Categories
lifestyle london

SECRET CINEMA PRESENTS: STRANGER THINGS

WARNING: A few Spoilers ahead – Can you keep a Secret?

Secret Cinema is well known for tackling big-screen adaptations from Alien to Moulin Rouge and creating worlds from films that you can experience in reality. Now Secret Cinema is tackling something completely different- the small screen and this time we are all transported back to the 80s where Madonna was our Gaga, cell phones were the size of computers and shell suits were fashionable but of course, there are a few Strange extras. Missing kids, secret Russian labs and SHORT SHORTS?! You need to get down to the bottom of this kids! Not quite the 80’s you remember? Of course not, this Secret Cinema is very different from the rest as it’s creating the tv adaption of Netflix’s Stranger Things.

If you are familiar with Secret Cinema you know that information is limited such as the location of the event and what to expect inside the event. You will be aware of the location a couple of weeks before you attend, there are a few emails that give you little clues in what to expect but when you get to the event nothing prepares you for what’s to come. The only clue we had was that it was our high school reunion and we are celebrating the 4th of July in Winter, strange. Ticket holders will be choosing from a selection of pop culture movements such as punks, hip-hoppers and new romantics. On arriving you are greeted by fellow 80’s pupils holding up signs to the event and then we saw the big neon sign of The Star Court Mall and this is where the adventure begins. Phones locked away, game face on and you are ready to enter into the world of Stranger Things.

As you enter you literally feel like your stepping on set of Stranger Things, it’s very Season 3 from retail stores to video arcades and bars and yes, they even having Scoops Ahoy and you can buy the ice cream! Neon colours, crazy patterns and 80s shopping music…If anyone asks where I am, I’ve left the country okay? The detail is insane, it’s very true to the tv show and truly an immersive experience for all.

You can choose to meet with your 80s pop culture leader and they give you information that you need to start your mission – reports of missing kids? A government cover-up?! you need to get down to the bottom of it and find out what the hell is going on in Hawkins. From readings with fortune tellers to finding yourself trying to crawl through vents holding onto beer and getting busted by crazy Russians, these missions make you quickly forget that you are Amy Langston, 28 and living in Birmingham. Everyone is in character, American accents and all, and you find yourself also talking in an American accent. You see a glimpse of the upside-down on your journey, ordering a drink at the bar and suddenly the lights and electric cut out and yeah, I got a bit of a twitchy bum from it, it can get quite spooky! Not only are you in this experience with your friends but keep an eye out because you are also experiencing this with many of the characters from Stranger Things that may come in handy on some of your missions. You create your own experience here and really, you are in charge of your journey.

There is plenty to explore here in The Star Court however it’s not all based in the mall, you get to celebrate the 4th July at the Hawkins carnival complete with food and drink vendors, carnival games and the main stage for you all to dance, participate in competitions and question the Mayor on what’s going on in Hawkins. Fancy dancing to candy in an 80’s dance club? or becoming a reporter? or maybe you just fancy a little bit of retail therapy? The sets are so awesome and the detail is endless from characters costume to set/prop designs. Make sure you stick around for the Mayor’s speech later on in the night that’s when things really get out of hand…

Usually, at Secret Cinema you go to watch the film but of course, this is a tv series we are talking about and a bloody long one. So I am not going to give anything away in how they do this but all I can say is the team behind Secret Cinema are some seriously talented creatives and okay! okay! You do have the chance to sing Never ending story, that’s it! I am not saying anymore. My experience of Stranger Things Secret Cinema is one I will never forget, I am a massive fan of the tv show and it didn’t disappoint, it gave me a chance to be part of the much-loved series. A truly spectacular experience that will leave jaws dropping and people wanting to experience it again and again.

Limited tickets are still on sale don’t miss out on this amazing experience and a chance to be part of your favourite tv show. A little bit of a tip choose an early time to attend, this is a very popular event so it can get quite packed out and flat shoes are advisable.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Food review

The Early Bird Bakery in Kings Heath-Review

Venturing out to Kings Heath on a cold Winters day with the family, we came across this little beauty of a Bakery on the High Street that simply gave us a wonderful family brunch with heart-warming food and a cosy atmosphere. A must visit, The Early Bird Bakery is one of Kings Heaths most valuable hidden gems.

At 2pm, the Bakery was already packed with happy customers and plates of rainbow coloured foods, luckily we managed to find a table. It’s quite a small space, there’s only a couple of tables and window seats, so a Saturday drop-in you may need to think about popping in the early morning to avoid disappointment. What first lit up my eyes were the array of cakes on display from tarts to cronuts all glistening in the display cabinet and of course, my Mom was the first to window lick the deserts on display, steady on Mom first things first, let’s check this menu out.

Quite a small weekend menu however offering a wide variety of lunch options, all different and unique with a bucket load of ingredients in each dish. Sweet potato hash brown, house-cured salmon bagels, toasties, and sweet and sour cabbage hummus, this isn’t your typical lunch at Weatherspoon’s. The Menu just oozes creativity, and whilst it took me a little while to work out what I fancied, I was quite fascinated and intrigued to see how these varieties of ingredients would go together in the dishes. The drinks menu is on a board on the wall offering a range of coffees, teas and soft drinks for all. Please note that the food menu changes regularly.

I decided to go with the ham hock & winters greens toast with a poached egg, my Sister ordered the house-cured salmon bagel, my Dad ordered the mushroom toastie and my Mom ordered a apple pecan bun. Its order at the till service and our drinks came within 5 minutes of ordering. My tea arrived presented lovely on a wooden board and it tasted as good as it looked. Looking around the Bakery, it’s very clean and simplistically decorated with a splash of rustic interior here and there. Within 10 minutes of ordering, plates of food were making there way over to our table and all of our eyes lit up.

The food is beautifully presented, full of colour and full of life. The one thing that spoils my dining experience is a stubborn egg, so a yolk test is essential when ordering eggs and it passed alright with flying yolky colours, it was a beauty. My dish held a variety of flavours, it was so delicious, I could taste the caramelised onion and mustard puree with hints of lemon and mint, it all blended so well. I always have a problem with sourdough, some places just get it completely wrong where it’s just impossible to cut into but the sourdough at The Early Bird was bang on, kudos to you guys it stayed well on my plate and didn’t go flying out the door. My Sister enjoyed her bagel, I managed to grab a bite and again, full of flavour, refreshing and not so heavy, it was perfect. I, unfortunately, didn’t manage to get a photo or try my Dad’s mushroom toastie as I was obsessing over mine so much but my Dad’s comments were “Great meal, won’t be expecting dinner from your mother tonight, that’s done the trick” I take that as a positive.

The prices are very reasonable, my dish cost around £8 and I think that’s a very generous price for such a high-quality fantastic dish. After a table full of spotless cleaned up plates, we were asked if we enjoyed it and of course, we did, it was great to feedback to the staff who are very pleasant and caring towards their customers. Before we left, my Mom couldn’t leave without another cake, so we got a round of cakes in to take home with our brews before settling down to Sundays car crash Tv. We ordered the passionfruit cruffin which was very appetizing and luscious, I saved the other half for work the next day but almost lost it to a pack of vultures when it popped out my bag. I’ll fight a seagull any day for an The Early Bird Bakery cake.

The Early Bird Bakery was such a wonderful experience, the food is different but unique and more importantly, it works. I wish they would branch out and open one in the City Centre, but that’s just me being a bit selfish as I want it for myself so I will be making the journey to Kings Heath more often! Watch out fellow West midlands Bakery’s you have competition here.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham Food review

INDICO STREET KITCHEN BIRMINGHAM-REVIEW

Now thanks to Indico we have North India right on our culinary doorstep offering food that is bursting full of flavour and a fantastic eastern experience for all. Soon to be a Birmingham favourite, Indico has already made an impression in the City Centre of Birmingham.

