celebrate my vagina and write up a little blog post on why it’s bloody awesome to be a woman. From connecting to soppy romantic films such as Love Actually (Fuck you Harry for hurting Karen and bringing Joni Mitchell into it!) to our “get out of jail cards” we use quite often in the bedroom department. You’ll be screaming I’m every woman by the end of this post or you might stick The Notebook on, tie hair up, put on your baggy pants and tuck into a packet of McVities milk chocolate biscuits.

WE CAN REALLY CONNECT WITH THE MOVIES

Have you ever watched a film with your partner and it gets to an emotional scene, you are sitting there filling up and your partner is just sitting there no facial expression and probably doesn’t know what day it is either? Women own their feelings more than man, it’s a fact. It kills us seeing Rose let go of Jack in the Titanic, we fill up with happy tears every time the ending credits roll on every Harry Potter movie and we fall apart when Shadow the Golden Retriever turns up at the end of Disney’s Homeward Bound covered in mud and limping to Peter after him saying “He was just too old”- God that’s worse than the bloody Titanic.

MORE OPTIONS IN THE WARDROBE DEPARTMENT

When it comes to fashion we do have more choices when it comes to Men. For nightwear, men can wear a top, shorts, trousers, boxers or go completely nude. For women, we can wear, tops, shorts, trousers, bra, pants, nightie, onesie, bodysuit, go nude, and also, our partner’s clothes.

FANNY FARTS ARE PURE JOY

A Girls worse nightmare is not the tampon, It’s the almighty fanny fart. They come at the worse times most likely during sex and sometimes they can go on for a minute straight but they make cracking stories to tell the Girls!

WE DON’T HAVE TWO BALLS HANGING BETWEEN OUR LEGS

Its the one thing I can not get over, that men have two balls that they have to carry every where in the most uncomfortable place. Thank Christ we women don’t have to have that as we already have two big balls on our chest, can you imagine two balls bouncing around like it’s a rave in between our legs as well?

GUARANTEED TO GET IN THE CLUB

If you are a female you are given special treatment when it comes to going out. The number of times I have been out with male friends and they have been refused entry to a club because they are too tall or wearing baggy trousers…baffling. I once got a pint and a packet of HP nuts for free just for being “sweet” I wish that would work all the time…

WE GO TO THE BATHROOM TO PEE WE COME OUT WITH FRIENDS FOR LIFE

I think I can vouch for every girl in the WORLD that they have met someone on a bathroom break in a club/pub. I remember I was in London with three of my uni friends, I popped to the bathroom and came back with a hen party of 15 with free bottles of Prosecco, 2 sailor strippers and a pair of balls smacking on top of my head…It was a banging night.

WE CAN PUSH BASKETBALLS OUT OF OUR VAGINAS

If we can push basketball’s out of our vaginas, crap ourselves and crack a smile at the end of it, then I think we deserve all the CHANEL in the world…and fried chicken.

FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT- WE CAN NOT BE CAUGHT OUT IN THE BEDROOM

And the Oscar goes to…Sorry lads!

WE HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE NOT TO GO OUT…PERIODS

They are complete bastards but periods are great reasons to get out of something and it’s a bloody good reason too! They also give us women time out to binge on crap and give us a good excuse to put on a bit of chub.

Yes, it’s pretty god damn awesome to be a woman.

AMY ELIZA

Tags beauty, Birmingham, fashion, girls, health, lifestyle, nationalwomensday, westmidlands, women

Leamington Spa lifestyle

THE HIDDEN GEMS OF LEAMINGTON SPA

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 1st March 2020
14 Comments on THE HIDDEN GEMS OF LEAMINGTON SPA

Leamington Spa is like a second home to me, you will often find me on weekends heading up to Leam rummaging through the charity shops, trying out new coffee shops and shopping in their great independents. For those who don’t know, Leamington Spa is a spa town located in Warwickshire, home to the gorgeous Jephson Gardens, Iconic Royal Pump rooms and Samuel Lockhart’s elephant trail. A beautiful Spa town that just oozes character throughout and offers so much for a fantastic day out for all to enjoy. Whenever it’s for a bite to eat, taking the kids for a day out or just finding a quiet spot to relax, Leamington Spa is the place you should put on your list to visit. So, where do you start? From unique independents to new expiring culinary openings, your Bab has got you covered when it comes to Leamington. Here are my favourite spots/hidden gems in Leamington Spa for you all to check out this month!

