On many occasions I've searched the entire city centre for the best party costumes, and can you…read moreguess how many times I've been completely satisfied? Nil-pwa! Cotteridge makes it well worth travelling a little further a field to find the most unique party wear, and guarantees that you won't be wearing the same costume as anybody else. Everything that you can possibly think of can be hired at this loft-smelling, humble store, from Medieval costumes to Roman dresses to Victorian wear, to 70's flares, all at quotable hire prices. There's also a great selection of purchasable costumes hanging from the ceiling, and if you're more interested in dressing up as a mascot, you can hire giant Sonic, Shrek, or Bart Simpson heads. Yay! Pinocchio's looks quite traditional both internally and externally. The life size statues of a cow and a bowler-hatted chap (both standing outside) are unmissable from the roadside and the pavement of the Pershore Road. So you won't have any problems trying to find the store at all. Inside, you'll be greeted by more statues of cowboys, indians and other stereotypes, all helping to make the whole costume shopping experience feel fittingly theatrical!

I generally have to furiously search my mind for excuses when I'm invited to a fancy dress party…read more They really aren't my thing at all. Dressing up of any sort brings out the grump in me. If you were ever to invite me to your fancy dress party and I tell you that I'm washing my hair, or re-arranging my sock drawer, then I'm lying to you. I'm at home in front of the telly, counting my blessings. However, even if you aren't unlucky enough to be invited to a fancy dress party this is a charming shop and my son LOVES it. There are wall-to-wall costumes of just about any sort you can imagine. If you fancy being a cowboy, Wonderwoman, a caveman, or anything else you can think of, this is without a doubt THE place to go in South Brum.

This is possibly one of the best places to get fireworks in Shirley, mainly because there isn't…read moremuch competition. I love fireworks especially the big, loud and colourful fireworks that just seem magical! The shop sells a host of fireworks; my personal favourite is the rocket. Solihull Fireworks is in the middle of a residential area so as you can imagine it gets quiet busy around holidays like New Year and Bonfire night. Although they get a lot of fireworks in the busy times, they sell fast. Experience has taught me to buy in advance for events like this so there's no disappointment. I got some fireworks from here for Diwalli, the festival of light, and the staff were pretty good at helping me find the ideal firework display to show off in front of family, for my budget. This takes me onto my next point, money.We all know fireworks aren't cheap and everyone wants to save money. Some of prices are OK but obviously the bigger you get the more you pay so it would be nice if they had deals and/ or sales. If you're looking for a decent place to buy a range of fireworks then this is the place to go in Shirley, but learn from my lesson.

If there's one thing that Birmingham needs more of, it's fireworks shops. I have never for the life…read moreof me understood how a dedicated fireworks shop actually manages to stay open, given they probably have three or four good business days a year, but they're certainly cool to wander around, and Solihull Fireworks in Shirley is no exception. They have a quite frankly astounding range of fireworks, with all of the usual suspects, rockets, Catherine wheels, Roman candles, and all at very reasonable prices. There's too many deals to go into, but I got their budget rocket pack, containing twenty seven rockets, which set me back just £70, and which were of good quality (anyone who's bought budget fireworks knows the danger of getting complete duds that never work). They also specialise in large corporate or wedding displays, which are again well priced (relatively), and if their regular rockets are anything to go by, will be a sight to behold.