Indico is an Indian street food restaurant offering the flavours of Punjab to all of us looking to expand our culinary palettes! Indico opened there first restaurant in Shirley and the restaurant has received an award-winning status and now, Indico has opened there second restaurant in the Mailbox in Birmingham. Located in a great location sitting right opposite Bar Estillo, becoming the Mailboxes only Indian restaurant. We made sure we booked and it was lucky we did because come 6 pm it started to quickly fill up. Vibrant, bursting with colour and beautifully decorated, each table displays a teapot cannister that gives it that personal eastern touch to each table. We were greeted with smiles straight away and shown to our table and handed menus.

A wide variety of options from Currys, Tikka dishes, to Paaji burgers. A huge selection which will put a few people in a pickle choosing, I changed my mind literally 4 times. I found my myself scooping up my saliva looking at the menu, this food is defiantly going to test the tastebuds. First things first,  Papadums. Papadams are served with mango chutney, pickle, onion relish and mint sauce they came with Far Fars which are like little crisps that have been deep-fried, very addictive! Looking at the drinks menu there is a variety of drink options, the cocktails I will say are quite adventurous! Bollywood star dirty martini to Gingerbread martinis packed with a punch, very exotic and appetising cocktails. I went for a classic Strawberry daiquiri and boy, did it pack a punch, very sweet and quite the naughty little cocktail packed with a strong KAPOW of Rum! After a 10 minute debate with myself on what the heck I should order, I decided to order the lamb gilafi Kebab with cheesy masala fries and Bhatura bread, We also ordered The chefs special chicken taka tak curry with fried rice.

Looking around the place it is beautifully decorated with authentic decoration with a quirky tweak but stays true to Indicos North Indias roots, the seating areas are nice and spacious, and the interior just oozes class. The atmosphere is relaxing, the staff are very friendly and kept checking up on us to see if we were enjoying the experience. Now, this may irritate many eaters but for me, I’d rather have someone ask me how my food/experience is instead of being totally ignored. Food is flying in and out of the kitchen and the smell is absolutely divine, The service time is spot on, our food came within 15 minutes.

The lamb kebab was cooked to perfection and fell apart in my mouth. I am not a big fan of spice but this was quite mild, so I was able to eat the food without throwing down gallons of water. The curry was full of flavour and cooked very well, with nice juicy well-cooked pieces of chicken. The masala cheese fries were good but could have done with an extra bit of sauce, but I just dipped them into the curry and I can’t complain, it was an outstanding combination! The Bhatura bread was nicely baked, soft, fluffy and oh so satisfying! The food overall was full of flavour, delicious and possibly some of nicest Indian street food I have ever tasted.

I am very grateful for Indico gracing us City Centre folk, with its authentic charm and fantastic food and service. One thing that stood out at indico was the service, the customer service was brilliant however they may need to be a bit careful as some restaurant-goers want to be left to eat and not quizzed regarding the food. Of course, please take into account that I attended on the first week of the opening so of course, they want to know the feedback. I very much enjoyed my experience I came in with a smile and left with an even bigger smile but the only downside about my experience was as soon as I stood outside the door, I wanted more. I will be back before the new year as one trip simply wasn’t enough. Another fantastic restaurant in Birmingham with no doubt in my mind will be a favourite to many.

Congratulations Indico.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham photography

THE BEST OF BIRMINGHAM: NOVEMBER PHOTOGRAPHY PICKS

I will be combining my two loves in my life in this blog post: Photography and Birmingham
Both have given me so much in my life, Photography gives me excitement and it gives me a platform to express my creativity and it helps people to understand me as a person more. I am a dreamer, I am always dreaming and using my imagination 24/7. Birmingham also gives me a platform to showcase my passion, a community that accepts creativity/dreamers and often the subject in my photographs. Birmingham is full of fantastic creatives, so many undiscovered photographers with never-ending imaginations and talents that can generate instant emotion when looking at their photographs. I want to start a monthly blog post showcasing Birmingham/Midlands photographers that are talented and have created amazing imagery of our city, please show these fantastic photographers some love on their social media pages. The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more so its important to credit our creatives as they really do open our eyes to see how bloody beautiful and great our city Birmingham is.

Please respect the copyright, if you would like to use the imagery please contact the photographers via social media pages.

If you like to be featured in Decembers photography picks make sure you tag your photos #bababouttownfeature

AESHA NISAR

A Spellbinding photograph of the Big Wheel in Birmingham by the talented Aesha Nisar.

instagram.com/aesha.nisar

ADAM MOORE

INSANE photo of our city Brum giving me futuristic vibes from the talented Adam Moore.

instagram.com/admphotogram

MANUEL PEREZ

A stunning photo of the Canal in Birmingham from the talented Manuel Perez.

instagram.com/guayosphotography

JACK EVANS

Awesome Christmas shot in China Town by the talented Jack Evans.


instagram.com/thetraveljackal

ROB HEATH

Creative and imaginative, Photo of the Birmingham Bullring by the talented Rob Heath

instagram.com/robheathphotography

ROSS MACWHINNIE

A beautiful Classic Black and white photo of the Canals by the talented Ross MacWhinnie

instagram.com/ross_the_photographist

www.facebook.com/rossthephotographist

MANOS PAPADAKIS

Two beautiful images taken in Birmingham by the talented Manos Papadakis

www.instagram.com/e.papadakis

SMALLFRY PRODUCTIONS

A fantastic festive photo taken by the talented Smallfry Productions

instagram.com/smallfrypro

EXQUISITE VISUALZ

Insane futuristic shot of John Lewis/Birmingham traffic by the talented Exquisite Visuals

instagram.com/exquisitevisualz

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle

GIRLS IN CLUBS

Ladies and Gents, I bring you the GIRLS IN CLUBS edition. It was hilarious to see how many of you had gone through the same experience as me with lads in clubs and hearing about how you dealt with some of the lads that I have mentioned. I promised you a Girls in club edition and I said, “Girls are much worse” and well…The proof is in the pudding baby. We have been at least 3 of those girls listed below, I can recall countless of times where I suddenly turned into Beyoncé at midnight shaking my shit everywhere and woke up the next morning full of NO REGRETS with a rip in my pants/tights. With so much drama in the world going on, we all deserve to let our hair down and act like prats now and again. So, here is the girls in club edition, are we worse than lads? Find out for yourself here…

THE CRYER

Have you ever watched girls enjoy their night with a big smile on their face and then nearing the end of the night you accidentally walk in on them slumped on the toilet floor crying their eyes out screaming “IM SO F****** UGLY” yeah…it happens in every night club. I remember I was at the bar once next to this girl and that Lewis Capaldi kid came on, all of a sudden, I heard what can almost be described as the squeakiest fart ever and it was coming from her who just started bawling at the bar. I didn’t know what to do with myself, do I comfort her? Do I ask are you okay? I just did a Lemur move and danced out of the queue.

THE BIGGEST BOOTY COMPETITOR

It’s usually when the shots come into play and its either Cardi B or that bloody terrible song by Sean Paul comes on. All the girl’s group together to see who got the biggest “floppiest” booty, no joke I did it once at a firework display in Walsall park and knocked this poor kid flying with my arse so could you imagine me doing it in a club? Jeeez.

THE “JESUS CHRIST IS SHE EVER GOING TO STOP DANCING” GIRL

I have sat on the sidelines many times and watched girls dance until their heels fly off, like literally. Is she ever going to stop? Then you see girls clocking lads they like so what do they do? They dance into them by “accident” Admit it, you have done it and of course, we are all guilty of doing this, but It works every time!

THE SELFIE/SNAPCHAT GIRLS

In this day and age, unfortunately, we have the selfie queens. I prefer dickheads but let’s keep it PG12 here [insert troll face]. I Get it, go out have fun and take a photo but don’t spend the whole night holding onto your phone and recording yourself on Snapchat with those ridiculous cat ears. You also have the groups of girls that set up their own photoshoot in a club! Guys, you have no chance with this lot they are more obsessed with getting with themselves than you.