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD & COFFEE ARCHITECTS

The newest attraction to Leamington Spa is The Neighbourhood which is a street food dining venue where independent food companies join forces to cook up a storm and serve up meals you wouldn’t find in your local Asda. The Neighbourhood is located on Warwick Street opposite Coffee Architects their previous location and now, Coffee Architects is based in the Neighbourhood meaning YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET A SEAT NOW. The biggest pain with Coffee Architects is the food is incredible and the whole of Leamington Spa knew it so of course, you have a whole ship of people flocking there before silly old me comes trotting along from Sutton Coldfield. The coffee is fierce, the cakes are delicious, and the food is B E A UTIFUL! The new location is thriving, and I know, it will do amazingly well in Leamington Spa, the problem is I have to pop in every time I come into Leam and have a couple of dishes there (guaranteed you will be stuck for choice) which means piling on the weight on this big booty of mine…YIKES!

BERYLUNE

Berylune was once crammed into a little blue terrace house, it was impossible to move around without knocking into someone’s bottom. Now Berylune’s new location on Warwick Street is just up the road from the previous building with lots of room to browse this wonderous little gem in Leamington Spa. Berylune is an independent craft and gift shop which makes it the perfect place to be different and purchase unique gifts for your loved ones. The owners here are a ray of sunshine, always smiling, always happy and always helpful, every time I go into Berylune even if it’s raining, they manage to convince me the sun is shining outside. A must visit in Leamington Spa for all.

THE AVIARY CAFE IN JEPHSON GARDENS

One of my favourite things to do in Leamington is to go for a walk through Jephson Gardens and stop off for a coffee and a bite to eat at this darling cafe. They serve marvellous coffee/tea, delicious light bites (vegan and gluten options are available) and they offer a peaceful environment to work or to meet up with friends in whilst surrounded by artistic decor. I also would like to mention that the staff are pretty great and always comment on my lipstick…they know good lipstick! Whenever you are in Leamington, this is one of the places you most definitely should try out, a lovely gem.

LILAC ROSE

I do love my fashion and I adore small independent fashion brands that you wouldn’t see in the high street so Lilac Rose is the perfect store to find something a bit different! I find myself in here just dribbling over the dresses, the patterns, the fabrics just the uniqueness of it all, however, its not just a store for clothes. Lilac Rose also offers lovely gifts from jewellery to bags, if you are looking for something a bit different, Lilac Rose will help you find just that.

PLEASE NOTE IMAGE NOT MINE, THIS BELONGS TO LILAC ROSE

LIBERTINE BURGER

They drip, they ooze and well, let’s not turn this into a porno but these burgers are the shit. Last time I was at Libertine Burger I had a No.25 which was a signature beef patty with crispy smoky bacon, dripping stilton and red onion jam…now isn’t that just sex on buns hey? I find myself often refusing to leave Leamington without gorging on a Libertine Burger because quite frankly, they are the best burgers you can find in the Midlands.

HART + CO

Step into the world of FEMME with this little number in Leamington Spa, I have never stepped into a restaurant and been greeted by a bathtub full with balls before…Oh wait yes actually I have. HART + CO is what you call an “Instagrammable” spot with neon lights, pink lattes and props that will make you Instagram POP! HART + CO is not just offering you unique photo opportunities for the gram they offer out of this world food and creative cocktails, I mean a cocktail served in a Chinese takeaway box is AMAZEBALLS if you ask me. The cocktails are fun, refreshing and full of ZING Baby! The food looked incredible however I never managed to taste it BUT I will be doing a review of the Brunch this Month so keep an eye for it!

FAT BIRDS CAFE

From the outside Fat Birds Cafe seems to hides itself well in the high street however I call it Leamington Spa’s very own secret weapon. I have tried the breakfast and lunch at Fat Birds Cafe, both meals have soared past my expectations and really, I deserve a slap in the face for judging a book by its cover because Fat Birds Café serve exquisite food and deliver high standard service. You must try the cakes, all freshly baked offering gluten-free and vegan options.The prices are very reasonable for the food portions you receive here, the service is quick and the atmosphere is very relaxing. You are sure to leave Fat Birds feeling very satisfied.

