Botanical Birmingham

Advantages: Plenty to see, a relaxing escape from the city.
Disadvantages: Expensive for a one-off visit. Disappointing restaurant.

...Every city need its green spaces. The architecture may be spectacular and the shops fantastic, but finding a place to escape the traffic and bustle is a necessity for most city dwellers. Picture Birmingham and what do you see? The Bullring, New Street Station and Spaghetti Junction would be the first things that come to my mind. Although I've never lived in Birmingham itself, I worked there for several years. During that time I went to the Botanical Gardens regularly, but for the purposes of this review I will focus on my most recent visit which was August 2008. A Brief History Celebrity gardeners are not a new phenomenon. In the nineteenth century J.C Loudon was an influential writer on gardening and became part of London's high society. He designed the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in 1830 to provide a place where keen...

JoannaPiano 31.10.2008 (02.11.2008) · Read review
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Review of Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Birmingham International Airport - 2008

Advantages: Big enough to get the destinations, small enough to care
Disadvantages: Complex road system to get there

...There's a theory that says every opinion on a site like Ciao is valuable and so we should post as much as we like on whatever topic takes our fancies. However, Ciao don't actually reward an opinion once there are already a bunch on a given topic. So this won't earn me a penny - even with the special bonus. Double nothing is ...... er.... nothing. But since there hasn't been a review of Birmingham International Airport for several years, much of the information on Ciao is outdated and well overdue for an update. So pennies or no pennies, here are my thoughts on BHX. When I was a kid, I loved going to airports - any airport, it didn't matter - it was all just so exciting. Strange exotic people, big shiny shops and lots of static electric shocks from the nylon carpets - there was nothing quite like it. But as I grew up the whole...

koshkha 11.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Birmingham (BHX)

NASTY BUSINESS!

Advantages: Compelling reading
Disadvantages: Some similarities to other novels by the author, strong language may offend some.

...Review of The Business, a hardback novel by Martina Cole The Business is Martina Cole's latest offering in a long line of best selling novels set against a backdrop of London's criminal underworld. For those unfamiliar with Ms Cole's books, she writes of subjects unsavoury, seedy and at times, uncomfortable. Nothing is taboo to Ms Cole and The Business covers violence, murder, prostitution, drug addiction, child abuse and neglect . Her writing style is gritty and she produces novels that are hauntingly readable. Readers are under no illusions about her characters and their lifestyles, a peep into a world very different from most people's reality, Ms Cole's books have the ability to shock, fascinate, touch and repulse me as the story unfolds! **The Plot** Covering period from 1978 to the present day, The Business follows...

brittle1906 16.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Business - Martina Cole

Change of Business?

Advantages: Another Book From Cole
Disadvantages: Not a great page turner

...Martina Cole - The Business?.. **The Book** Martina Cole's latest novel entitled "The Business" is yet another book filled with the gritty, hard hitting seediness that is the London underworld. We go back in time to the late 70's and meet the Dooley family. Gerald Dooley SNR, head of the house, Mary Dooley the mother of three children, two sons and a daughter, Imelda. Imelda is the main charter throughout the book as we follow her life, which is bad from start to finish. Imelda is trouble with a capital "T" and this is something that her family are soon to realise. Her sexually loose behaviour soon gets her with "a belly full of arms and legs" as Martina Cole so eloquently puts it, and this causes major friction within the family. Her father, Gerald SNR, cannot believe that his young and angelic daughter is already giving...

newby2 13.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Business - Martina Cole

The Business

Advantages: Sunny
Disadvantages: Boring

...The Business is set in the 1980s and tells the story of a young man from London who goes to work in Spain. The film is set in the Costa del Sol, The acting, the storyline and the script in this film is not very good.. I might recommended this film for the soundtrack but not much else because it really isn't that good. I rented this film without the additional disc of extras so I can't really tell you anything about them. Even so, I wouldn't bother watching it if I were you. Running Time: 90 mins Director: Nick Love Producer: Allan Niblo, James Richardson Executive/Co-Producer: Rupert Preston Editor: Stuart Gazzard Screenwriter: Nick Love Director of Photography: Damian Bromley Sound: Simon Willis Cast: Danny Dyer, Tamer Hassan, Georgina Chapman, Geoff Bell...