THE “I LOVE YOU BE MY FRIEND” GIRL

We all have come across this one most likely in the girl’s bathroom. “OMG YOUR SO PRETTY, I LOVE YOUR STYLE AND YOUR BF IS SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU” but you know what’s so great with these girls…they believe everything, for example, I once told this girl that I was a Kardashian and the hilarious response was “I should think so with that arse” and then asked for my signature…

THE BORED GIRL

You cant miss her, she’s sat in the corner with a cat bum pout looking extemly bored. You ask “are you okay” and they suddenly perk up for about 10 seconds saying they are and then slump back into “bored” mode. Come on now, surely you can do that at home on the sofa and turn on some music channels for free Bab.

THE GIRLS GONE WILD

Ladies and Gents bring out the poles because it’s about to get a little wild up in here! Short skirts, bra flashing, and Miley Cyrus tongues are flapping everywhere. It’s like the Birmingham version of girls gone wild in here.

THE EASY GIRL

“Easy lover, she’ll get a hold on you believe it, like no other, before you know it, you’ll be on your knees!” Yassss Phil Collins Preach! There is one or two in every club and it’s just another day in paradise for them going against all odds to take a chap home and feel SEXYTIME in the air tonight. Wait…Did I just quote Phil Collins song titles? Err YEAH, I DID!

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR

Calm, cool and collected. Holding onto her cocktail/prosecco, she has a great smile, great hair, great everything…The lads love her, but the girls can’t bloody stand her.

THE HEN PARTY

If you suddenly seeing flying penis’s and find your straw replaced with a penis there’s a 99% chance that the hen party has arrived, or you are probably possessed by some dick devil or something. The pink, the learner banners and Beyoncé, bloody Beyoncé is on repeat all throughout the night. I don’t mind a bit of Beyoncé, but that lady has a bloody dictionary of songs about female empowerment so guaranteed it’s going to be a very long night.

THE TIME TO GO HOME GIRL

she’s not hard to miss shes usually crawling across the dance floor with her skirt halfway up her butt or slumped over the toilet throwing up and crying at the same time. We have all been there, I once got so drunk that I threw up a garden, literally, it was like some sort of veggie patch coming out of my mouth, there were basil leaves, tomatoes and all kinds of herbs! I only had a bruschetta.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle

MY LIST:30 things I want to achieve before turning 30

Every birthday I reflect on what I have achieved in the past year and every birthday it almost feels like a dark cloud coming over and you suddenly realise…shit, I am getting old. Now it’s not all doom and gloom getting old, there are some perks and one of them is that you finally figure your shit out. Usually, life can throw “distractions” in the way and one of them for me was my 7-year relationship. Now I am not going to say it was negative because it wasn’t and my ex-partner is a fantastic person but I will say it was a distraction for me. That’s what happens in relationships you get so caught up with the other person that you kind of ignore what you “really” want in life. Soon as I came out of that relationship it was terrifying, I was comforted for so long that I felt alien to the situation. I’m on my own now, I have no one to answer to and it’s just me myself and I, so what if  I “wasted” 7 years of my life? Those 7 years taught me what I want out of a relationship and what I don’t want out of a relationship but 7 years is precious time so what am I going to do?

I am going to do what the f*** I want to do for once.

So I decided to put together a list of things I want to achieve before turning 30, I am 28 now so I have two years to achieve them. “Never dwell on the past” they say, that’s impossible because we spend most of lifes dwelling on the past but what we can do is change the present and the future. By learning from our past and getting up off our arses and doing the things we have always wanted to do. So, here are 30 things I want to achieve before turning 30 and some that I have already achieved in the past year.

  • Move out– This is something that I could do now but I want to actually own my place, So i’m currently saving saving SAVING!
  • Start a blog
  • Start up my photographgy business
  • Write and film a short film/advert
  • Caring more for my body e.g. Tackle the yeast intolerence diet.
  • Pass driving test- driving has taken a back seat for a while because I have always had a phobia of driving (long story to explain why!) but now I am pretty confident on the road but I’m pretty sucky at manoeuvres because im such a short arse, I can hardly see anything! Next year is my year to pass!
  • Travel to New Zealand– may need to get over my phobia first of snakes.
  • Learn to cook a BAD ASS ROAST DINNER
  • Go to an elephant orphanage
  • Visit Area 51– ULTIMATE BUCKET LIST DREAM RIGHT THERE
  • Attempt the vegan diet or cut down on meat.
  • Overcome my fear- absolutely petrified of snakes but I want to overcome this!
  • Host a buffet party
  • Go to HARRY POTTER WORLD
  • Give back- Charity
  • Travel America
  • Get back into running
  • Do the sutton Coldfield fun run
  • Change career
  • further my blogging career
  • further my photography career
  • Focus more on videography and create more video content for my photography business
  • Buy a car
  • Visit Amsterdam 
  • Go on a digital detox weekend away
  • Create my own photography book of Birmingham
  • Learn to put on a good buff like the famous Marisa Langston buffet
  • Jump more often
  • Build something- a piece of furniture maybe?
  • BE MYSELF- build that confidence and believe 

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle

LADS IN CLUBS

Why do you go out? Because it’s fun? you had a bad day? or maybe, you are looking to meet someone. Whatever the reason, you can never predict the outcome of a night out, but I can always guarantee if I am out with the older ladies from work, I will end up in some shitty club in Birmingham. I don’t know what it is with me but wherever I go I seem to attract the strangest of creatures in these clubs, from giving me lollipops for good luck (don’t ask) to strange men saying I’m soo cute that they could keep me in a cage….a BLOODY CAGE?! Would you like me to eat that seeded crap and do backflips off the bars as well?

I know it’s not just me, I know most girls have come across a wide variety of types of men in clubs, soo why not reminisce and do a blog post about it hey?! So here are the types of guys I have encountered in clubs and it will be great to see if you have come across them to!

THE CREEPY JOHN TRAVOLTA

You are having a great time with your friends dancing away and then suddenly this random lad comes out of nowhere and starts making crazy eye contact and hit bumping with you…WHO INVITED YOU? WHERE DID YOU COME FROM? WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I have to say, I have watched this many time’s on the sidelines and its pure comedy, watching the guy in his own little world and then watching the girls squirming grabbing each other for help. Now, I thought we were over this, but I was proved wrong…I blame those tv shows on Netflix that suggest creepy guys are quite hot in a weird, not normal way (I.E YOU)

GOD HES CREEPY BUT I LOVE IT!

THE SPITTER

Tap on the shoulder, you turn around and there’s this smiley chap wanting to speak to you. I’ve had “my friend likes you or you look like Paloma faith” but the music is soo loud you can’t understand a word, so he does the worse thing possible, he talks to you in your ear, I mean, SPITS IN YOUR EAR. Did I ask for an ear infection?

THE STARER

Ever feel like someone is watching you? Chances are someone is but that’s all they are doing…staring. However, when you get closer to the lad you realise that he is just making great eye contact with your boobs…

THE DRUNK

There’s one in every club without fail and it’s a bloody nightmare if you interact with them because they just talk total shit and they are convinced they are related to you or know you in some way. I once watched a guy who was soo drunk he threw up and then fell off his podium face-planting his sick on the floor, Poor sod.

THE SHY GUY

He’s usually holding onto his beer for dear life, he will stand in his group and just nod along and wait for his turn to talk. He won’t talk to you unless you throw up on him by accident or steal his pint…works a treat trust me.