WARWICKSHIRE STREET KITCHEN

A much-loved favourite in Leamington Spa and is one you have to set off early to so you can grab a seat. For 3 years I have been trying to get a seat in Warwickshire Street Kitchen and in December I set my alarm for 8 am, I pre-ordered my train tickets and I had my sweat pants on that I must admit, I burnt a bloody hole in where my butt cheeks lay because of the speed I was going at but all worth it as I finally got a seat…HOORAH! Well worth the wait for a good ol’ hearty breakfast to warm the baps on a winter’s day, I would recommend the ham hock, hollandaise sauce with poached egg it was utterly divine. I always pop in here for the Coffee which is brewed to perfection and grab a homemade bake in which don’t get me started on the cakes! They are a bloody treat. Another fantastic place in Leamington to eat!

I will be adding more to the list so keep an eye out over the coming months, there are more gems to be discovered in Leamington Spa and I am here to tell you about them, so keep with me Bab and subscribe.

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, coffee, fashion, Food, independents, leamingtonspa, libertineburger, lifestyle, review, streetfood, theneighbourhood, warwickshire

lifestyle

DATING IN BIRMINGHAM

So a couple of weeks ago I was on Tinder and this lad who I matched with ages ago but just didn’t have the balls to say “hello” popped up asking me if I had any valentines day plans. I have never spoken to this chap, I was a bit unsure as to why I was matched with him as he’s chest was bigger than my own and in his bio, he said he doesn’t like dogs. I matched with a monster however I was intrigued with his message and I messaged back saying no, I also questioned what was with the random message that came totally out of the blue. He messaged me back to say that this would be his 2nd year single now on Valentine’s day and the 2nd anniversary of his ex-partner dumping him because he reminded her of Ted Bundy. That was it… unmatch, delete app and throw’s phone to the other side of the room…I WAS DONE. Am I the only person who puts up with this nonsense? and then I realised I wasn’t the only person, talking to my friend she had met up the other night with her Tinder date for a meal in an Indian restaurant only for her date to leave her mid-meal and then received a text to say “Sorry I’ve gone home the hamsters died” My Money is on him shitting himself to be honest. So I thought I would do a blog post of fellow Brummies experiences with the dating scene here in Birmingham. I asked and wow, you guys delivered alright…

TOMS IN SNOBS

I was on my third date with this lad of Tinder called Tom and we went out in the Mailbox and decided to hit Snobs after. We went in had a couple of drinks and I went to go to the bathroom and I bumped into my ex-boyfriend who is also called Tom. Proper awkward so it was just a small chat. I went to the toilet and I text my date on my phone saying “Just bumped into my twatty ex whos got loads fatter and has a bumchin now, currently hiding in the toilet can you come get me?” I waited for around 10 minutes and went outside only to be greeted by my ex again holding up his phone with my text message. I sent the message to the wrong Tom! He was completely pissed!”

-Hannah

MEET THE FAMILY

I was introduced to this guys sister in law in the Botanist on our second date. He kept telling me that he told his whole family about us and that they couldn’t wait to meet me…I was going to end it that evening too. So Awkward!

-Sarah Lauren

WHAT A COCK UP…OUCH

I was on a date and she went to the bar to get the second round of drinks in while she was there she texts her sister “he’s nice but I’m not feeling it” Wonder how I know? the text came through to me instead!

-Max

MEN COVER YOUR CROTCHES

I was on a date and I was so nervous that I knocked a whole glass of wine on his crotch and then he walked me to the bus stop like a gentleman and when I turned around I smacked him in the crotch with my bag! I didn’t see him after that…

-Naomi

TAKING THE MOTHER HOME

Went to the Lost & Found in Birmingham for a second date, I went to the bar to get a drink and came back to my date hounded by a load of women on a hen do. They were all staring at me and when I went back to the table, My date introduces me to one of the hens who turned out to be her mother. Her mother was all over me drunk and I was invited to have a couple of drinks with them. I never saw my date ever again because I got too pissed that I went home with the mother instead…

-Jake

THE WORSE NIGHT EVER

So I was speaking to a few girls on Tinder and went on a coffee date with this girl, I think she was really into me because she started talking about a second date in which I agreed to. When the date ended I had a message of another girl who I was speaking to asking if I was in Birmingham and to meet her, I had nothing else planned so I met up with her. We had a couple of drinks in the Jewellery Quarter and we just both lost track of time and it was hitting 10 o’clock, we decided to go Actress and Bishop for last drinks. We were both proper drunk so we started kissing by the bar until someone tapped me on my shoulder and I turned round to see my coffee date from the morning there screaming at me then on my way out I bumped into my ex girlfriend. They all ignored me after this. Let’s just say I’ll never bring a date to Actress & bishop again…

