By The Way

I thought I should just add a note by way of saying that I have not forgotten about this blog.

The main purpose of this is that I discovered at one of the conferences that people were booking into more expensive hotels than they needed to, simply because the information was not readily available.

There are many hotels on the west side of Birmingham which have very satisfactory accommodation at reasonable cost.  These are mainly centred on the Hagley Road, which is a major bus route, and Bearwood.  Two of the Bearwood hotels, Hotel Dinara and the Bearwood Court Hotel, are about a mile north of the Hagley Road, but on the No 82 bus route directly to the City Centre.

It is time I looked around again to update some of this information.  Most of it is still valid for phone numbers and location.  And some of the hotels do not need my help.  For example, Fountain Court Hotel usually gets fully booked for a political party conference about 6 months ahead, with people wanting to go back there.

I have NOT included some of the main hotel chains, nor City Centre hotels, since they don't need this kind of advertising.  And there is one of the national chains which I would not recommend anyway.  My wife and I stayed at one of their hotels just outside the M25 since we had to be in London rather earlier than usual.  I got very little sleep - the bed was uncomfortable, the location in the room was noisy because it was too close to the night time disco part of a wedding reception.  The breakfast included stale croissants, which tasted like they had just come out of the freezer.  And they forgot to add our Nectar points when we paid the bill.  By contrast, my sister-in-law stayed at Hotel Dinara a few years ago.  She had a very good time there, and reported that it was comfortable, clean, and the food was good.

Bookings open for the October 2012 Conference

I have received an e-mail from Fingerprint Events who manage registration for the Conference.  Registration is now possible for October 2012.

the Hustle Trail

	The TV series "Hustle", currently on BBC1 on Friday evenings, has featured some scenes from Birmingham.
What my family thought	We thought the over-done Brummie accent on the first episode (of this series) was very funny - we had a good laugh every time she came on.
Scenes of Birmingham	In general, the scenes of Birmingham are well chosen, and a credit to the City. Of course, the first episode was set here, and so showed various places around Birmingham. Episode 2 featured a mock auction. The outside was one of the buildings in Margaret Street, in the City Centre, near the Council House and Art Gallery. The interior was Highbury House, about 3 miles south, and the former home of the Chamberlain family. I hope the BBC has included some other Birmingham landmarks in this series. There are many to choose from. Assuming that we shall see more of Birmingham, I look forward to seeing Soho House and the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, amongst others.
I hope to post some photos of the parts of Birmingham seen in Hustle during the next few weeks.	This example is a scene on the canal, alongside Gas Street Basin, looking towards the Broad Street Bridge. The cafe to the left was the setting for one of the scenes in the first episode.	Robert, blog owner

Warning about European City Guides

WARNING	I have just received the following warning, published in MEPMATTERS,  the newsletter of the West Midlands Conservative MEP Team.
Quote	Malcolm Harbour has been contacted by a number of businesses concerned  about a misleading request to be included in the "European City Guide".
Quote	"At first glance this looks like an official publication for the EU," said Malcolm. "But be warned, if you sign the order form, you are agreeing to be placed on a commercial website and will be charged approximately £1000 for the privilege."
Reminder	There is no charge for listing on my blog, and while I run it there never will be.	Robert, blog owner

Availability	Most hotels were booked weeks ago. But there are still spaces in some hotels away from the City Centre. I have listed only one, because I called there on Sunday lunchtime as the Conference was beginning, and was told they have space. Keep trying, especially further out. Reminder - use the Blog Archive (right hand side of the page) for August and September to find the full range of hotels.
Photos	Any (thumbnail) photos on this blog, unless a hotel's own publicity, are taken by myself.  You may find some of them on Wikipedia, under my nom-de-plume Robert of Ramsor.  Please inform me of any other use of these.
Winson Green	The main canal from Birmingham to Wolverhampton lines up with midsummer sunset at Winson Green.

Birmingham Wheel

The Birmingham Wheel

Moved in February 2010 because the space in Centenary Square was needed for other things.

Studio Restaurant & Lodge

Location	About 5  miles out at Quinton, on Hagley Road "Showcase" bus routes, frequent service.	Map
Address	The Studio Restaurant & Lodge 616 Hagley Road, Quinton, B68 0BS 0121 422 2926 www.studiorestaurant.co.uk
Prices Per room ( 2010)	from their web site - The Lodge comprises 11 superior style studio suites that boast the charm and elegance of yesteryear together with all the modern creature comforts - £48 per night.	Normally £48
Comment	I called on Sunday 03 October. Rooms available, reduced rate £41:95, breakfast extra.