The huge TV hit Peaky Blinders and the Commonwealth Games are not typical “bedfellows”. One is all about a notorious gang of criminals who wreak havoc while the other is the personification of sporting excellence. But both have combined to help put Birmingham, Britain’s 2nd city, on the map internationally. Thanks to this summer’s Commonwealth Games – and the global hit that is Peaky Blinders – the city is now much better known internationally than was the case. While the Games are now over of course Peaky Blinders’ TV stunning success continues, with a film now in the planning.
Visitors to Brum, as it is affectionately known, can even walk in the footsteps once trodden by the Shelby clan at the Black Country Living Museum located just outside the city. Many of the scenes, some iconic, from the series were shot at the museum which recreates life as it used to look around that time. You might even get the chance to chat with the locally-born chap who stands in for Arthur, played by Paul Anderson in PB.
Darren “Slim” Butler, one of a mini army of people who guide visitors around the open-air museum, set in Dudley, has been Arthur’s stand in for a couple of series and, so similar is he, he’s often mistaken for the fictional TV character. Darren happily regales visitors about how now-famous PB scenes were filmed on the site and is among a team of cheery volunteers who explain, more generally, how life was lived back when the “real” Peaky Blinders stalked the local streets.
If you happen to visit later this month (18 and 19 November) there are even Peaky Blinders nights where locals grab a flat cap, don their finest threads and step into the smoky underworld of the 1920s. It is a fantastic place to visit and remind yourself just how hard life was back then with children starting work as young as nine.
All buildings on the site, including the chapel and school and several shops, have been “moved” here, usually from nearby locations and lovingly rebuilt, brick by brick, in some cases over several years. It is all very impressive and particularly great for those into nostalgia.
The Peaky theme continues at the nearby Dudley Canal &Caverns a short walk away, which were also used as filming locations for the series. Here you travel underground and discover 425 million years of history as you take a canal barge through the Dudley Caverns and abandoned mines. Again, some very entertaining and informed guides explain yet more history of an area known as the Black Country. The name may not be very complementary but this is, nonetheless, a fascinating part of the UK.
After all that foot slogging you will have built up an appetite and, back in Birmingham, there are a couple of great places to sate any hunger. Brum, in fact, has been crowned Britain’s “Most Exciting Food Destination” by the renowned Good Food Guide. The Guide wrote: “No other English provincial city is as well served with such a range of unique and frequently exceptional restaurants, right across the price range.”
Praise indeed and The Canal House in the city is one such example the judges may have had in mind in making such comments.
Known for its “hanging kebabs” – the best in town, said one local source – the place serves quirky food at a good price. It’s set in a former pub named after a famous local engineer (James Brindley) which is next door to the wonderfully restored Gas Street Basin. Close your eyes and you can easily imagine Tommy and Arthur Shelby stalking the streets outside. The interior is based on a typical house around the period with each area given a name, such as “The Office”. Those visiting this winter should pop into the newly opened “Watershed” in the courtyard which will be used for live music.
Another great dining experience can be had at Qavali just over the ever bustling Broad Street. Its owner was born in Afghanistan and has totally transformed the place into something all rather opulent and very different. The food here is also top notch. It is is an Indo-Persian restaurant and cocktail bar and inspired by the soulful Qawwali culture. It serves dishes which have a broad range of influences, from Turkey and India to Persia.
It says the experience of eating here “will stay with you long after” any visit and that’s certainly the case, not just for the terrific cuisine but also the excellent service and traditional (live) music.
Brum is a big city – bigger than Brussels – so you should aim for an extended stay and a great spot for a stopover is “Staying Cool” an aparthotel located just round the corner from the city’s mainline rail station (with great links to all other parts of the country, including London). This building towers over the rest of the city and offers truly fabulous views of Brum and the surrounding area.
Guests are also assured of a comfortable stay in what is one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Located at the heart of the city it is ideal for those exploring Birmingham, shopping or visiting for events. It offers a range of self-contained serviced apartment types, including studio (Mini), one bedroom (Clubman), two bedroom (Maxi) and penthouse (Roadster). You really do get the sense of what it is like to live in a city centre.
While here, a visit to a brand new museum should also be on your agenda. It is the recently opened West Midlands Police Museum which, like much else here, also has a Peaky Blinders element as it was where the “real” Peaky Blinders were held.
If you were any illusions before about these characters you are not after a visit to this place: it spells out clearly that they were not more than a bunch of hardened thugs and criminals. The museum, in fact, transports you back in time to learn about two centuries of policing history and you get to find out about some of Brum’s most notorious criminals. There is also a real police box (like something from TV’s Doctor Who), police motorcycles, a life size police horse and assorted memorabilia, all carefully collated under one roof.
The city and surrounding attractions are well worth a visit any time of the year but Christmas here is especially wonderful with possibly the best outdoor Christmas Market in the country. The Staying Cool aparthotel is located at the very start of the just opened “Frankfurt Christmas Market” which runs until after Christmas while, from 16 November, the city also hosts “Christmas in Cathedral Square”, an award winning event that takes place in the grounds of the city’s Anglican cathedral.
A number of Midlands-based independents will set up stalls at the market and there will also be performances by local artists. The idea is to partly highlight the diversity of the region.And that, along with the sheer good nature of the locals – Brummies – is without doubt the best reason for (re)discovering this lovely part of the country.