-Rob

THE DATE WHO IS STILL HUNG UP OVER THEIR EX

I went on a date with this chap who was really lovely but quite shy. We had a couple of drinks and he started asking about my ex partners. When I asked him about his ex, his bottom lip started to shake, he threw his head in his hands and admitted he was still in love with his ex. I rubbed his shoulder to comfort him and he started full-blown crying in the middle of All bar one in Birmingham. I had to ask the bar staff for more tissues as he used all the tissues on the table and we hadn’t even had our dinner yet. I had to cut it short but he messaged me the next day asking for another date, I politely declined.

–Luce

CREEPING JESUS

A few years ago I worked in retail (millets on Union street) and was using Tinder. Matched with a guy and started chatting to him, arranged a date but I had a bad feeling about it so I called it off. A few weeks later, he came into the store. I wasn’t sure if it was him but he was staring at me from the other side of the shop and just stood there for ages. I asked a colleague to speak to him and when he answered he had an American accent so I knew it was him. I then went and hid in the staff room until he left and when I finished my shift he’d sent me a creepy text

-Hayley

PUSSY FART

So I just started seeing this lad of Tinder and we went back to his house after a drunken night out. We were having sex than all of a sudden I heard this massive noise that was most definitely a fart! I paused and his face went really red and he looked mortified. I giggled asking “Was that you?” he shook his head and said “Nah it was the cat coming in the room” I couldn’t carry on, I was dyinggggggg!

-Georgina

BLOODY WOMEN

Went to the cinema with my date to watch Little Women and halfway through the film she got up to go to the toilet. She came back after 20 minutes and whispered in my ear “I have got to go” I asked her if she was okay and she replied ” I have come on my period and I don’t have a tampon” Say no more she left and I stayed to finish the film. I think I would have done the same if I wore white jeans.

-Craig Z

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, dating, fun, lifestyle, love, tinder, westmidlands

lifestyle

SURVIVING VALENTINES DAY

Come the end of January and you will see hearts popping up all over the city, you go to your local coffee shop on Saturdays and its full of couples that are recreating the “I won’t let go Jack” Titanic scene and food shop on Sundays you are always harassed by the check-out to buy those on sale chocolate hearts that taste like ass. You just can’t escape the plague that we call “Valentine’s day” I have only celebrated Valentine’s day for the first year of a relationship probably because you feel the pressure to do so in the first year of a relationship. Us single people try our best to survive this eye-rolling “holiday” but sometimes we just can’t. The reason I dislike this holiday is not that I’m single, I like being single! But because people judge and question why you are single thinking you’re weird? Maybe some people just want to enjoy their own company and not have to fork money out for a pointless day that should be celebrated every day. If you are in a couple and are not celebrating your love with your partner every day then THAT is weird, and you really need to question your relationship. Sadly, this holiday can bring back painful memories of singletons who are no longer in a relationship and I would like to give something back to those people, so here’s a quick guide I put together to surviving Valentine’s day.

AVOID BUYING LATTES

You know that coffee you get every morning from your local independent that helps you get through the day, yeah forget it about it, Pal. Not only is valentines day in the air but its also in our bloody food and drink especially in coffee shops where baristas like to get all arty-farty with the holiday and create all lovey-dovey art in our coffee.

FOOD IS NOT YOUR FRIEND THIS “HOLIDAY”

Valentine’s day now has its own bloody aisle in your local Tescos, I remember the days when it was just one farty little stand at the front of the shop that had some crappy 99p cards and dead roses. You can buy all sorts for your loved one’s flowers, alcohol, socks and underpants with an open window and we all know it’s not for easy access for the toilet. Even at the checkout, you can’t escape it, there’s always some sort of valentines till deals it’s like the scene out of Love Actually “Would you like some chocolates? Would you like it gift wrapped? We also have a very lovely heart-shaped designed gift bag to put it in and can spray with lavender?!” I mean I rather go to Aldi where they sling your shopping at you, don’t ask questions and have the 2 minutes of awkward bag packing.

RESTAURANTS ARE A DEFINATE NO

On the weekend I went to a lovely little restaurant in Leamington Spa, unfortunately, my experience was ruined by an uncalled reenactment of the Titanic. A couple leaning over the table holding each other’s hands and kissing every 20 seconds-Yeah, I’m not joking. Why do couples feel the need to throw it in peoples faces? there is a time and a bed at home where you can do all that hanky panky, you don’t need to do it in public and around food.

