... The Rag Market in its original place moved temporarily to the old Bus Depot about 2 years ago. As this was only ever a temporary home, Brum council set about building new homes for the fruit and veg and rag markets. Both these buildings opened earlier this year.
Well done Brum Council! ... Read review
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Advantages: Cheap, diverse product range Disadvantages: Difficult to get to, can't always get what you want
...Bull Ring related. The Rag Market in its original place moved temporarily to the old Bus Depot about 2 years ago. As this was only ever a temporary home, Brum council set about building new homes for the fruit and veg and rag markets. Both these buildings opened earlier this year.
Well done Brum Council! Not only are the new buildings warmer, cleaner, brighter, safer and generally better - they have managed to keep the diversity, all ... ...I always go to the Rag market to buy toiletries (find shower gels half price compared to high-street on some stalls) and chocolate (if you're prepared to live with stuff near to sell-by date then you're laughing)! There are also many other stalls selling (deep breath) pot pourri, branded underwear (Charnos, Marks etc), Marks and Spencer clothes seconds, pet food, camping gear, stationery, Beanie Babies, spices and herbs, branded make up (Lancome, ... more
Those local (and maybe not so local) to Birmingham and the Midlands will know Birmingham is undergoing a major face lift at the moment - this includes the demolition and reconstruction of all things Bull Ring related. The Rag Market in its original place moved temporarily to the old Bus Depot about 2 years ago. As this was only ever a temporary home, Brum council set about building new homes for the fruit and veg and rag markets. Both these buildings opened earlier this year.
Well done Brum Council! Not only are the new buildings warmer, cleaner, brighter, safer and generally better - they have managed to keep the diversity, all round funkiness and general atmosphere of the old rag market well and truly alive.
I always go to the Rag market to buy toiletries (find shower gels half price compared to high-street on some stalls) and chocolate (if you're prepared to live with stuff near to sell-by date then you're laughing)! There are also many other stalls selling (deep breath) pot pourri, branded underwear (Charnos, Marks etc), Marks and Spencer clothes seconds, pet food, camping gear, stationery, Beanie Babies, spices and herbs, branded make up (Lancome, Almay etc), second hand clothes, new start-up designer clothes, fabrics (including lace, ribbon, curtain material etc), Army surplus, cd's, records.. all at cheaper prices than on high street and even many other smaller markets. The nature of markets and competitive prices means you can't always guarantee to get exactly what you want, but if you're prepared to be a little bit flexible and look round the 70 or 80 stalls (in the rag market alone) then give it a try - I'm sure you'll save yourself some money.
Down sides to the markets are at the moment it's a bit like a building site. As they're about 10-15 mins walk from the city centre over (quite literally) where they're building the new Bull Ring it can be tricky to get to. There is a car park on top of the fruit and veg market but I've never used it so I can't comment. I always park in the near by Arcadian where it's about £3 for 3-4 hours.
Even if you are not looking for anything specific, I'd recommend a browse round (it's open on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday) just to take in the atmosphere and diversity of the place. I bet you leave with something!
Advantages: newly refurbished, relatively cheap, accessible Disadvantages: some crime like all cities
Brimingham has recently seen a revival and today it has become a very appealing city for any visitor. Birmingham is most likely remembered for being a grimey city where the industrial revolution was rife in the form of the various factories including the various gun makers.
However today it has transformed itself and it is now a mecca for shoppers and clubbers. The Bullring Centre has been rebuilt and now it is a bustling centre for shopping, with a huge range of stores including Debenhams, Selfridges and Next amongt many others. Shoppers also have the option to visit the numerous other centres including the ragmarkets, the pavillions and the Palasades. High Street stores also litter the city's roads and you are sure to find what you want in the huge selection of the specialist stores.
Not far from the city centre is the Jewellry ...
Advantages: Loads of things to do, great night life, friendly people Disadvantages: It has a bad reputation and doesn't get the coverage it deserves!
prices of London.
There is so much I can say about Birmingham, so I will split it up into sections.
Shopping
Birmingham city centre is great for shopping. Not only is there a great selection of shops, but it is mostly pedestrianised and compact. All the usual suspects, like Top Shop, H+M, Marks+Sparks, WHSmith, but also some great individual shops. The new Bull Ring hosts the ragmarket, which is clean and spacious in its' new home. You can pick up some great buys at the markets, from fruit and veg, to rugs, to T-shirts. The new Mailbox complex has a Harvey Nichols for those of us with a bit more cash (not me then) and various other designer outlets.
Apart from the city centre, there is The Fort Shopping centre, Star City and the Merry Hill centre over in Dudley. Merry Hill is great for Christmas shopping as it is all under one ...
Advantages: Cheap accommodation and clean Disadvantages: Disappointing food
We chose this hotel because its website boasted of its "superb" carvery and extensive menu of home-made meals. The boast was an empty one as we weren't impressed.
It was one of these places where complacency reigns because "everyone else has liked it and no one has ever complained before". Thus the fact that the undiscerning had happily scoffed their mediocre offerings led the management to believe they were providing something good.
To be fair, the accommodation, whilst cramped, was OK for the price (currently £40 per night) - despite the tired rags which served as towels. More up-market places in the area charge... a heck of a lot more. The room was very small but it was clean, so for the money we have no problems on that score.
The food, though, left a lot to be desired. Much of the disappointment was created by the great ...
