Turn left onto memory lane.....I was back in the Oasis market the other day and my god it has not…read morechanged a bit! The last time I was in here I was buying flared chord trousers and band posters......but today it was all change and i was having t shirts printed for a dj set.....with the wonderful diva face of Mariah Carey...obviously. T shirt printing is only £8 if you take a T-shirt with you which I think its a stupidly good price and the quality was excellent. I felt fabulous and glamorous wearing it so thank you T shirt printing lady! Inside the market you can also get a load of hippy stuff, jewellery, bongs and smoking paraphernalia, band merch and other random treasures and delights. This is a place for the more alternative amongst us really but not exclusively. If you haven't been go and have a look as its an untouched and unchanged part of the city that is quickly becoming modernised everywhere you look. Never change Oasis market...never change.

If you've ever been into line dancing, skating, surfing, dressing up, hippies, goths or bands at…read moreany point, you'll probably have been for a visit to the oasis markets. It's spread over a few floors, which are all inside. Most of the stalls are set into each corner of the place. There's loads of stuff in here, most or nearly all of it now new stuff. There used to be a couple of vintage stalls in here but think they have moved on now. There are a couple of women's fashion stalls selling stuff like punky fish, big flares and little tops. There's a couple of Levi holders with lovely phat flares and skinny jeans, really good prices too. There's smoking paraphenalia and some kinky stalls selling fetish stuff. On the ground floor there are a couple of shoe stalls, perfect for probably the best and widest choice of Doc Marten's in Brum, these are pretty pricey though. Head downstairs for the surf stalls that sell; animal, roxy (quiksilver) mambo etc, there's a good choice of clothing and there is often a sale on. Not many accessories here, but good for rucksacks. If none of this takes your fancy you can get a tatoo or pierced while you visit. Always worth a look even if it's a little bit out of the main hub now the Bullring's been built.

I have had 5 tattoos from Body Art Studio and every one of them is of the highest quality. The…read moremanager of the shop is Sam, she is by far one of the most talented tattoo artist's I have had the pleasure of meeting. She is knowledgeable and will always offer advise as to what you require or how to make something look better. But she will not force her ideas on to you. I find its always good to get a second opinion on work before its too late. The price's are very reasonable and the premises are very bright and clean. If anyone was thinking of having work done for the first time, or just adding to existing work, I can think of no better place than Bodyart Studios to have it done.

A reasonably substantial amount of my skin is covered in ink, and a substantial part of that is a…read morework (still!) in progress by Jo Harrison. I feel that qualifies me to both review MBA and also explain why I rate it as highly as I do. The salon itself is clean, bright, airy and easy to get to. They're brilliant with hygiene and cleanliness, and the area that tattooing happens in is shielded from the entrance and waiting area, so you don't ever feel like you're being gawped at when you get your bits out to be tattooed. They don't make any ridiculous claims about being 'pain free' - because as EVERYONE knows, of COURSE being tattooed hurts! It's a process of a needle repeatedly piercing your skin and embedding ink inside you forever. If it didn't sting a little, then they're unlikely to be doing it right. The majority of slots are booked in advance - particularly if you want work done by people like Jo. I waitied a year just to get on the waiting list, then another year and a half to be seen. Dedication, or what?! That said - I've still not managed to get my piece by Jo finished. She went off on a round the world trip midway through my work, and when she came back all her prices jumped up - even for works in progress. It does feel like a bit of a fight to try and make an appointment, and those two things combined knock off that extra point to make it to 5.

The most highly regarded ink shop in Birmingham. The two owners of this place are world famous…read moretattoo artists but they are often our at conventions so in their place are some of Birminghams other most talented artists. The waiting list here is long and the price is high but your paying for the best and its with you forever so it'll be totally worth it. If you pop in or search online they can see examples of the work coming out of this studio, if you had any doubts they will soon be done. Book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Did some research and this guys reviews and pictures of his work convinced me to give him a try -…read moreCracking decision. Steve very quickly had me at ease. Watching him set up his equipment filled me with confidence, his eye for detail and metriculous setting up let me know everything was new with no risk of cross contamination. The work went smoothly with no pain and he talked me through every step. At the end, it took him less time than he had expected so the bill was less that the quote. He took plenty of time to talk through the aftercare I needed to follow to ensure the very very best end result, and after all his hard work, I want the tattoo to look as goid as it does now, for many years to come. I cannot recommend him highly enough. Top bloke, top work. Thanks Steve.​

steve is an amazing tattooist and always listens to your ideas. Steve has done all my tattoos and i…read morewill never go anywhere esle. If you ever want a detailed tattoo then steve is your guy!

RACIST! I went into this tattoo shop earlier today to enquire about getting my outlined tattoos…read moreshaded in, one with red and the other with different colours. I'm mixed race and have brown skin. The man I was talking to seemed to find my request questionable with me having to repeat myself saying that I wanted the colour red. He then asked the other man who was there how much it would be for colour, the man looked at me and looked confused then said you want red? I said yes, is that a problem? He said no its no problem but red won't look that noticeable on your skin. I've already got red and other colours in my tattoos and you can clearly see them. Then the other man turned round and said that on normal skin you can see it, implying that white skin is normal and brown and black skin isn't. I walked out and said I'll go somewhere else. What a disgrace. If I could give 0 stars for this review I would but it won't let me.

From the owner: Tattoo shop in Birmingham city centreread more

Dragon Fashions Tattoo 'N' Piercing I am a big fan of…read moretattoos; I have a few already and firmly plan on extending my collection, much to the dismay of my parents. As a result of my passion for ink I have checked out various tattoo parlours all over Birmingham and beyond. Some places are slick and modern with an uber cool feel, whilst others are almost dirty looking and instil you with no great deal of confidence. Dragon Fashions falls into neither of these categories; it is a good quality establishment with more than a hint of old school about it. One need only look at the exterior to realise that this establishment is all about traditional tattooing. One thing that did impress me was that they offer a laser removal service; this is not unique but an old school parlour such as this would not usually offer the customer the chance to remove ink. As such, I have a great deal of respect for Dragon Fashions and will keep it in mind when deciding upon where to get my next piece of body artwork.

It's been obvious to even the casual observer that tattooing has undergone some what of an arty…read morefarty make over in the last few years, what with reality tv shows like Miami Ink and studios opening that would appeal to your mother rather beer hungry metal heads. Dragon's Fashion Tattoo has managed to avoid this image change - even from the shops' exterior it is obvious that it remains firmly rooted in what may eventually become known as the biker era of tattooing. However, being old school is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on you tastes. If you want a football crest, some script or some stars tattooed, Dragon Fashions is a good place to come, and they have been building a solid reputation in Selly Oak since 1984. Minimum pricing for a tattoo starts at thirty pound, after that it depends on what you want. A quick look at the facebook page will familiarise you with the kind of styles they do. Laser treatment is also available for those who want to get rid of ink rather than add to their skin.