THE SMOOTH TALKER

He’s calm, he’s collected and he’s a COCKY COCK and he knows it! He knows the right words to say and he just might get you into bed tonight darling. Sometimes they come out with a bit of witty humour, for example, I was wearing a denim jacket and this guy comes out of nowhere wearing a similar denim jacket and says “Guess, you got the Denim memo?” 

Oh god I’m a sucker for flirty fashion chat up lines…TAKE ME HOME.

THE GIMME GIMME GIMME A GIRL AFTER MIDNIGHT LAD

Have you ever watched lads go from girl to girl, it’s happened to myself and I am pretty sure it’s happened to you? You tell him you got a boyfriend, girlfriend and he’s not taking no for an answer. So yes, sometimes you got to pull the crab card out and tell a guy you have crabs just to get rid of them and guess what I got in return “we could do it in the shower?”

Lord have mercy, thank god I spent the rest of the night in the toilet because as I came out at the end of the night, I saw him go home with another girl.

THE GUY IN THE WAISTCOAT

Don’t need to go into detail about this chap but there’s always one for every club you go into and they always look completely lost.

THE GUY WHO TOUCHES YOUR BUTT

Sometimes a guy will just jump on in there and will do what they think you will like…touch the butt. Is pinching the arse some way of saying hello? Is this a new craze the kids have brought out? But you know what’s worse? THE GHOST PINCHER…you will feel a pinch on your butt and you turn around and NO ONE IS THERE?!

THE SUITS

Friday night after works drinks are in order and Birmingham is full of navy suits and orange brogues. Usually a mixture of lads really, you have…

The “I own a BMW and a French bulldog” Guy

The “I don’t want to be here so I am just going to go along with this for a couple of hours and rush back to my girlfriend” Guy

and the guy who is all about “LADS TITS BEER YESSSSS LADSSSSS”

So, there you have it, the guys you will encounter at clubs and what’s that? the cries from you lads reading this post “BUT WHAT ABOUT GIRLS?” and lads, you are absolutely right! Unfortunately, girls, you are a lot worse in clubs than lads. Don’t believe me? Stay tuned for next week’s GIRLS IN CLUBS blog post.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham review

ONCE UPON A TIME IN BIRMINGHAM

Where Elton John meets Albert Square…

Okay, So I am currently up at 2 am in the morning writing this up because guess who decided to get so drunk on a school night? This moron right here. I can now say those two words that most parents dread to hear…ITS CHRISTMAS

*QUE THE WIZZARD SONG”
Every year Christmas seems to get bigger and bigger and those pockets of yours seem to get emptier and emptier. Birmingham is always coming up with new and exciting Christmas related events to draw those with the spirit of Christmas in so when a mysterious event popped up called “Once Upon A Time In Birmingham” of course, it caught my attention however this is one event that might make you want to stay clear of Christmas this year.

Nested in the old Jamie Italian restaurant lies Once Upon A Time in Birmingham. A festive pop up with 88,000 festive lights, tea parlour, party bar and event space brought to you Bompas & Parr. Walking through the front doors I was greeted with many smiles and gold shredded tinsel. The bar was on the left and a metal chain hanging curtain was straight in front which was the entrance to the light extravaganza. First thoughts, a strange combination of materials but okay, we will go with this.

When entering the main attraction my eyes lit up, 88,000 various hanging Christmas lights and a variety of bizarre Christmas decorations you had in your house from the ’90s. They had a fair share of seating areas, from tables and chairs to booths and even a section that wasn’t lit up at all which seemed to me, very out of place. We were told that later on in the night the seating area by the DJ Booth would go and would turn into a dance floor. It’s different and it’s very extra but we like different here in Birmingham, so lets get into this!

Sitting down in the “vibrating” booth which certainly did not give me good vibrations because we couldn’t feel any vibration at all. We took a look at the menu, a range of festive drinks from eggnog to winter spiced champagne cocktails. Beers and wines were also on the menu. Its order at the bar service and I decided to go for the winter spiced champagne cocktail.

Now, please tell me how I got quite pissed off half a cocktail? Well, I tell you why because they got the alcohol measurement totally wrong. When the bartender came over to take our next drink options, I mentioned it and he said they had 60% whiskey in there and had JUST cut it down as it was way too strong. I should bloody think so, I was hanging on those Christmas decorations like a pissed-up fairy on a Christmas tree. I decided to let them off and I ordered a gin & pomegranate drink which was a lot more drinkable and had the flavours of christmas. We tried a variety of the drinks, all with festive ingredients and they do smell lovely!

Looking around I noticed a couple of issues, the décor on opening night you expect those 88,000 lights to be working, they weren’t all working. It was a bizarre mixture of lights, I had it in my head it was going to be all the same but mixing with the tinsel and the other odd Christmas décor (also the random white Christmas tree that didn’t go at all) it’s like Elton John meets EastEnders in this joint. Now, I am no interior design expert but from my experience of designing and building houses on The Sims… it would have looked a lot more classy with the same lighting throughout and no tinsel crap.  The area that turns into a dance floor is quite concerning because I can just see with the boozy drinks offerings and the cheeky helium balloons they have on the menu, it’s going to be Christmas day mayhem of ripping down those decorations. I feel for the cleaners.

The booze was catching up with me and the scent of cinnamon was irritating my nose so when things get a bit too overpowering for me, I like to sit down and have a cup of tea and that’s exactly what I did, I ordered a cup of tea at Santa’s grotto. There was no escaping these Christmas scents because cinnamon was also in the tea. Taking in the loud scenery we were offered these pretty cool looking glasses to try on to get the full “experience” boy, would you get an experience alright, an experience of someone throwing up over you with these badboys. You can’t see a bloody thing and I even tried to drink my cup of tea wearing them in which I failed to do so and I ended up sipping back a chunk of my jumper.

The only food we got to try was the crystal-clear jelly which we saw on the promotional photo on the website that looked stunning with the lights reflecting of it, so we were really looking forward to this. When it came over our first impressions was…it’s tiny and it stinks of Christmas. Now I know why many places don’t sell clear jelly because soon as I saw it, I was rolling out that scene from Something About Mary in my head. What can I say? It tasted like nothing but that’s jelly anyway, but I was expecting a bit of a Christmas tweak to the pud. They offer a festive afternoon tea but looking at this it seems there are just deserts and tea, you can’t call it an afternoon tea if there are no BUNS HUN?! Where’s the sandwiches?! Let’s be honest when we have afternoon tea we want more savoury than sweets so I don’t know how this is going to work…

Honesty is the best policy and I have to say, I really wanted to love this but it was a little bit of a let down for me. Its amazing when you are full of alchol and I think every one should go and see it, the first words you will say when you see it is “OH WOW” it’s very extra and its very camp. Instagram obsessed girls would love it as there are many photo opportunities to be had and its fantastic for kids, kids will be AMAZED but playtime is over at 6pm. To me, the place looks unfinished and it comes across quite tacky. I couldn’t imagine spending a whole night in a throw-up Christmas without the christmas music? yep, a christmas event without christmas music but there was Chris Brown and Justin Bieber. I would recommend you all to check it out, I think it would be great to take the family for a 1 or 2 hours but its not a place you would keep rushing back to. A good attempt but if tweaked, it could be massively improved however for me, it didnt really capture the spirit of Christmas, it left me completly confused and I spent most of the night thinking I was at a 90s christmas party at my primary school. 

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham Food review

WAYLANDS YARD BIRMINGHAM-REVIEW

My eggy crumpets bring all the boys to the yard…

Located in the city centre on busy Bull Street opposite the tram lies Wayland’s Yard. A quirky independent serving up a wide variety of coffee, freshly made food to warm the heart and tickle our satisfying taste buds and a great atmosphere for the people of Brum. When mentioning Wayland’s Yard to a couple of friends I was gobsmacked that they never even heard of it! so here is a lesson in educating the people of Brum of our amazing independents in the city and Wayland’s Yard is one of them.