NETFLIX AND TAKEAWAY

Sometimes the best way to celebrate valentines day is in your pants on the sofa with a dirty takeaway and Netflix.

WATCH LA LA LAND

La La Land taught me three lessons

You don’t always end up with your soulmate
Love is not like the love you see in the movies. Boy meets girl, they fall in love there’s a small bump in the road they get over it and they kiss the end. Sometimes relationships can pause all life aspirations and love, could be you as a partner stepping back and letting your partner bloom no matter how painful it may feel. Sometimes we do need to pause our relationships for ourselves to flourish and achieve our highest potential in life but there’s always a price.
Never regret love, be grateful if you have ever experienced it because some couples out there who scream the L-word within 2 weeks don’t know how amazing and yet devasting it is to experience that feeling.

OR WATCH A HORROR WHERE THE ANNOYING COUPLE DIES FIRST

Okay okay, you can’t just watch a horror film to see a poor innocent couple murdered to shit but you can watch a horror film and take notes on why the annoying couples get the chop first and appreciate that you have the advantage as a single person you are more likely to outlive the couple. I swear I am not drunk writing this…

SINGLE LADIES REVEAL YOURSELVES!

SINGLE PRINGLES LETS MINGLE!

If you are lucky to have a few single friends then why not head out into town and embrace being single! I actually saw a tweet the other day from a girl called “Lolly” saying “Valentines day is for couples, why do I always go out with my bf on V day and see desperate single girls everywhere?! so annoying”

First things first “Lolly” you name is pure wank
You are confusing confident with desperate.
If you are noticing these girls more than your bf then maybe you need to jump ship Bab and hop on the muffin express Deeeekhead!

Let single people go out and enjoy themselves, there is no rulebook to say that single people can’t go out on valentines day, they have a valentine and that’s themselves and I will embrace that any bloody day because love for yourself comes first before anyone else

DIGITAL DETOX- TURN OFF THE PHONE

Smushy photos of couples, heart-themed Snapchat filters and thirrrrrstaaay tweets. I rather celebrate “I GOT MY PERIOD” day then this hoo har of a holiday. The best thing you can do is switch off and avoid. I switched my phone off the other day for 5 hours, I found myself watching pointless tv just to fill the time like Bad Girls Club and “My wife left me for a robot” documentaries. I kept looking over my shoulder at my phone and you know you have a problem when you choose to look at your phone rather than eat your steak dinner. Argh! so ashamed of myself so a digital detox is something I take part in every week now.

WRITE YOURSELF A LOVE LETTER

To many, this may sound ridiculous but you know what, it actually works. After my last relationship, I wrote myself a letter on why I deserved better, why I’m so great and why at this time you don’t need anyone to hold you up because you can hold yourself on your own. That’s one of the biggest things I have learnt in life is that some people just can’t hold themselves in life and they need a partner to carry them along throughout life, what happens if your partner gets tired of carrying you and decides to go carry another person? I was carried a lot in life but now I feel strong enough to carry myself and for me personally, that is pretty sexy!

AND REMIND YOURSELF COUPLES MIGHT BE HAVING SEX BUT YOU KNOW YOU

For some reason, if your in a couple you are expected by the whole world to have sex on Valentine’s day. This is a load of TITS because my last relationship lasted 7 years and we have not once had sex on Valentine’s day. However, if you are planning to all I can say is Way to go…but if your single remember this you know you and it takes years for someone else to “know” you and what you like. So save yourself some disappointing sex and well, have a night in with yourself.

AMY ELIZA

Tags Birmingham, lifestyle, love, relationships, single, valentinesday

dating lifestyle

HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR A DATE

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 9th February 2020
12 Comments on HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF FOR A DATE

So when do you want to go out?

That’s it, those 8 words and BANG! Questions come flooding in “Is it too soon?” “what if he’s a bloody psychopath and wants to use my body as a piece of furniture?” and “OH GOD I NEED TO GET MY HOOHAR WAXED AND THERES NO APPOINTMENTS LEFT” Let’s face it most of us crap ourselves when we hear those words, whatever the reason it just gets the heart racing and sends us into an excited/smug mode for 1 minute that quickly turns into a hysterical panic mode where we start to question life and all that jazz. Just agree to the bloody date, will you? because I have the perfect little self-help guide to help you prepare for your date and calm those pesky nerves.

