Right, cards on the table, I know this place pretty well. No, not like that.... in a professional…read morecapacity - and by that, I don't mean an occupational hazard, to coin the phrase of a judge who sent down Norman Stanley Fletcher (Porridge, ask your Dad). It's pretty modern-looking, very bright and spacious. No mean feat when some courts feel comparable with the places to which some people are sent for six months. There is a large cafe, serving hot food which avoids that school dineners feel. Snacks are also available, along with the expected range of drinks. The seating area here is surprisingly large. Another welcome feature is the efficient and courteous security procedure. I've seen it descend into jobsworth tedium elsewhere. Grumbles? No public wifi is a real pest. It's a feature that definitely needs work and threatens to turn into a repeat offender.

Birmingham is a cross between Seattle and Bellingham feel and not in a good way. No one comes to…read moreBirmingham for anything, people leave Birmingham for London. People thought that it was weird that we came here for no more than 8 hours for a show. There's nothing to do here. We arrived two hours before the Meet and great, however, realistically there was nothing to do but go to a mall that looked like Metrotown and eat frozen yogurt. It was a chance to change and go to the bathroom and tidy up before the show. Things are really cheap In Birmingham compared to London. There's a huge metal scene in Birmingham which has birthed a lot of my favourite metal bands. It wasn't out of place for me to wear a leather jacket and a metal shirt.

I called in here just to ask for directions for a road, as I got a little lost. (Although I know…read moreBirmingham very well, just not all the roads). They are very friendly in here, and I could have called into one of the shops or bars next door, but I was glad I visited. They have good visitor information on display and the reception area is very welcoming. From the outside, the architecture and design of this building is very inspiring, a traditional and classy look, with a nice clock on the top. I didn't feel intimidated or anything like that, as you can when you visit these establishments. A friendly service, I just hope I never have to go back for anything else.