Arriving just before lunchtime with a Wayland’s virgin (My good OL’ pal Bridge) we settled right down and grabbed a menu. It was around 12 pm, few people in there but not raving busy. The interior inside is very urban, almost feels like your dining in a warehouse with a few botanicals touches here and there. I like how it is quite minimal and it’s a light spacious venue with a generous offering of seats and tables. Every table displays a food menu and the drinks menu is right behind the till with a variety of pastries and cakes on offer. It’s order at the till service and they are pretty sharp with the service, my tea came within 2 minutes.

A wide variety of Breakfast & Brunch meals on offer, from eggy crumpets to one pans. The prices are reasonable, the prices of the big brunches are £11.50, okay, it’s not a £7 breakfast you get at your local Weatherspoon’s. We are talking about fresh, high-quality ingredients that are freshly cooked on the day…not in a microwave! There is also plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans. I decided to order the eggy crumpets with chorizo and avocado, and Bridge ordered Eggs Florentine.

The food came to us beautifully presented and full of colour. Diving straight into it was absolutely divine, the crumpets were soft and fluffy, and it was bursting with flavour. Forget basic-bitch crumpets like Warburtons think soft sassy little freaks that melt in your mouth. Never would think to put crumpets with chorizo, a strange combination that works wonders. The portions were very generous and very filling, Bridge loved her eggs Florentine, the eggs were cooked properly with a pop of a fork, the egg yolk spilled out…so satisfying when you see that right?

The staff are very friendly and very informative, I was stuck for choice with the teas as I am trying to lay off the milk and felt a bit peaky that day, so it was suggested the gunpowder green to give me a pick me up and boy, did it do wonders for me. The staff are full of smiles, there’s no denying that they enjoy working there and it’s lovely to see.

The food is stunning, the service is high class and the coffee is badass. I regularly go there now to pick up a hot drink in the morning and have a bite to eat at lunchtime. The only negative I have is that it’s right next to work and they are going to bugger up my yeast intolerance and add to my muffin top. In conclusion, this is definitely one of my favourite spots for bunch in the city and definitely a place that should be on your list to try out, dare I say? ANOTHER Brummie gem? Of course, it bloody is and please, support our independents and give your taste buds a bloody treat instead of that Costa Crap.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Birmingham dating

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN DATING A BRUMMIE

The wonderful world of dating now controlled by a variety of online dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble. Gone are the days where couples say “we met on a night out” or at a “friends gathering” because finding someone for whatever purpose you may have is now made pretty easy for us. One flick on an app and a date is set up or if its Tinder a “Wham bam thank you ma’am” is set up. From my experience, the one question I always get is “Have you got the dodgy Birmingham accent?” I am born and raised in Birmingham, of course, I’ve got the accent Bab but now thanks to Peaky Blinders, the accent now appears to many as “sexy” There is more to dating Brummie’s than just the accent and here are a few things in what to expect when you date a Brummie.

WE LOVE OUR CITY

Brummies are very friendly and always up for a laugh, Possibly the friendliest people you will meet on this planet. The conversations I have had on the train, in pubs, and in the toilets with fellow Brummies from not knowing each other to sharing shitty burger van burgers and helping to unzip each other’s dresses down. We have great humour, a great city we call home and we don’t really give a shite what you think of us.

FANCY A BREW BAB?

Now, this is a term you will hear in many Brummie households. Us Brummies love a cuppa now and again, especially with a chip butty. I think my parents drink around 6 cups of tea maybe even more, and any time a guest comes around that’s the first thing they will say. Fancy a brew seems to be the answer to everything, split up with your boyfriend? Time of the month? Brexit is delayed again? One boob is longer than the other? It will be okay come in and have a cuppa!
There’s a brew for every problem.

BRACE YOURSELF FOR THE SNOBS STORIES

RIP snobs, you will be forever in our hearts. Every Brummie has a Snob story, You will hear Snobs a lot when you come to Brum “Do you remember the old Snobs? Pints were £1 and you can never remember how you got thrown out?” We will entertain you with many stories about the “Old Snobs” The story’s, the people and the crappy food that we had after Snobs finished in the little takeaway shop next door-I wish I could remember the name. We will talk about the sticky floor, the lack of light, the trips to hospitals after slipping all over the joint and the whole room going crazy singing to The Killers-Mr Brightside. To many, it was a shithole, but it was our shithole that we absolutely adored.

MEETING UP IN BRUM

There was a time when McDonald’s on the ramp was an alright place to meet but nowadays it is Grand Central (to us Brummies it’s still New Street) or the Bull- just don’t expect us to take a selfie in front of it. For me, It’s Grand Central Station meeting outside Pret a Manger so as I come out of the ticket barriers usually, I can see my date waiting for me then its decision time-Should I stay, or should I go? I wonder if anyone else does this?

FOOTBALL

Maybe refrain from asking the family what football team they support. Its Aston Villa or Birmingham City…choose carefully, a proper Brummie is an Aston Villa supporter…Sorry, not Sorry. This is one of the first questions my dad will ask potential boyfriends. I always give them a warning “Say you support Aston Villa or no one” thankfully my dad hasn’t used the garden hose on anyone yet…

AVOIDING BROAD STREET LIKE THE BLOODY PLAGUE

Now, this may not apply to all Brummies, but for me, I can’t stand the bloody place. On a Saturday night, you will see all kinds of things from legless creatures to sad-looking dildos lying in the street, it’s a very long and wide version of the strip in Malia that is one to avoid on first dates. Dont ever suggest Broad Street as a first date, we wont be impressed unless its a stay in The Hyatt…meaning the 3rd or 4th date, God! who do you think I am?!

MCDONALDS ON THE RAMP AFTER A NIGHT OUT?

it’s just the last stop before home to try and sober ourselves up. It’s the only place in Brum that is open 24 hours and is quite appealing after a sweaty night out in Be at one.

OMG YOU’RE FROM BIRRRRMINGHAAAAAAM, DO YOU WATCH PEAKY BLINDERS?

Don’t try and attempt the accent, we won’t be impressed. We get a lot of stick for our accents but thanks to Peaky Blinders, those days are gone. The Birmingham accent is officially sexy, thank you, Mr Cillian Murphy.

THE BULLRING

Of course, if you have never been to Birmingham before you will be thinking about taking a trip up to the Bullring. Now for me, it’s okay February-September but then come October it gets manic and especially at Christmas, if I was to take a crap on the floor, no one would notice because everyone is in their own little world rushing around like blue arsed flies.

November in Birmingham…AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS.

Its that time again fellow Brummies get ready to get stuck behind peoples backs for half an hour, touched up by random peoples shoulders and even wrestle with yourself as to the reason why you even came. If you’re dating a Brummie at Christmas time, sure enough, you will be dragged to the famous German market. Yes, it very festive, you have loved up couples being all cute and all but to most of us Brummies, it’s a bloody pain in the arse. It goes on for bloody miles now it’s like the river Nile for christ sake and every turn you take theres those great big whopping sausages taking your eye out, do people not know that most of the food/drink from the German Market can be brought for cheaper at your local Lidl?

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham review

BATTER UP BAB-THE FLOODGATE DIGBETH

Ever wondered what the future might look like? Look no more! Step into a futuristic urban world with rooms full of exploding colour and quirky artwork covering the walls of this fantastic venue. A variety of exciting and fun fulfilling games await you with refreshing cocktails and mouth watering delicious food. I had the pleasure of attending the launch night of The Floodgate in Digbeth and this is what went down in Digbeth’s newest attraction.

Floodgate Street Digbeth

Just turned 6.30 pm me and my cousin arrived at The Floodgate named after the street its on-Floodgate Street. We were greeted by a gentleman who gave us wrist bands for the various sporting activities that await us inside. The entrance is where you would check-in and pay for the games plus signing a disclosure for the batting cages in which you must read before you enter the cages. Entering the front doors, you see the Bleachers batting cages and the very large bar area full of seats and a wide variety of drinks. The music is upbeat, people were already smiling and we were offered a drink straight away..this is my kind of shindig. 