PLAN AHEAD- PAMPER DAY

First things first, you are in need of a pamper day. It’s the get down and get dirty, cleanse that first date virgin out of your system. You want to look and feel great so spoil yourself as in a “budget” spoil yourself, instead of a £100 spa day get yourself a face mask and a hot bubble bath. I know plenty of girls go out to get themselves a new haircut, spray tan, wax and all but for a first date? You could be meeting a bloody ryvita for Christ sakes, meaning a waste of a bloody wax. For people who dont know what I mean by “ryvita” its the name I give to someone who is a bit plain, boring and simply unbearable (put it in a polite way) to shag.

LEAVE THE KIDS AT HOME

You want to make an impression, right? What can you do? Well for a lot of girls its get the tits out but come on, first date ladies, please, Leave the kids back at home, period. Unless you want a bit of sexy time then I say let the kids hang out and play all night long.

PLAN THE DATE

You will feel so much better if you plan the date rather than “oh we will find something to do” If you’re planning to go out on a Friday night, are you sure you are going to get a table or get to the bar? plus you want to be able to hear your date theres no point him asking you what you do for your job and your just sitting there nodding your head like a dolphin. It’s just awful just wasting time on a date looking for places to go for your date to play out. Also BE SAFE, first dates at his place? Oh hell no that is one booty call and a half my friend!

EAT

Make sure you eat on the day of the date, you don’t want to be turning up on an empty belly and throwing chunks all over your poor date. Luckily never happened to me but I thought it was a good idea to not eat on the day of my date. There was no need to open my mouth as every time my date opened his mouth to speak my belly would respond to him, I think he noticed as he ordered a cheese board with the second round of drinks…

THE TOILET IS YOUR BESTFRIEND

Oh, come on, we all experience the nervous belly on the day of your first date and sometimes we just need to flush the crap quite literally, out of our system to get on and not panic throughout your date thinking that you are going to CRAP yourself. You feel loads better for doing so, so I would recommend grabbing a newspaper (not the Sun because that could cause angry shitting- not advisable) and just chill on there for a good 30 minutes.

KNOW YOUR FACTS

A last minute Tinder check is essential. It’s always good to know your facts before you meet your date especially remembering his name and don’t call them by their celebrity lookalikes, for example, I met up with this one lad who looked just like Harry Styles, I must have said Harry over 20 times that night and at the end of the night, he had to kindly remind me that his name was Tom.

BE YOU

Don’t turn up like a prissy “ I am no virgin to this first dates rubbish” It’s cute to be scatty, it’s comforting to show nerves and its sexy to be you and bloody own who you are. You’re nervous? well, join the club your dates nervous too so just bask in the first few minutes of nerves because they are sure to scatter away as the conversation gets going.

WATCH RU PAUL OR DRAMA FILLED TV TO KEEP YOUR MIND OCCUPIED

On the day of the date some people literally just sit on social media all day waiting for their date, not me, not since I discovered RU PAUL. There is so much drama going on in that program that I shamefully cancelled on a date (IM SO SORRY I KNOW I’M A SHIT!) just to watch the season finale, obviously don’t do what I did but take half your day up to watch some drama-packed tv to take your mind off the date later on. I will advise staying away from Sex Education as when I was on a date, we were drunkenly quoting “ITS MY VAGINA” throughout the night but then the drink wore off me and I suddenly realised he looked like a bit of a bellend saying it.

KEEP IN TOUCH ON THE DAY

It hasn’t happened to me yet, but I have spoken to friends on the day of meeting their dates and they don’t speak to them until they meet at 7 pm. Now for me, I need to speak to my date on the day of meeting them as…

1. Need to exchange wardrobe ideas, we need to be on the same page about this I could be turning up as a classy Hepburn and he could be turning up as Farmer Al.

2. It’s pretty rude to ignore your date until you are actually meeting them it kind of tells me “let’s cut all the small talk and try my chances of getting you into bed tonight sweetheart”

3. You know that this is REALLY happening.

LET THEM WAIT FOR YOU

The worse is right before you meet them, you have arranged the time and the location to meet. For me personally, I am a nervous wreck and I like to know my date is there waiting for me. This cures so many nerves before my date. The main reason for this is I know he’s real, he’s there I CAN SEE HIM! Where if it is me waiting around it’s just going to make my nerves get out of control and I will start panicking thinking a Catfish is going to turn up.