Nazuku 15.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Business (DVD)

Etap Birmingham Centre, Birmingham

Advantages: cheap, clean, friendly staff
Disadvantages: quite a walk from town centre

...), and 25 minutes from Broad Street, which is Birmingham's clubbing quarter! For this reason alone, you must expect there to be a lot of noise - after all drunken clubbers need a place to stay don't they? As well as the shouting and screaming (which seems to come as standard with this hotel), you are on a busy main road. But if you close the double glazed window, you should not be able to hear the traffic, although in summer this could be a problem as even with the air conditioning going (which is noisy in itself!), it can get quite stuffy in the small rooms. I would recommend this room for a short stay or stopover, and is perfect for those families looking to visit Birmingham for a low budget and without a car. This is because the hotel is located only a 10 minute walk from Birmingham New Street train station. Although its not a long walk to...

jdeacon_162 11.11.2006 (12.11.2006) · Read review
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Review of Etap Birmingham Centre, Birmingham

A bridge too far in Birmingham

Advantages: Now unique in the UK - the only representative of the Hyatt
Disadvantages: Very average compared against the standards of this chain

...at the NEC Arena. Although it was after 11pm, the bar was still busy and all the easy chairs were taken. We perched on stools at the counter. At that time they were serving ?residents only? on a room tariff. THE ENVIRONS There is certainly a lot to see and do immediately around the hotel. Just across Broad Street is the Symphony Hall (home of the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) to which it communicates by bridge from the sixth floor of the hotel. In the same block is the Repertory Theatre, The Birmingham International Conference Centre, the National Sea Life Centre and a number of galleries. Weaving through these buildings is the Birmingham Canal system including one of the docking areas for canal and narrow boats ? Gas Street Basin. There is a very pleasant canal walk that passes along the toe path. The area is rich in coffee shops...

Newfloridian 14.09.2003 · Read review
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Review of Hyatt Regency, Birmingham

The University of Birmingham

Advantages: Great teaching, facilities, opportunites and social life
Disadvantages: i am only here for 3 years, wish it could be more.

...I am a student at the University of Birmingham in my first year of the popular course; Sports and Exercise Sciences. Although it is a difficult university to get in to, there are hundreds of different courses to choose from if you are not accepted on your favoured course. Also, they are quite lenient with grades as I did not achieve the expected marks but still got in... shhh! So what made Birmingham my number one choice? As soon as I arrived at the open day and got a walk around the campus I knew this was the place for me. Not only is it one of the leading universities in the UK for my course it is a beautiful place to study with its landmark clock tower, luscious all weather pitches and modern redbrick buildings. I felt right at home here and could picture myself studying here for the future. The Campus is located in Selly Oak...

Greenyman 19.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Birmingham University

Birmingham: The Return

Advantages: Another chance to meet a great crowd
Disadvantages: Absent friends

...really!) Having arranged to collect people from the station at 1:00pm on the Friday, and at 12:30 just leaving work at Malvern I thought I?d better let people know I was running late. Steve to Allie: Where are you? Allie: I?m on the train (shades of Dom Joly here) Steve: I guessed that, but whereabouts? Allie: Between Bristol and Birmingham! (Well that?s good, the driver hasn?t taken a wrong turning then) Steve: How long before you get in? Allie: About ?. Daisy: Ooh look Mummy, a tunne?????bzzzzzzz. Despite the inconsiderate nature of train drivers who won?t pull over so their passengers can make a call, we did eventually meet up and set off for some last minute arrangements at the Apres bar, which was the venue for the Saturday meet. Snapshot 2 The Friday afternoon contingent taking over the tables outside the Apres bar...

netstation 16.09.2003 · Read review
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Review of Birmingham Ciao Meet 2003

Not so much business!

Advantages: good clothes
Disadvantages: dull, doesnt run smoothly

...Ever since I was in Primary school, my friends and I have been quite obsessed with the sims! The craze started out with the Sims one, which I latched onto pretty quickly! Though when Sims 2 was first released, I didn't really bother with it. However last year I decided to buy the game, and many of the expansion packs to go with it. One of these expansion packs is Open For Business. Open For BUsiness can be easily recognised on the shelves as it has a bright orange cover, with the Sims 2 logo on the front, and OPen For Business written underneath in a handy shop window sign. There are two 'sims' on the front too, working hard at a till and eating a cake. How productive! When installing the game, you need atleast 512 GB Ram on your harddrive, and you must have the sims 2 disc too. Now befor eyou install this, be warned! If you uninstall...

Amy69 01.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Sims 2 Open for Business Expansion Pack (PC)