We first had a look around with our vibrant and refreshing cocktails- very good choice on offer from gins to rum-based cocktails and plenty of beer. In the main room, you have the batting cages, the bar and doors that lead to an outside area where the independent food trucks are selling a variety of tasty and oh so satisfying food. The four food vendors are Home run pizza company, The Cookie Mumsters, That’s mature toasties and Phata Phat food. Good selection of variety there but we had to a bit of exploring first.

We finished our first cocktails and headed to play Pit Pat table golf, the UK’s first and only PitPat. A neon jungle room that is very generous in size and offers a variety of PitPat tables for you all to challenge each other and enjoy. It’s a race around the room, completing the variety of challenging Pit Pat courses that are harder than they look however I quite surprised myself, I was quite good at it.

The next room we went into was the curling lanes, this was one of my favourites and really brings the competitive side out of you… this game may cause a few argy-bargys! 3 curling lanes and more neon lights, the room also offers more seating areas where if you feel like giving up, you can go sit down and have a sulk on the sideline. What I absolutely love about this room, is the ceiling full of Slinkys, that’s right SLINKYS, it’s raining Slinkys!
So creative and so Birmingham.

The final activity is the Bleachers Baseball batting cages where we first entered. This was the one game I wasn’t too sure about, but I absolutely loved. Only one person in the cage, you must wear a helmet, and you must stand by your mark. The balls shoot out pretty fast so it may take you by surprise at first, it never gets easier you just get better! This is great fun for groups and it’s so satisfying when you finally get that perfect hit.

On to the FOOD, my goodness and what a treat you guys are in for. We were absolutely spoilt, from pizza to cookie dough balls and butter chicken, it really did fulfil my taste buds and even satisfied my picky cousins food habits(she’s a hard one to please with food) As we sat down, the food just kept coming out and it was great to talk to some of the food vendors who were so excited as well as the Floodgate staff for the long-awaited opening. A shout out to Home run pizza company which was honestly the tastiest pizza I have ever had (3 little pigs Pizza) The food is fantastic and we both left with full satisfied bellies.

Another great attraction in Digbeth to draw friends, families, parties and even first dates. The vibe in here is electric, throwing back beers to upbeat music and hearing the roars of laughter throughout the venue. Another Brummie gem, Well done Floodgate I am sure you are going to do fantastically well! Thank you for the invite, it was an absolute pleasure and we had a belter of a time!

So many exciting attractions, it is never-ending! You really are spoiling us aren’t you Brum?

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle

5 Reasons why I love and hate Halloween.

Tis the season for Pumpkin lattes and basic bitches, Tis the season for creativity and community. Get ready to pick those pumpkins and scoff those sweets, It’s that time again people, Halloween is finally here! Bringing all kinds of positives and negatives just like every seasonal event. For me, it’s one of my favourite seasonal events for many reasons but then it can also bring a few negatives that make me dislike Halloween.

HELL YUH! LET’S GET HALLOWEIRD!

REASONS TO LOVE HALLOWEEN

COMMUNITY

Just like Christmas, Halloween does bring us all together. Pumpkin picking, Halloween baking and a variety of Halloween events providing fun for all ages. I have so many memories attending Halloween fancy dress parties, picking pumpkins ( and making my parents carve it for me) and of course, trick or treating with my friends. I went to one of those Scare fest attractions where you find yourself in a field full of “dead” maniacs. I was terrified and I had a crazy guy with a chainsaw running at me, so, I grabbed the thing that was closest to me to use as a shield, unfortunately, that was a child. I had a great chat with the parents after, they found it quite hilarious!

IT’S OKAY TO BE WEIRD

Tis the season to wear whatever the hell you like and not feel like a complete pleb about. If you want to dress as a tampon or Donald Trump, then you are more then welcome to do so as you won’t have people bitching about you unless you dress as Donald Trump as a tampon, then you may raise a few eyebrows…

HALLOWEEN MOVIES ON REPEAT

Scream, Halloween and Hocus Pocus all on repeat throughout October. There is always a variety however Hocus Pocus seems to be on every day as its a Halloween favourite. The other day I sat down to The shining in which I completely forgot how bloody jumpy it is and I ended up with a Dominos pizza slice on my crotch area, now that is a scary picture.

HALLOWEEN EVENTS/FESTIVALS

It is now a tradition to scare the shit out of ourselves every year and hide in the corners of the room covering our eyes at these mad Scarefest events. Being locked in dark rooms, running from chainsaw maniacs and being screamed at by children is definitely all worth it for the beer at the end.

CREATIVITY

Whenever it’s showing creativity in your costume, decorations or your event, people do love to have fun with Halloween and push their creativity. The costumes you see every year, some of them I think “Wow how did they achieve that?” it gives all people a chance to show off their talents. Halloween inspires a creative mind and I LOVE IT.

ITS ALL A BUNCH OF HOCUS POCUS

REASONS TO HATE HALLOWEEN

PUMPKIN SPICED LATTE SEASON

Tis the season for BASIC BITCHES. That’s right, its pumpkin latte season. Starbucks and Costa Coffee are full of young girls taking selfies with their pumpkin lattes and then posting them all over social media. Yes, they may look good but let’s face it, they taste like biscuit farts.

KIDS ARE DICKS

Why are kids so annoying this time of year? Halloween gives kids an excuse to be terrible little buggas. Conker fights, egging houses and demanding sweets from strangers. I’m no Roald Dahl, I like kids but this time of year they are just a bloody pain in the arse that need to leave us old farts alone.

STRESSING OVER TRICK OR TREATERS

You are all settled for Halloween, you got the popcorn, the scary movie, the blanket and you got the comfy PJs on and oh fuck, you forgot to put the sweets out for the kids. Suddenly, images of throwing eggs, toilet roll thrown all over the front garden and kids taking a crap on your doorstep. Better run down to Asda and get the last bag of sweets!

THE SEXY OUTFITS

“In the real world, Halloween is when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it”

WRONG YOU SLAAAAAG. Girls can be bitches, we are going to comment on your fancy dress, its a fact. Mean girls lied to us.

CLOWN SEASON

I love Stephen Kings IT, it is my favourite horror movie so why do people dressed as clowns terrify me so much? Its suddenly so cool to dress as clowns holding red balloons, standing by drains and staring at people who are going about there day. CLOWNS ARE NOT CUTE.

AMY ELIZA

Categories
lifestyle london Personal

MY 28TH BIRTHDAY SHENANIGANS

So last week I celebrated my 28th birthday with a very uncomfortable hour-long wax and a cossie wedgie…the joys of growing older hey? This year I wanted to do something different and I wanted to pamper myself with a spa day. I have NEVER had a spa day before and I am not too sure as to why maybe it’s my fear of peoples toes in those horrid flip flops or those swimming costumes that are in fashion now, you know, the ones where you have most of your crotch hanging out? Whatever it was I decided to take the plunge and book my first Spa day at The Belfry Hotel in Sutton Coldfield.

So, what did I learn from my spa Day?

  • Don’t leave it to last minute to buy a swimming costume as your butt may not be able to fit in it. That is exactly what happened, I couldn’t get my sodding butt in the cossie.
  • Children are everywhere, there is no escape even at a “relaxing spa day” there are 11am children swimming lessons going on, whatever happened to taking your kids to school and leaving them there for the day?
  • I was right, the white flip flop slippers are minging.
  • Everywhere is slippy, even the sodding swimming pool is slippy.
  • Spa days are not that relaxing

Whilst there were a few negatives, I did overall enjoy my experience of my very first spa day at The Belfry, the back massage gave me a bit of relief, the afternoon tea was filling and delicious and overall the Belfry is a very impressive spa hotel.

