Category: Birmingham

Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness At England's First Self-Service Bar

Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness⚫⚪☘️🍺At Autobrew England’s🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿First Self-Service Bar

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“You come in on your own and you leave on your own” – Richard Ashcroft. My latest trip back to England threw up undoubtedly more surprises than my backpacking glory days in that country. I spent a few days back in Birmingham. It’s a city I’ve been to many times of course, mostly to visit Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Pouring My Own Guinness⚫⚪☘️🍺At Autobrew England’s🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿First Self-Service Bar[…]

15 Bars With Interesting Quirky Records I Was In

Posted on by Jonny Blair

“Spend your nightlife table hopping, trying to keep your bag of bones in trim” – Noel Gallagher. When travel used to be a thing, I loved the thrill of it all. I loved the crazy stuff, I needed even the sorrow amidst all that. The unrecognised countries, the secrets, the wacaday museums, the sadness at Read more about 15 Bars With Interesting Quirky Records I Was In[…]

Reunion in Beeston and the Subways Live in Derby, England

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Never forget that life is a crazy rollercoaster ride and be ready for the weird and wacky all the way. I had never been to Derby or even Beeston until October 2014. But things fell into place on my return to England. I had lined up a few days in Birmingham and Nottingham on route Read more about Reunion in Beeston and the Subways Live in Derby, England[…]

Thirsty Thursdays: Beers🍺and Lunch in Europe’s “Longest Bar”, The Square Peg, Birmingham, England🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Posted on by Jonny Blair

I love quirky records on my travels. You may have read that I drank in the southernmost Irish Pub in the world in Ushuaia, the highest Irish Pub in the world in La Paz and the southernmost hotel in Australia. So on my recent trip back to Birmingham, my top mate Lock In Lee and Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Beers🍺and Lunch in Europe’s “Longest Bar”, The Square Peg, Birmingham, England🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿[…]

Staying at the Best Budget Hotel in Birmingham, England: The Royal George

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Birmingham is England’s second biggest city and while it doesn’t attract anywhere near the same number of visitors as London, it’s a really great city to explore for a few days. I’ve been to Birmingham a few times now, one of my best mates Lee Adams (yes the one from that freaky Nicky Barmby story) Read more about Staying at the Best Budget Hotel in Birmingham, England: The Royal George[…]

lock in lee brummie

Barmby Army: The Freaks, A 10 Year Journey With Lock In Lee and Jonny Blair featuring Nicky Barmby, Jonny Evans and Jack Barmby

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Time for one of the most random posts ever on here. I’m not giving you a visa guide for Suriname, a backpacking overview of Taiwan or indeed how to get a farming job in the land down under. Life can freak you out sometimes. And in this case it’s a good thing. If you have Read more about Barmby Army: The Freaks, A 10 Year Journey With Lock In Lee and Jonny Blair featuring Nicky Barmby, Jonny Evans and Jack Barmby[…]

My Top 5 Backpacking Spots Not to Miss in England

Posted on by Jonny Blair

Despite the fact I’ve only visited England twice in the last 5 years or so, I always have a fondness for it. I have lived, worked, studied, travelled and backpacked in England in a few different spots and I actually lived in 10 different flats there. I was living mainly in Bournemouth in Dorset but Read more about My Top 5 Backpacking Spots Not to Miss in England[…]

First footsteps in Birmingham…and uninspiring intoxication (October 2008)

Posted on by Jonny Blair

It may sound hard to believe, but aged 28 and finding myself in Birmingham I got more drunk than I had ever been before; in October 2008. In many ways it was a big occassion, and indeed one which I rose to and then succumbed to in equal measure being neither happier or sadder by Read more about First footsteps in Birmingham…and uninspiring intoxication (October 2008)[…]