I've been here a few times over the years. Mostly, it's been to see their open days which are free…read moreto enter. It's a lovely old house that's great to see is still intact and right on our doorstep. Whenever there are events on you get to see inside the building. There are loads of lovely rooms both downstairs and up and the main reception hall is quite a space. When the events are on inside, you'll find various stalls dotted round both floors and in almost all the rooms. This can make it quite tricky to squeeze round with a pushchair, and my daughter wasn't too keen on the crowds squashing her in tighter spots. For me the best tine to go if you want to take the whole family are the summer open days, the next one is 15th July. You can get round both the house and gardens and there's just more space as everyone's not crammed into the one space at the same time-unless it's raining, of course! There are refreshments available and on family special days, there are lots of activities for the kids to join in. Check out the events calendar on the web page for details of more free family events through the year.

I've been to Highbury a couple of times previously - as a child I was dragged round on a school…read moretrip and don't really remember much about it except for a shameful game of rounders in the grounds after (I was always useless at rounders). Later still I went to a brilliant play here - all Victorian melodrama and audience participation. Anyway this weekend I was lucky enough to be invited to a wedding here and I have to say the setting, the gardens, the ambiance, the staff - everything was perfect. Things that stick out - apart from the fact I got to wear a fascinator, which was of course brilliant - the main reception room with staircase is stunning. Secondly the room where the wedding took place - with patio doors that lead out to the garden was straight out of Downton Abbey - and because it was south facing I could blame the sunlight for making my eyes stream (and not have to admit I was blubbing because it was all so lovely). Thirdly - the grounds - absolutely resplendent. The whole event was incredibly well organised and the staff were really, really sweet. I can't recommend this enough really - history buffs take note - this was the family home of Birmingham MP Joseph Chamberlain MP who lived here from 1878 onwards. To find out more it's worth popping along to one of their open days - full details can be found on the website.

My family used a function room here for my Aunt's 60th Birthday. The function rooms and garden were…read morevery spacious and the drinks were laid on so heavy the karaoke machine was turned on. Despite endless cringing I was happy to see my family having such a good time on such a special occasion. Based on the Alcester Road on the Moseley/Balsall Heath border they cater for conferences, seminars, workshops and celebrations like my Aunties 60th. The room rates are competitive and the facilities and function rooms can cater for up to 150 people. The rooms are fully equipped with audio, video and public address systems. They provide catering, which was surprisingly good for the price. Basically they can meet your requirements quite easily.

One of the social-groups that I work for use Riverside House as a venue for their evening youth…read moregroups. It's a pleasant, spacious and light venue with a 'living room' like space, a large hall that opens out onto the garden. The space is wonderful as it provides the blank canvas for an array of activities. The large hall suited the more boisterous of the characters attending as they could push each other round in a (legitimately purchased) shopping trolley whilst listening to Bob Marley - whereas the living room area provided more of a chill-out space to sit, read or chat. The garden has been a great setting for many games of 'footsal', cartwheel competitions and sky-gazing. It's a really nice venue with a calm, light and uplifting atmosphere. I tend to leave with a spring in my step, which can only be said of a few places of this kind.

I came here once for a course and this venue was perfect. It's very clean, feels new and modern…read morewith spacious rooms, rooms with large screens for lectures as well as a coffee break room. The studio is perfect for hosting courses, lectures etc. and is very centrally located in Birmingham city.

The Orange Studio, now renamed 'The Studio' has to be one of my favourite restaurants. I love how…read moreit's hidden away, even though it's right in the middle of the city centre. It's situated above the old Orange store on Cannon street, where there is now just an internet cafe on the ground floor. Below the restaurant are conference rooms and the restaurant sits on the top floor. The setting is modern and the atmosphere cool and relaxing. The outdoor seating has some pretty plants decorating it and it's really lovely to sit outside on a sunny day. The food is good and well presented. Perhaps slightly pricey, but not unreasonable and staff are friendly and attentive too!

