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Tag: Selly Oak
Student City guide: Birmingham
Birmingham sometimes gets a bad rep despite being the UK’s second city. Some cynics have even argued that the best thing to come out of Birmingham is the train to London, but this is definitely not the case! The city centre is full of shops, restaurants, clubs and music venues, while Birmingham’s cultural diversity is reflected in the arts, it’s the base of the UK’s first South Asian Music Performance and Dance company, SAMPAD, and there are annual festivals of jazz, comedy, poetry, film and literature.
What’s the nightlife like?
Symphony and Town Hall are great places to catch some live music and comedy. Bands and artists such as Fairport Convention, PJ Harvey and Laura Marling have performed here. The Bramall Music Building at the University of Birmingham is also host to some major events that are open to the general public, including a comedy night with The Noise Next Door and Matt Richardson, and Black Voices, an a capella group who performed during Black History Month. Some of the best places to go for an alternative night out include Snobs, which plays everything from indie hits to motown classics, and the Rainbow Warehouse, where Groove Armada, Fourtet, Gentlemen’s Dub Club and other acts have performed.
What can you do in the day?
At the Birmingham University campus, you can find the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which holds various exhibitions of traditional and contemporary art as well as classical music concerts. Just outside the centre of town, in Digbeth, there are a variety of vintage and retro shops such as Urban Village and Mr Bird’s Emporium in the Custard Factory. The Custard Factory is known as Birmingham’s creative quarter, as it also has a theatre and the Dome Club, where you can watch films in 360 degrees. The new library is also definitely worth a visit, it has everything from Feel Good Fiction sessions to yoga classes!
Where’s the best place for non-millionaires to live?
Selly Oak is where the majority of students live in Birmingham, as it’s cheap and only a five-minute walk to campus. There are many different pubs scattered across the Bristol Road, like the Bristol Pear that often hold open mic nights and comedy stand ups organised by students. There’s also an Aldi and a variety of fast food outlets, including Chick Inn and Rooster House. For booze, Drinks To Go is famous for its friendly owner who dishes out lollipops to customers. What more do you want?
What’s On This Week
Reviews editor Ciara rounds up some of this week’s events
Wednesday 30th
Blue/ Orange Fundraiser – Party Like It’s 1999!: 20:00 The Lounge, Selly Oak. Hosted by Infinity Stage Company, all proceeds go to the Young Adult Cancer Ward at the QE Hospital.
Birmingham Ethnic Minorities Association presents ‘Black & Ethnic Minority Diverse Arts Club’ for the school of EDACS (English, Drama, American & Canadian Studies: 15:00 Senior Common Room, Arts Building.
Oblivion Birmingham’s Newest Student Warehouse Party: 23:00-04:00 Custard Factory.
Wednesday 30th-1st
Watch This presents Triumphant, an original play by Cassiah Joski-Jethi: Wednesday 19:00 start, Thursday and Friday 19:45 start. Dance Studio, Guild of Students.
Thursday 31st
Fab N Halloween: 22:00-03:00 Fab, Guild of Students.
Friday 1st
3Bugs Theatre Trip to ‘Mess’: 19:00 The Birmingham Rep.
Bomb Scare in Selly
Selly was in lockdown earlier today after a grenade was found.
A bomb disposal team were on the scene in Selly earlier this afternoon after a grenade was found during the demolition of an old car lot building.
Bristol Road was cordoned off but reopened at approximately 8.30pm, and the grenade was quickly made safe by the bomb disposal team.
Matt Rolf of Selly Joke told the Birmingham Mail, “The car lot recently closed. As they were demolishing it they’ve seen a box come off the roof.
“When they opened the box, there was a handgun and a grenade in there.”
He lamented that customers could not access shops on the high street saying, “It’s disrupted all of the businesses here, it’s lucky it’s come later in the day.”
Bus services were diverted to the new Selly Oak by-pass to avoid the hazardous area and many have were evacuated from nearby homes for safety measures.
Some unfortunate residents were even forced to take refuge in the UoB library.
The West Midlands Police have reassured the public not to panic.
One student tweets his concern
All is well and our beloved Selly Oak eateries, brothels and pubs remain unscathed. Phew!