Taking these into consideration on the day of your date will hopefully calm those nerves down, are they going to completely disappear? Absolutely not, I am not bloody Jesus. You are going to be nervous but there are ways to lower the nerve meter for you to relax a little. I know the biggest concerns for us girls is “what if he doesn’t like me?” okay so what If he doesn’t like you? That’s it the world has ended? No more sales on shoes? The thing is SO WHAT? it’s not the end of the world, you move on this is not a world full of vaginas there’s plenty more manhood out there for us ladies to explore. The thing is it could be you who decides this is not what you want in your life right now, for me I have discovered that dating is just something to fill the spaces in my life for when I get a little bit bored it doesn’t mean that I am desperate to find the one because I’m not, I don’t have time for the one and really, I don’t have time to date. Dating can give you confidence, it can make you come out of your shell and it can make you realise that you owe yourself a lot more credit than you already giving yourself. The best advice I can give is to let go and enjoy yourself BUT know your worth.

AMY ELIZA

Tags apps, Birmingham, comedy, dating, gifs, lifestyle, love, relationships, tips, westmidlands

Birmingham lifestyle

10 THINGS I REMEMBER GROWING UP IN BIRMINGHAM IN THE 90S

Post author By bababouttownx
Post date 22nd January 2020
3 Comments on 10 THINGS I REMEMBER GROWING UP IN BIRMINGHAM IN THE 90S

I was sat the other day by the Birmingham library looking out on the hectic Broad Street which is more like a classier version of the strip in Malia. Memories suddenly came flooding back to me going along this street in a car with my family being mesmerised by Broad Street, I still do feel mesmerised with the number of blow-up dolls and girls falling out of cabs with the skirts over their heads however I had completely forgotten how much Birmingham has changed over the years. I am going back about 20 years ago, back to the 90’s where I would be full of excitement going up those bloody long escalators coming out of New Street station into the Pallasades, begging my mom to go to Woolworths for the pick n mix and then using all my birthday money to buy 4 for £20 on music cassettes from Virgin Megastore. What I know now and what I knew then is pure comedy, and I thought I would do a little post and share my thoughts of Birmingham as an 8-year old curious child and I am pretty sure some of you might have thought the same of our City

BROAD STREET OR ROME?

I remember my parents uset to take me out in the car to various Saturday night events and I would always see this building that would question if my Mom and Dad had drugged my frosties that morning and took me to Rome for the night. Although this sounds like a fantastic idea (not the drugging bit) but this was not the case. As I got older I realised that my parents were not taking me to Rome every other Saturday night they were just taking me to that bloody long street in Birmingham; Broad Street. I later found out that the building that convinced me I was in Rome was in fact, The Town Hall. Parents take note if you want to take your kids on holiday, just take them to Broad Street.

FLARES WAS EVERY 8 YEAR OLDS REASON TO COMPLAIN ABOUT BEING AN 8 YEAR OLD.

Those big purple doors, the people standing outside in fancy dress and the flickers of light reflecting off the disco balls you would see from outside. I didn’t want the newest Barbie doll or any more Polly Pocket’s for my birthday, I wanted an ID to go to Flares. “It’s for big people, you can go to it when you are 18” when I finally turned 18, I checked out Flares and..it was a bag of shite.

THE DISNEY SHOP IN THE PAVILLIONS

I remember sitting in front of the TV and seeing advertisements for Disney World, of course, the overly happy kids, my favourite characters pratting around with families and the Kiss from Mickey at the end sold it to me. It was selling the dream to kids, so 90% of kids would beg their parents to take them to Disney World whereas the other 10% would beg to go to Butlins. Finally, my Mom turned around after months of begging and said we are going to Disney World and I can pick something to buy! It still didn’t hit me when I was heading into town on the bus with no suitcase. My mother had me like a fool as I stood outside the Disney shop in the Pavilions shopping centre in Birmingham looking very confused, this certainly was not Disney world. I soon shut up when I had a run around and was obsessed with watching the big screen with all narrated Disney movie trailers. I did manage to go to the REAL Disney world when I was 11 years old and they just forget to mention how bloody expensive, overly crowded and how most of the rides are not suitable for shortarses like me. This photo was taken after I was not allowed to go on the Kraken at Seaworld as I was too short…I was pissed.

