Touchwood Shopping Centre might not be the largest shopping centre, but it's a pretty cool place,…read morewith a good number of brands, making it excellent for a small town like Solihull, meaning people can shop without making the short trip into Birmingham. It can be easily accessed via public transport, with many buses stopping right outside and Solihull Railway Station a short walk away, I do find the buses can be confusing if you don't know where you're going, due to the many different stops even to the same destination (Some buses to Birmingham take longer than others for example) Brands located here include Apple, Footasylum, JD, Nespresso and Lush. There is also a large John Lewis store here, which is all the more useful after their Grand Central location closed. This also features a Joe and the Juice. Food and beverage locations within the mall include Joe and the Juice, TGI Friday's, Nando's, Starbucks, Pizza Express and Wagamama. Most of the shops are on the Ground Level, while the restaurants seem to be on the upper level, there are exemptions to this rule, for example, Starbucks is on the Ground Level. I did like the contrast of the modern and older parts of the mall, I did find a lack of lifts/staff around the centre to be a slight problem. 4*

A very poor experience today!…read more I found myself with 45 minutes to spare in Solihull before my meeting so I walked into the town centre and into Touchwood to take some photos to share with you here and on twitter for my 100 Days of Birmingham photos. I took a portrait photo of the closest shopping arcade and then turned my camera to take a landscape photo. A security guard walked up to me and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was taking photos to share of the shopping arcade on twitter and he told me that I was not allowed to take photos. Ironic since there are already 12 photos on here. He suggested that I was taking photos of the people in the shopping centre which wasn't the case. He then asked me to DELETE my photos. I tweeted from BrumHour's twitter account about my experience and received a reply back that said they can ask people not to take photos. As its private property they are well within their rights to do so.

This isn't the usual shop I would go to for clothes because of their extortionate prices but I…read morethought I'd give this place a try when there was a sale on. I was pleased to find they sell clothes for ladies aged twenty to forty who have modern lifestyles. I have a keen interest in fashion and after seeing their collections a few times I can see they keep their trends up-to-date. I found out that they spend eighteen weeks every year buying clothing for niche collections and these clothes aren't available online or in department stores. So you can get an individual look, isn't that great? Like I said earlier I avoid places like this because of their high prices and even when this shop had a sale on the prices were still way out of my budget! This is definitely a shop for women who can splash some cash. However, the shop offered a nice and friendly atmosphere and customer service. If I could afford to shop here I would.

I have been buying clothes from Katherine Draisey,s for 50 years!!!! Most of the clothes have…read morelasted me for years due to the fact that they are such good quality.So you pay more but you get so much more. Staff are great,so helpful but also good fun.I often pop in when I am in the Country to say hello,even if I don't buy anything.(I live in Spain but go to the UK twice a year to visit Katherine Draisey along with seeing Family) If you haven't been to this Store then please do.At least have a look. They cater for all ages. Sheila Webb

At first glance, man this place has so many cool things to do! They are VERY well decorated and…read morehave lots of fun eateries. They have outside and indoor eateries, and they have an arcade and an escape room. However, that's about where the praise stops... We came here from a nearby hotel to eat dinner. It was a short walk, the lake was pretty. We chose Zizzi's as it looked like a fun Italian choice (we later learned this place was a chain restaurant, so that was a bummer). I'll write up my restaurant reviews in detail on their pages instead, but in short, the places we ate all all seemed to be short staffed, in a rush, and not very open to service. We ate at Karaage also. Everything was pretty overpriced, especially when we considered the escape room option. They have a 'sky garden' that wasn't very impressive. And being an American visitor, I was eager to try anything but American cuisine, but half of what Resorts World offered was American cuisine. Overall I wouldn't recommend Resorts World, but if you're staying at the Hilton nearby, boy, this place really is your only dinner option.

Resorts World is a really cool entertainment complex, it is opposite Birmingham NEC and within…read morewalking distance from Birmingham International Railway Station. The area looks and feels pretty good, it is set alongside the river, and the glass building still feels modern to this day, it is still relatively new having opened in 2015, but it still doesn't feel that old. There are many places to eat and drink: Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Miller and Carter, Nando's, Pizza Express and Starbucks are just some of the options here. If shopping is more of your thing, there are many Outlet stores with brands including Nike, Next and The North Face, the selection of stores isn't too impressive although it is a welcome addition as this isn't designed for shopping, and is an entertainment complex after all. It is over multiple floors, I did find the layout to be confusing, I do feel more of a plan could be helpful, I did notice a couple of people wandering around and looking confused, in and out of lifts/escalators. The building is owned by Genting, who run the casino here. Resorts World can still be seen as a family complex, as you can still walk around the complex without having to go through the casino. 4* - Resorts World is a great addition to the surrounding area and Birmingham as a whole, it's a pretty cool place despite the issues mentioned.

Easily accessible, contains most popular shops as well as little boutiques that are unique to…read moreTouchwood. Some shops are over-priced but the quality of clothes, food, jewellery, healthcare products etc are generally very, very good. Never had a bad experience in Touchwood! A very nice, reputable place to shop. Includes a cinema and food court/restaurants such as pizza hut and Nando's on the top floor, the next floor has a sushi bar, book/clothes/jewellery shops as well as a door leading out to solihull library and escalators leading down to the ground floor which has a car park and toilets. There are helpful signs directing you to the toilets and other places which are easily understandable. Amazing place to shop.

