My three-star rating here is neutral for a reason; I wasn't even aware this adult-only…read moreestablishment existed until two weeks ago but, hunting down new places to review with a friend for the purposes of reviewing on Yelp, the two of us - for the purposes of 'research', you understand - entered the premises on Hurst Street , which sticks out like a sore thumb with its 'hello, we're seedy here' red-and-black exterior. So, I don't frequent places like this and, besides trips to the actual Amsterdam where shops like this feel quite quaint amongst all the brothels and sex show venues, I have no experience to compare it to. The shop itself is an eye-opening plethora of skin vids, phallus-shaped playthings and all sorts of other (sometimes scary-looking) sex aids. The member of staff manning the till was quiet and discreet, which I imagine visitors to places like this appreciate, and he didn't bat an eye lid when my mate and I giggled at a nightmarish-looking rubber fist. A back door in the main shop leads through to a cinema, as advertised outside on the shopfront. I wasn't that committed to my research for this review to test out the cinema and discuss whether its seats were sticky or not, although I'm sure other more specialist sites may give those looking for an erotic cinema-going experience more of an idea of what to expect. So, yes - three stars as I wouldn't want to mark this place down purely for the fact that I'm not its intended audience. Avid sex shop fans may think it's good or bad but that's for them to judge - I'm just here to give the opinion of one curious, very baffled young man who feels really vanilla after my trip here.

You can come here to have a look at the wedding accessories. However if you are a fan of Bollywood…read moreand you like your music, this shop is just for you. There are also Hindi films on DVD to buy as well. From classics to the latest films, you can buy film soundtracks on CD. I am into my Asian films which is why I spent more time in here than in a Ladies retail clothing shop. The CD's and DVD's are at reasonable prices and they are definitely affordable. I have brought one or two Bollywood film CD's from here and so have my family. I always enjoy coming here and will probably come back for more CD's. I do go to Leicester as well to purchase CD's whenever I am in the city. But this is the closest shop in terms of where I can buy Bollywood films on DVD and tracks on CD. Worth a visit.

If you're looking for unique or custom-made invitations then it's worth checking out Jaysons. They…read morehave some beautiful designs for various faith groups, which are customised with religious symbols made with plastic, metal or wooden trimmings. They are quite pricey though with the simplest of invites starting at around £1.50 - and I do mean simple! Besides invitations, they sell some wedding accessories like trays and decorative items to compliment certain functions at Asian weddings. These are very pretty but also quite pricey. The shop divides into invitations towards the back and music at the front. The range covers Bollywood, Hindi pop, Pakistani, ghazals, bhangra, religious and soofi music. I was impressed at the box sets of old-school Bollywood music, which make a fantastic gift. The owner, Mr Singh, is very helpful and friendly. If you're looking for a particular album, he'll know straight away where to locate it or whether he could order it for you.

There is not much video shops in Alum Rock but this is one of them. This shop has been refurbished…read moremuch better than how it used to be like from before, it now looks and serves like a proper dvd, video service. It is appealing from outside with new movie posters on its windows and the place is clean and arranged nicely inside. They used to sell/rent games before but no longer do it i think. They have films of various cultures from Hollywood to Bollywood so you could be in for a treat. The place is on Alum Rock's main high street and is easily identifieable.

Griffin's isn't just a newsagent! Yes, you'll find the standard selection of magazines, candy and…read moredrinks but Griffin's also sells some of the best sandwiches on this side of the city. From around 11-3 they make fresh hot and cold sandwiches to order on some of the best crusty bread I've ever had. They're £2.50 and you can call ahead to skip the wait. I especially recommend the bacon and tomato sandwiches, or the BLT.

This is a historians dream, stocked wall-to-wall with books and models from every conceivable…read moreperiod in history. That's not to suggest Ian Allan's is stuck in the past, despite its reassuringly retro feel, this place moves with the times, giving prominence to the hottest history at a given moment in time. For instance, Titanic is pretty big in there at the moment. This place gives you total history though. You can not only read an account of the history of the tank on the battle fields, you can also get your history hands dirty and make a model to back things up. This is the place to bring a kid who's just developing historical interests of their own. Talking of kids, my husband drools longingly over the Apollo missions models in the window whenever we walk past this place, but isn't allowed one! Maybe if he's good...how far away is Christmas?

My father would just love this place and I believe good part of boys probably do! I…read more Ian Allan Book and Model Shop is a business for transport enthusiasts and as there are only four shops of this fine publisher in UK, Birmingham is certainly privileged to be in the route of the transporter spotters. Their range of books, magazines and models include publications about trains, buses, ships, lorries and all kind of transport you came across. Even this shop is placed right in the city centre, next to one of the entrances of Birmingham New Street station and other businesses in the area, this bookshop seems to be a bit hidden from the eyes of people who pass by in this area weekly. Even if this shop has its certainly public, you should visit it once to find out that they have really interesting maps and books that can be very useful for the next trip in this country and if you are also interested in History, There are fine publications about Medieval, World Wars and 17th to 20th centuries in this place.

This tiny place is a bit of a hidden gem if you are looking for gift inspiration…read more The entire shop is packed up to the roof with amazingly cheap books starting from £1-£2! Even the hardback books that you would expect to pay more for start at £3-£4. This is an outlet store so don't do expecting the newest releases, but there are some seriously good discounts available for those willing to spend the time looking through the shelves.