The next birthday treat was a meal at Tattu in Birmingham in which I am sure many of you have heard of but if not, just follow the blossom trail. A Modern Chinese restaurant next to Snowhill station on Barwick street kitted out in beautiful blossom and oozes sleek design. Now, this is my second time to Tattu as I loved it so much the first time. As a group we ordered a couple of plates to share from Monkfish to Dim sum, the food is colourful, vibrant and god damn bloody tasty. By far the best Chinese food I have ever had. One thing that stands out with Tattu is the service, the service is first class PERIOD. I know it’s my birthday but even when it wasn’t my birthday last time, the service and the positive energy our group received from the employees was great and it really does make the experience second best to none.

My final treat was a trip down to London to stay in the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch. My cousin Jess and I caught the 6 am coach to Victoria from Birmingham and I spent most of it sleeping and hissing at the little kid in front of me. Soon as we arrived it was time for coffee and where’s best to head for coffee in Victoria, why, Peggy Porschen of course! Well known for its beautiful floral decorated shop front and pastel pink sleek design, it really is a stunner, but did you know they do great coffee and cake too? You see, unfortunately, many people see Peggy’s as a photo opportunity. I am sitting outside sipping on my cappuccino and I see people stopping to take photos outside and then running off, why don’t you taste the product before abusing it? Peggy Porschens is a lovely not so hidden gem in London with lovely staff and mouth-watering cakes, An absolute delight.

Another favourite is Dominque Ansel Bakery, I have wanted to try the brunch there for so long. We luckily got a table in the morning, we sat in the autumn decked out conservatory and we felt like we were in Autumns aura. After a morning of non-stop walking around Oxford street shopping for our Friday night outfits and death-trap tubes, it was time to meet my friend Laura and head to the Ace Hotel in Shoreditch. I was looking for arty-farty, more art, less of the fart and that that’s exactly what I got. The room was for four ladies, but you could fit 2 hen party’s in that joint. Little touches such as vinyl players, vinyl records, lifestyle magazines made it so unique and I was even surprised with a bottle of bubbly from the staff to celebrate my birthday and yes, of course, we googled the cost £15!

The Ace Hotel even has a rooftop bar that showcases a pretty view of Shoreditch with some classic cocktails. We headed out for pizza and met my other friend Heather to head on over to Tonight Josephine. Now you may recognise this place on a lot of bloggers social media pages or if you are an Apprentice fan, it was on The Apprentice 2 weeks ago where the lads made a right cock up on the ice lolly’s, quite literally they looked like Willys! Another place where people go to take “selfies” for the gram and it was quite incredible how so many girls were taking it quite seriously, not one to fuss over an Instagram photo however all of us found ourselves fighting over photos and shooting down our blurry photos. We just wanted to feel like the spice girls for one night okay! Tonight Josephine is good but only when you are a bit drunk, its full of repetitive pop songs and cocktails full of sugar. If you need a photo for the gram, I guess, you could go here.

The last day we went exploring Brick Lane. full of amazing art, quirky markets and exotic people, it is defiantly my kind of place! The markets are incredible here not like your fruit and veg market back in Brum, but they have all sorts of offerings furniture, cronuts, pretty dresses and sexy paintings. The Vintage Market on Brick lane is one of my favourites, why did I not go there to find my Friday night outfit?! I am a big lover of sunglasses and found myself trying on an impressive selection of Elton John’s glasses. After our afternoon of exploring it was time to head back home to Brum.

It was pretty great to return back to work to some of my colleague’s shell shocked that I turned 28 ” You don’t look like a day over 18″ which is simply quite flattering but then still annoying as I still get I’D!I am growing up and I am having to make important decisions to better myself in this life, I decided soon as I turned 28 to make a checklist for the year and to stick to it, this is something I have not done before. I know what I want to achieve by the time I have turned 29 and I do feel that it’s achievable.Turning 28 I have found myself to be a lot wiser and a lot more confident in myself. I have mentioned before in another blog post I have had a terrible 2 years and although the start of the year was bad and there have been moments where it’s been very difficult but I am still here, I am not a quitter and as my family would say, I’m a Langston, we laugh our way through life. The fire is burning in my belly and confidence is growing so I’m ready too take you on 28!

AMY ELIZA

Categories
dating lifestyle

“TO THE LEFT TO THE LEFT”- MY EXPERIENCE WITH TINDER

Ah Tinder, I think most of us who have used Tinder have got a love/hate relationship with this app, but suprisingly nowadays it’s where many singletons meet their partners and I know many couples who have met via the app and are still strong to this day. My experience so far with Tinder has been a bit “Meh” but this is probably because I don’t seem to take the app seriously and I don’t expect to find “the one”. I do expect to find a load of “WTF IS THAT” pics and dog snapchat filters(yes there are people still using those). However, dont be put off just yet, as you often do find a good egg on there, you just got to find him!

Why did I sign up to Tinder?

I was in a relationship for 7 years. After the break-up it did hit me really hard and I was left with zero confidence. When you are with someone for so long and you have strong feelings for them, your feelings about yourself don’t really come into it anymore, so I didn’t do anything for myself. I was so invested in him that I never had time to treat myself or do the things that I wanted to do. My friend suggested going on Tinder to see what was out there and advised that it could possibly bring a bit of confidence back by possibly receiving compliments- Yes, the “nice tits” compliment did really give me the boost that I needed. I guess I am pretty late to the Tinder party. When I was in a relationship everyone was swiping and exchanging “dick pics”. Tinder is not all about receiving the D, you can actually meet some pretty interesting people on there and strike up a good conversation.

With the good, comes the bad and the just, plain weird. Tinder holds a variety of “male” in its keep, so if you are thinking about jumping on the Tinder express and you are intrugued, here are a few lads you will come across and some experiences I have had with them.

The “6 ft 1…because height matters” Guy

This seems to be a common saying in lads bios. I get it as a 5 ft 1 lass it’s good to know that I am not going to break my neck with a 6 ft 8 guy, buts it’s obvious you have googled “what makes a great bio” but for many girls this is one of the first questions we are going to ask you or will stalk your social media to find out. I think the tallest I have been with is about 6 ft 5 and boy, he was a struggle to climb.

The “let’s cut the small talk…show me tits” Guy

Like I said, you are going to get messages like this but it’s always amusing to have a bit of fun with it. Usually I reply with “only if you show your tits first” they become quite offended and unmatch straight away, which is great, but then one time I actually had a lad send me a selfie of his chest…jeez and I thought mine were big

The “WHICH ONE IS HE?” Guy

Why do some lads think it’s good to play where’s wally with you? When I see loads of group photos I just swipe straight away, I haven’t got time to work out which one is the prat okay?

The “Animal lover” Guy who actually doesn’t own the dog in the picture

Dogs, a great conversation starter but how disappointing that you swiped for the dog and you find out the dog is not included in the swipe. WHY TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS?!

The “just looking to make friends” Guy

So let me get this straight, you are looking to make friends..on Tinder…a dating app. You will also get the lads saying that “not looking for anything serious” which is fair enough but then they turn around and express there “Anal Feels” which in straight forward terms means they want anal sex with you, erm I thought you are not looking for anything serious? like cereals-ly.

The “Mug shot” Guy

It’s like swiping for a potato or for an ex murderer. I actually swiped once by accident on a chap who kind of resembled an egg- like a Happy co egg!- I got a message literally within a minute that read ‘hmm I was thinking of having a takeaway but I might have you instead” -Christ.

The “Guy who loves himself”

I am talking about the lads who have the shirt off in every photo who use a review like bio to really big themselves up “10/10 best shag I have ever had”-Sharon…Sharon is probably his mother.

