What's The Best of Birmingham? (UK AND USA) What To See At The Bullring Shopping Centre Birmingham

Problem
Birmingham is a popular name for cities all over America, and for the benefit of my American readers, I must start by saying that most of this article is about Birmingham in England, but I shall add a few words about the other Birminghams in America at the end.

Birmingham, England
Firstly, Birmingham, England, to the north of London is known to drivers for scary Spaghetti junction, the confusing tangle of a motorway system around the city centre. that's just a name, you think. Of course, I won't get lost, you think. Even if I am a stranger, or not at my most alert, I am sure the builders and sign makers must have sorted it out.

JFK Mural, Birmingham.

Elusive Exits and Disappearing Destinations
I remember driving round and round it, missing the exit. Finally, we found that our map had shown our destination, an Indian restaurant, was not at a crossroads, but underneath our overhead flyover.

We arrived for dinner, apologetically, about twenty minutes late. The restaurant owners were not surprised.

Spaghetti Junction, Birmingham. From Wikipedia.

Secondly, even those who have never been to Birmingham may recall the accent which makes some Londoners cringe, remembered from the girl on the judging panel of the popular music TV show Top of the Pops who would praise her favourite singers and songs, which had to be given marks out of five with, "Oi give it foive".

Birmingham Stopover
But Birmingham is near to London, a nearby big city, easier to reach than Manchester and York. So, even if it's not your main destination, if you are driving onwards, Birmingham is a convenient stopover. What is there to see in Birmingham?

Birmingham old and new. Photo author Gavin Warrins, in Wikipedia. St Martin's Church and Selfridges, The Bull Ring, Birmingham, England, UK.

The Bullring
The Bullring shopping centre's outside has an attention-getting and memorable and easily identified facade. It was built onto the Selfridges department store. It looks like white bobbles.

The Bull
Inside, you can see the bull, symbol of the bullring and reminder of its name.

The Bull statue in The Bull Ring, Birmingham, photo by Gerd Bley in Wikipedia.

Birmingham Jewellery Quarter
A marketing success story. Birmingham jewellery quarter. Shoppers go here out of general interest, for fun, or for education, or for a specific purpose, to shop around for ideas and buy engagement and wedding rings.

If you are planning a large purchase, check:
Can you get VAT off for an item you are exporting?
Do you have time to complete your purchase and get back to your coach tour, train home or parking place?

Transport
Birmingham is well known for its stations. But if you are into bikes, see the National Motorcycle Museum at Solihull, 9 miles east of Birmingham. Solihull was voted the best place to live in England.
http://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/product-category/clothing/national-motorcycle-museum-range/

The museum has bikes as old as the Wilkinson bikes made by Wilkinsons Sword before WWI. Photo from Wikipedia.

Angela's Travel Tips
1 Check your destination route and exits in advance.
2 Ask where you can park or if you can take a bus or train.
3 If going on a jewellery shopping tour, learn some jewellery technical terms in advance.

Finally, British chocolate at Birmingham's Cadbury World. It's so popular that most times of year you must book.
https://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/en

Now, what about the other Birminghams?

Birmingham Cities in the USA
The USA has seven cities called Birmingham.

• Birmingham (Alabama) - a city in Alabama.
• Birmingham (Georgia) - a town in Georgia.
• Birmingham (Iowa) - a town in Iowa.
• Birmingham (Michigan) - a town in Michigan.
• Birmingham (Missouri) - a town in Missouri.
• Birmingham (Ohio) - a town in Ohio.
• Birmingham (Pennsylvania) - a town in Pennsylvania.

Alabama

If you've been to Florida or Tennessee you've been right by Alabama. Next time drop into Alabama for a visit.

Alabama is called The Heart of Dixie, and The Cotton State and The YUellowhammer state after te local bird.

Birmingham, Alabama, USA,
Birmingham, Alabama, in the South, has all the usual attractions of a big city of more than a million people: a history museum, a zoo, plus a Civil Rights museum, a grand historic house, and the Vulcan statue and museum to industry.
Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

What do I think of Birmingham? Birmingham, England. Oi give it foive!

Vulcan statue, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Photo from Wikipedia article on Birmingham, Alabama.

Useful Websites
UK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_Junction (About all the world's Spaghetti junctions.)
https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Birmingham_(England)#Q2256
https://www.visitbritain.com/gb/en
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/world/?gclid=CjwKCAjw4sLVBRAlEiwASblR-_sG_B6jW1TOMvP10c3WIstOJE8yFFTf9ckab9LVPmupfK4OszgqQRoCWUQQAvD_BwE
http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/jewellery
visitbritain.

USA
Hank Williams Trail in Alabama:
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2007/08/armchair-travellers-wish-list-hank.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on the USA, UK and the world. My next post is on buying jewellery. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Who is in the picture in B & K Salt Beef Bar, Hatch End?

You go to B & K for their chicken liver pate, their salt beef, their turkey, or their lokshen pudding (noodle pudding) or apple strudel, or all of the above..

'Who is in that picture?' I asked the owner, who was serving the salt beef at the deli counter.

'My grandfather, who opened the Salt Beef Bar in Selfridges in the 1960s when it was owned by Clore.'

www.bksaltbeefbar.com

London Loo-Hopper Finds Where To Buy British Perfumed Hand Lotion

One of the advantage of having espresso coffee or tea and cake in a grand hotel or smart restaurant, instead of a quick nip into a cafe, is that you can indulge in the delights of the grand loo. Not just a clean, dry shelf for your handbag, but perfumed washing gel to make you smell superior, plus a hand lotion, sometimes the same scent, sometimes another perfume.

Whether it's a birthday or a business meeting, a chance to smarten up for the selfie and even if you forgot to put on perfume, you can come out smelling of roses, or lemon, or whatever they have chosen for you.

In the Langham hotel in London I discovered Penhaligon's Quercus. I wrote down the brand and the perfume, and took a photo of it as a memory aid. Just as well. It took me a while to spell Penhaligon's correctly.

I found the company's website, plus products and pages on Penhaligon's offered by others such as Selfridges, John Lewis and Amazon. That led me to some reviews.

I'd been wondering about the origin of the name. I found that in wikipedia. Penhaligon is a place name, the name of the company founder.

If you want a souvenir for yourself, a gift of something British to take home to a friend or family member, or something for your Xmas list, you could try Penhaligon's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penhaligon's

Which other perfumed lotions have I liked? The White Company.
http://www.thewhitecompany.com/
You find their shops in many shopping malls and you can buy online.