Drive along the Redditch Road and find this big converted barn housing a veritable banquet of…read morevintage goods! Mention that ubiquitous word and you might immediately think of clothes. At The Vintage Barn though, there is an emphasis on furniture, homewares and memorabilia. Pictures, clocks, lights, vases, dining sets, pin badges, books, games, kitchenware, electric fans, figurines and a whole load of curios await you. AND some tasty looking, warm-sounding hi-fi equipment refurbished with USB slots! Everything is artistically displayed, with exhibit-like qualities, so if you see something you like, they'll be another beauty nearby that will fit well with it. Everywhere you look there are items from yesteryear that you simply must have. And at these reasonable rates you'll happily walk away with some treasures. On the day we went I came out with a Gold Label Barley Wine dish, some 1970s Sparklets for a soda siphon and some Swinging Inn Sign Cocktail Sticks, for under a fiver, all in. My friend spotted a tall £30 glass vase, and was pleased to hear that because they take credit cards, then she could take it home that day. New stock is arriving all the time so it's worth visiting regularly, to find more unique pieces for your home.

My family & I have visited the vintage barn twice in the past month or so....and have never left…read moreempty handed! The range of products suits a wide audience - there's something for everyone & is a great place to find a present. This chilly barn ( wrap up in the winter) sells a variety of clothes, china/dinner ware, glass ware, ornaments, jewellery, furniture, records..the list goes on...from years gone by. Its a great place to root around but also everything is well organised & visible. Our incredible purchases include a a three piece men's suit (£30), a cut glass salad bowl with condiment holders, vintage watch, two brooches, Stevie Wonder LP, a fascinator, two dresses (£4&£6) glass bowl (£3), tie bar & cuff links, fur coat & our favourite ( see photo) a 60s Formica table & stools (£45) The barn is run by a lovely couple who are not overbearing & are very knowledgeable & friendly. They also have a Facebook page so you can keep an eye on any new furniture being uploaded at great prices. The team there also run the Moseley retro & vintage fayre - which is on once a month. Check Facebook for details

Whispers is a wonderful fashion agency that stocks new and nearly new designer clothing. Much of…read morethe clothing is for slightly older women, and they stock much that would be suitable for weddings and more formal occasions. Their new stock includes brands Kirsten Krog and Zele. However, they also operate as a concession selling others peoples never, or hardly, worn designer pieces. They accept recent clothes from brands such as Gucci, Karen Millen, Jaeger and Planet. Items should be seasonal, of current or classic styling (less than 2 years old), in perfect condition, freshly laundered or dry cleaned, all buttons and zips intact, no staining or signs of wear - in fact, nearly new, hardly worn. Full terms & conditions are available on request but basically they operate on a 50/50 sale or return.

This is such a lovely little shop in a small quiet indoor precinct with plenty of free parking…read moreoutside. Such nice individual things lovely to just go and have a look around in and seeing different one off bits. I have never gone in looking for anything specific to buy but more often than not come out with some great one off buy! The shops contents always changes and is very varied from old jewelerry to funiture and memorabilia. Definitly worth popping in from time to time even if just for interest there are some really lovely bits! Kind of like and Aladdins cave that keeps going!

New to Solihull and the best I've ever visited - the selection at the Solihull branch is superb -…read morefrom Calvin Klein lingerie, Oscar de la Renta sunglasses and Versace handbags for the ladies to Paul Smith suits for guys, it's got a superb range and takes deliveries almost every day. Very well worth a visit.

I rushed myself to this store yesterday evening after work. On their website, it says very clearly…read morethat this store opens until 19:00 on Wednesday (luckily I took a screen shot to prove I am right). But when I arrived at this store at 18:10 yesterday, a female staff standing next to the front door told me the store was closed. I told this staff that the website said the store would only close at 19:00, but she said that will be next week, not this week. I was very angry that I rushed myself straight to this store soon after I finished work, but then I was refused to enter this store. I have checked the opening hours of this store on the website several times last few weeks, it always says the store opens till 19:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So I do not understand why the store decided to close at 18:00 yesterday. Furthermore, next week is the last full week before Christmas, I cannot see any point for the store to start opening till 19:00 next week like what the female staff told me. This is just ridiculous!! I had to drive half an hour from work to this store yesterday, then I was told the store was closed when I arrived. I am not happy with the service at all!!!

There's a reason why this is called popular way. It's the main building between Mel Square and…read morePopular Road, which are two of Solihull's busiest areas so it provides a nice short cut with some good shops and quality art work on the walls. Popular way has been around for as long as I can remember and the only thing that's changed is the shops. The tiles on the floor and walls are still very old fashioned and the toilets remind me of those horrible toilets at school. I try and avoid using the bathroom here because it's not very clean, some of the doors don't lock and the toilet roll feels like newspaper. In conclusion they need some refurbishment here! On a positive note, they have a good range of shops here; a couple of supermarkets, a herbal shop, a few clothes stores, a newsagents and textile store. I enjoy going to the independent clothes stores more so than the others because they have a good choice for decent prices and high standards of customer service.

Does anyone learn to punctuate / spell properly / check their sentences make any sense before they…read morebother to write a review? I cannot make sense of the awful grammar. Plus I believe it is called Poplar Way not "popular way" - to avoid any confusion.

I am not a fan of the big makeover it had a few months ago I think the downstairs now seems a…read morelittle cramped as it can get busy and you have to zig zag in and out of the clothes to get through. They sell womens, mens and childrens clothes as well as household and food. They always have good offers on some of the food but for me it is a little pricey to do all of my food shopping here so I tend to look out for bargains as I walk through, have a nice count on us low fat range and some nice sandwiches.

I have done clothes and food shopping in here. The clothes department is good. The food department…read moregets very crowded and it sometimes takes ages to pay. They have installed 'scan your own and pay' machines now so it may get better