I would never ever recommend this wedding hall to anyone. management extremely poor. before signing…read morethe contract with them guys everything looks good. they make lots of promises which they never deliver.so please look out, do not let anybody disappoint you on your big day!!! Watch out for the waiters. very poor service. You will be very disappointed!!!

The mac (or the Midlands Arts Centre as it used to be know before everything got converted to a…read morelower case acronym ) opened in the early sixties. It's where filmmaker Mike Leigh developed his method of making performance, dontcha know? I used to love it here as kid. I'd attend drama, pottery, and drawing classes. When I was a theatre student, I'd come and see performances here, including some spectacular ones in the outside arena. In terms of films, the place was the embodiment of an arthouse cinema. The whole place had a great vibe to it, and with it's original 1960's architecture it was a living example of recent art centre history. Then in 2008 the asses decided to 'develop it'. The update was a shot in the foot. mac was turned into a modern monstrosity of open-plan shiny-ness, all TV screens, glass and metal. It immediately lost it's Bohemian charm, and soul. On long Summer days parents and children would meet up with friends on the grassy banks that surrounded the courtyard. Mums and dads would chat, smoke and drink, and the children would enjoy scooting around on wheeled toys. Then share-what-you've-brought picnics would be the order of the day. Those day are gone. This area has been replaced by a series of harsh child-unfriendly raised concrete terraces each with a very uncommunal table that seats a nuclear family of four. As a result, they've cut the amount of people that can use this beloved outdoor area by about 90%. mac, if you're wondering why it's all going down the pan for you, it's not just that you don't do any marketing outside the building itself, it's that darn outside 'development' that has spoiled a unique part of what you once were about.

The MAC is a brilliant example of how to run an arts centre. The new building is bright and airy…read morewith many different areas to explore, a great cafe, a lovely studio theatre, pottery studio, and I don't know what else. They also have free Wi-Fi (woo-hoo!), and a beautiful location in Cannon Hill Park, right next to Edgebaston cricket ground. There is always something going on, from shows to exhibitions, workshops, courses, talks and so forth - it's the busiest arts centre I've ever been in, and many other arts centres in the UK could benefit from careful studying of the MAC's programming model. Whatever it is they're doing, it definitely seems to be working for them! A minor criticism is that because there is so much going on, the staff sometimes don't know what's happening, which can lead to some confusion. I also noticed that the cafe only had one staff member serving during the busiest period of lunchtime, leading to a long queue at the counter - not really acceptable during the mid-day rush. Despite these minor niggles, It's a wonderful space in a great location and I wish I'd had more time to explore it. Definitely a star in Birmingham's crown.

A magnificent looking pub from the outside and on the inside if you're into a rowdy atmosphere…read moreinduced often by booze-fuelled football viewing then this is a place you may want to visit. It's a spectator pub really - drink up, watch and shout. I quickly adjusted my expectations, cut out the small talk, and I commenced drinking and watching the football too. It's nice not having the burden of saying anything to anyone for 90 minutes, it offers time for self-expression through other mediums that aid in the release of suppressed emotions accrued after another week of life's rich tapestry. A pub full of grunting, shouting and bold characters - go here if you want a predominantly non-verbal experience but nonetheless still one with a lot of self-expression.

Top little boozer If…read moreyou're after a decent cheap pint and/or food in a venue without loud music this is pretty good unless there is a 'match game' or something on. Even then on the weekend its quieter than other places. They show football. rugby and horse-racing here and there. The place is a bit of a step back in time compared to the 'trendy' places nearby, and it's nice if you just want something simple in an environment that's easy to warm up to. In the nearby JQ or Colemore business district most places have moved upmarket in their interior design and moved their prices up to match. It's good to a place sticking to the basics and getting it right. There is a function/lunch room upstairs with booths and stuff you and hang about in if it's open at a lunchtime, usually is though the week. Oh and this is the place ol' Queen Victoria stayed in when she resided in Birmingham... so if it's good enough for a queen ... ;)