Area Guide

If someone asks you about Solihull, and what is it like, then your answer should be one thing only: that it has been officially named as the best place to live in the country. Yes, you read that right, the BEST place to live. Why? Well, there’s a whole load of reasons, but I will keep it short. Firstly, Solihull is known for its incredible schools. With consistent outstanding Ofsted ratings and regularly recording exceptional A-level results. Tudor Grange Academy, Alderbrook School and Oak Cottage are some of the most sought after schools in the country, with parents moving miles to make sure their children get the best education. 

Solihull’s biggest hidden secret is the vast amounts of beautiful parks, open spaces and Green Belt land covering over 1,500 acres. Yes, all that in an inner-city. With some of the most stunning parks around including the renowned Brueton Park, Tudor Grange and Umberslade park. There is plenty here to do with the children in the summer. 

Things to do and places to visit in Solihull:

Umberslade Farm Park: http://www.umberslade.com/

Malvern & Brueton Parks: https://www.solihull.gov.uk/Parks-and-open-spaces/Malvern-and-Brueton-Parks

Akamba Experience: https://www.akamba.co.uk/

Land Rover Experience: https://www.solihull.landroverexperience.co.uk/

Touchwood Shopping Centre: https://touchwoodsolihull.co.uk/

Earlswood Lakes: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/earlswood-lakes

Birmingham is the second-largest city in England, home to over 1.1 million people. It’s a melting pot of culture and history, with plenty of things to see and do. Let’s take a look at some fascinating facts about Brum.

Birmingham has the largest public library in Europe – the innovative Central Library in Centenary Square.

It is the youngest city in Europe, with almost 40%of the population being made up of under 25’s

Thomas the Tank Engine was invented in Birmingham by Wilbert Vere Awdry, who was reverend at St Nicholas’ Church in Kings Norton

Tennis was invented on a lawn in Edgbaston in 1859

We have more canals than Venice with 100 miles of canal navigations (a fact every Brummie likes to point out!)

However, I am confident in saying that these are not the only reasons you would want to move into Birmingham, but because of the high quality of life the city offers. It is home to large shopping centres like The Bullring, some of the best schools in the country, such as King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys and St Paul’s School for Girls and having plenty of things to do, whatever the weather. 

Having lived in Birmingham myself, I have experienced the joys of this city first-hand, and have come to learn that you don’t have to travel very far to find something to do or see, whether it is weekly football matches at Villa Park (home of Aston Villa Football Club) or St Andrews (home of Birmingham City Football Club), visiting Cadbury World or getting lost in a world of discovery at Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum. Whatever it is you are interested in doing and seeing, there is plenty to do here in Birmingham. 

Things to do and places to visit in Birmingham

Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum: https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank

Cadbury World: https://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/en

National Motorcycle Museum: https://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/

Sea Life Centre: https://www.visitsealife.com/birmingham/

Resorts World Birmingham: https://www.resortsworldbirmingham.co.uk/