The “Netflix and chill” Guy

What are your hobbies and interests? Netflix…and so the great Depression II begins! Since when did Netflix become a bloody hobby? Are we just going to sit around all day and “Netflix and chill” because I’d rather sit on a toilet and “Chill” instead?

The “Too good to be true” Guy

Have you ever spoken to someone and thought? Is he actually real? unfortunately there are fakes on Tinder, but I have come up with a GENIUS plan to solve this. All you need to do is ask them to take a selfie holding a kitchen fork. Now I will have people try and worm their way out of this like taking a picture of a fork or cut out the face with the fork.The hilarious responses I have had is comical, you just couldn’t write it! From “I don’t own one” to “I am on holiday I’ll have to send one when I get back”- they never do!

The “Normal” Guy

Tinder is like a bag of liquorice all sorts, there’s the rare 1 or 2 jelly spogs in a packet that all of us ladies are looking for. I have actually met some nice lads on the app and yes, they are rare to find, but they are on there!   

Over a miserable start to the year, Tinder has provided me in the later months a lot of entertainment and a boost in my confidence that I needed, my friend was right, Tinder can help to boost your confidence. Am I really ready to jump back into a relationship? Not quite, but you never know maybe one day someone will change my mind. I look at it this way, I have achieved so much more in a couple of months of being on my own than in 7 years in a relationship, it took me a little bit of time to get over a depression, but I’ve realised that I have neglected myself and it’s time for a bit of self-love. So maybe I am using Tinder for the wrong reason, but I enjoy having these bizarre conversations debating if pigeons pee or not? and being a Tinder socialite now and again, when I remember I have it! Too many people think they have to rush to find someone other than themselves to love, but doing this brought me pain, and I have finally realised that I am the one that I need to love.

Tinder can bring a lot of pain to people, but it can also bring a lot of good, and in my experience, I have taken a lot of positives with this app. It has opened my eyes to love myself again and I am actually okay on my own. Another thing I have learnt: big bums are finally in, so no more 6am runs for me! 

AMY ELIZA

Categories
Bars Birmingham Food review

THE GIN VAULT BIRMINGHAM REVIEW

Let the good times be GIN!

Hidden away on Gas Street, you will find this little gem of a place on the canals. A Gin bar offering masterclasses, cocktail making and TAPAS. Gin lovers are faced with a novel of gins to choose from and a varied food menu with great offers on all week. This has been on my list for quite some time to try out and finally, the time is here!

Entering the vault, it is a reasonable sized venue all lit up with fairy lights. Very pretty venue and very warming, the staff are there to greet you and make you feel welcomed, straight away I felt very comfortable in there. For some reason, it was giving me old London/Pirates vibes, something different and it’s something that draws you in and makes you sit your butt down! Now, where do I begin with the 40 pages worth of gin?! I mean, this is a gin bar, what do you expect? It’s not a gin bar if there not offering a bloody book full of the stuff, its safe to say that you will never be stuck for choice here. I asked for advice from the lady at the bar, who was very happy to help, I opted for a raspberry fruity gin cocktail that was refreshing and not too heavy.

We went for 6 tapas for £17.95 and we was spoilt for choice because there wasn’t one plate on that menu that we didn’t like. Good selection of meats, fish and vegetarian and some great gluten-free options. Its order at the bar service when we went to order our food however there were a few plates they didn’t have due to non-deliveries however they offered suggestions such as I wanted the mac and cheese with chorizo but they said they could do mac and cheese croquettes in which I was happy with that.

Looking around its defiantly a place I would recommend for dates, and somewhere I would go for pre-drinks, the little booths are so inviting but the benches could do with being a little bit bigger as we had to move as my bum kept sliding off or maybe I should just lay off the avocados? The lighting is quite dark and the candles create that homely cosy feel which creates a relaxing atmosphere. 

The tapas portions are small but they are very filling. The tapas were very tasty and full of flavour, not the best tapas I have ever had as Spanish food is my favourite but it’s still very good! My favourite dish was the salmon bruschetta. I was impressed with the variety that’s on offer and the pricing, it’s very reasonable for what you are getting and I finished with a full belly and didn’t go snooping in the fridge when I got home.

Overall, another gem in Birmingham offering guests a unique experience and a great atmosphere for all kinds of occasions with an impressive selection of Gins. If you are a gin lover and looking to expand your palette, this is the place to do it. I would like to point out that there are other drink options such as beer, spirits and soft drinks. The staff are very friendly and very caring. I will defiantly go back here again to try out more of the fantastic food and try out the 400 gins that are on offer, this may take me some time!

Simply GINTASTIC!

AMY ELIZA

Categories
photography

PHOTOGRAPHY IN BRUM- MY FAVOURITE SPOTS

I have lived in Birmingham my whole life and even when I am out with my camera, I still manage to find spots that I have never come across before that are great for all kinds of photography. The great thing about photography in Birmingham is that it is never ending, and it’s getting bigger! A creative and colourful city that is always sparking our creativity and is always supportive of fellow creatives. It really is great to be a photographer in this city. It has given me such confidence and the ability to grow and not be afraid to be open with my style. From Visit_Birmingham to BHAMGRAM social media photography platforms driving beginners to experienced photographers to showcase their vision of Birmingham and to be rewarded with credit on social media platforms to drive more recognition to the photographer. The photography community is growing every day in Birmingham, making Brum one of the best cities out there to point your camera in and why not? Have you seen our city?! There is so much on offer here! There are so many endless possibilities to photograph in Birmingham and I want to show you my favourite spots!

DIGBETH

Home of the future creatives, an ultimate favourite of mine and I bet of so many other photographers as well. It’s like the upside down of Birmingham, endless possible shots to take in this colourful area full of talented street artists work, with exciting possibilities for all creatives. I have done a variety of photoshoots here with Bloggers, Models, couples and families. The Nightowl pink and white wall seems to be a favourite with bloggers/models, so I like using this backdrop a lot and it gives my photos a retro tone which is great as I’m a retro vintage Gal.

SNOW HILL

I am quite surprised with many of you who don’t recognise where this is. however, every time I’m on shoot here it feels like I am on a film set for a futuristic Jurassic park film. This location is very popular for model shots, but I recently did a couple shoot here and loved the results. Let’s not forget the botanical greenery walls that are perfect backdrops for all kinds of photoshoots!

COLMORE ROW

Colmore Row, Barwick St and New hall St are perfect for blogger shoots, you have the great independent coffee shops such as 200 Degrees and vibrant quirky restaurants such as Tattu. Let’s not forget the tall metropolitan office towers and Art deco features in the Birmingham Museum.

THE MAILBOX/CANALS

The view from the Cube is always spectacular to photograph and shooting from the ground floor of the cube is pretty cool aswell. The canals are very popular to photograph but you can get some pretty awesome shots if you choose your angles wisely. I would like to mention that I love photographing the Canal house as you have the beautiful high rise buildings such as HSBC and the Hyatt hotel behind it.

BRINDLEY PLACE

I went to Amsterdam back in August and fell in the love with the city. After a week after my return, with dutchy blues, I went for a walk in Brindley place. Photographing the Arena walking across the bridges I suddenly stopped “Déjà Vu” the flowers, the view of the canal, it was like I was back in Amsterdam! It sparked a few ideas for blogger and family photoshoots. Another mention is Ikon Gallery. I especially love to come here when the blossom is in full bloom in Oozells square, It makes stunning photos.

OTHER MENTIONS

The library of Birmingham- Great for views of Broad Street, The Cube, and BT Tower.

Selfridges tunnel to car park- Another great spot to take shots of the Bullring, St Martin church, and Digbeth.

Cannon hill park- A favourite for family and kids photoshoots.

The Jewellery Quarter- Great location for all kinds of photoshoots!

Great Western Arcade- Beautiful Victorian arcade, it’s like stepping back in time! perfect for portraits.

AMY ELIZA