TAMMY GIRL

From Bay to MK one and then we had the ruler of all girl’s fashion Etam/Tammy Girl. I remember Etam in the City Centre of Birmingham, can’t quite remember where exactly but I do remember when the redevelopment of the Bull Ring finished in 2003 Etam and Tammy Girl was moved to the Bullring. Tammy Girl was usually on top of Etam and it was aimed at the teeny girl boppers, if I had an upcoming party It would be Tammy Girl where I would be getting my outfit. Sadly, Tammy Girl is no more.

THE VAMPIRES IN THAT PARK

Getting the bus into town and getting off along Bull street, I would always walk past a park (you guessed it, Pigeon Park) that was home to “vampires” of course, as I got older I realised these were not vampires but they were people who followed the “Goth or Emo” lifestyle. I would see them all standing round in circles, some swigging back these bottles that looked like they had pee inside them (It was lambrini) and some of them would be trying to sunbathe. One thing I knew for sure when I was 8, was that I didn’t want to end up joining the vampires and drinking pee when I was older.

BRMB PARTY IN THE PARK

96.4 fm BRMB, Every year BRMBs Party in the park would come to Brum and I remember always wanting to go in the 90s however the new Millennium came and in 2002 I found myself at my very first and also my last BRMB party in the Park concert. Blue, Gareth Gates, Will Young and more acts performed at the Birmingham City football ground, I couldn’t tell you what I thought of the concert because I can’t remember a thing but if I can remember seeing S Club Juniors then I am pretty sure I would have remembered these acts so I am guessing they must have been shite.

50P FOR A BUS TICKET WAS EXPENSIVE

Don’t you just hate it when the elderly turn round to you and say, “oh you young people got it easy nowadays” No, I haven’t got it easy because I have to fork out around £5 every day to get to work and back then get asked multiple times by Randoms for change?! Gone are the glory days of paying 50p or under to get into Town and also, to add insult to injury, many of the buses don’t print out the McDonalds and Burger King vouchers anymore. However, as a child, I never understood why we had to pay for travel. I remember thinking why on earth do we have to pay, and I thought 50p was bloody expensive. To a child in the 90’s, yeah it is, I could get a load of blackjacks and Freddo’s for 50p but no, I had to spend my 50p pocket money on bloody bus fare.

THE GERMAN MARKET…IN BIRMINGHAM?

There was a time in Birmingham where the German Market only existed in Germany. I have sweet happy memories of holding my mom’s hand walking up to Victoria Square without a rub of a randomer’s arm or an end of a German sausage in my face. Usually every Christmas eve we would head into Birmingham so my Mom and Auntie would do their last-minute Christmas shopping, it was still packed back then but not so much as now. Thank god I never experienced it when I was little, I would have screamed the bloody place down and just pee myself on purpose so I could get out the hell out of there.

SCHOOL TRIPS IN BIRMINGHAM…LETS GO WILD!

From being forced to participate in games of bowling to mimicking puffer fishes at the sea life centre, there was a school trip every couple of months and guaranteed it was in Birmingham. The best thing I looked forward to on school trips was my packed lunch because for some reason my mom would let me choose what I wanted in my lunchbox, only if I was on a school trip. When I was not on a school trip, I was constantly disappointed with squished tuna and mayo sandwiches, a pathetic cheese string, an apple (that I had to get the dinner lady to cut up) and a penguin bar that would always hurt my teeth and told crap jokes. So, school trips were my favourite, It was a time for kids to let loose! One trip I will always remember is watching a music production at Symphony Hall in which me and my friend thought it was funny to make fart noises whenever the trumpets would play…I felt so powerful coming out of Symphony Hall because the teachers were too embarresed to tell me off however that soon changed when I got back to school…Am I first kid to get a detention for making fart noises in Symphony Hall?

TOYS “R” US= LOSE THE PARENTS

You don’t understand how much I would beg my parents if we ever went into town to go into Toys R Us on Dale End, they were always reluctant to take me but who could blame them? as every time I went there one of the workers would have to do a tannoy call out for me, as I would always go missing…on purpose. I would find it hilarious and hide away from them, I was a right sneaky little bugger, but could you blame me? Toys R us was almost like a drug, it sent kids wild! it was like a magical land where every kid wore a smile, and everything was free…unfortunately for my parents.

AMY ELIZA

Tags 1990, 90s, Birmingham, birminghamuk, disney, germanmarket, kids, tammygirl, westmidlands