Out and About in Brum: June & July 2016

We were out of the country for two weeks in June, but we’ve still managed to pack a fair bit of Brum-based stuff into our summer so far. Here’s a look back at A Brummie Home and Abroad, Out and About in Brum: June & July 2016

The first weekend in June sees Mr Fletche finally getting his Christmas present, 5 and a half months late. We head for a quick dinner at the Figure of Eight on Broad Street. They have run out of fish. It is Fish Friday.  It says so on all their menus. Luckily this is not Mr Fletche’s Christmas present.  Instead we toddle off to the Barclaycard Arena to chortle at Bill Bailey, then have post-show drinks in a surprisingly quiet Malthouse.

2022 Update: Broad Street? Wetherspoons? Who even WAS 2016 me?

A week later, and just the day before our flight to Croatia, we’re back in town for yet another of Mr Fletche’s belated presents…the birthday pressie this time so a mere two months late.    A Friday gig at the O2 Institute is always a good excuse for a Digbeth Dining Club so it’s a couple of drinks in Spotlight and a tandoori chicken wrap each from Baked in Brick before watching the always marvellous John Grant.

 11^th June – 25^th June.  The Fletches do Croatia

It’s back into the usual routine as we adjust to normal life again post-holiday.  The sunshine, sea and seafood seem a million miles away and we’re already pulling out the brochures to see where we can go to next.  I’m sure we can squeeze at least one more trip in this year, if not two. 

An afternoon in Brum with the girls breaks up the monotony of post-holiday life. After MUCH deliberation where every possible venue for lunch and afternoon drinks is suggested, we settle on Utopia. They are more than happy to accommodate four ex school friends, reminiscing and putting the world to rights. Particularly when bottles of wine are being purchased and drunk at an alarming rate. 

2022 Update: Utopia is no more; it has been replaced by The Roebuck, a Fuller’s Pub.

The afternoon is rapidly turning into evening, and we decide to carry on drinking somewhere we can have a dance too.  We head to Sun on the Hill, which provides all our drinking and dancing needs. The DJ even compliments us on our stamina.  We are in fact tagging in so any two out of the four of us are on the dancefloor at any one time, one is at the bar and one is saving our table.  It’s an effective system.  Eventually, after proving that these 38 year old bones can still do the running man like a teenager, it’s time to call it a night.  We’ve shown the youngsters how it’s done. We also hope that a three-day hangover does not follow.

Next morning.  I feel surprisingly fresh.  Considering we got through four bottles of wine, followed by copious amounts of gin.  Even my limbs are still moving and I didn’t pop a hip from last night’s breakdancing efforts.  I certainly feel chipper enough to head for the Digbeth Diner/Hare & Hounds street closure in Kings Heath. 

The sun is shining, and I tentatively test the waters with half a cider.  Nothing will stop me from fish and chips from the English Indian though whilst Mr Fletche goes off in search of a pork belly sub.  I do not realise at this point that this is the first and last official sunny Sunday in Brum.  So much so that we’re back out in the early evening.  We can’t decide where to eat. This culminates in us standing on a corner shouting out random restaurant names to see if anything takes both of our fancies.  Buffalo & Rye ticks all our boxes. Meat and cocktails.  It’s our first visit to this particular Bitter & Twisted venue, but it won’t be the last.

Another 2022 Update: Buffalo & Rye has been replaced on Bennett’s Hill by Fat Hippo.

23^rd July – Out and About in Brum – a Jewellery Quarter Special

30th July – Ship-shape and Bristol fashion… A Brummie Home and Abroad guide to one day in Bristol

So it’s been a busy couple of months!  There are few plans for August yet, but I’m off to my first Brumbloggers meet so I’ll let you know how I get on!

Thanks for reading!!