Redpoint climbing center, the super friendly staff, the super yummy cakes/coffee are awesome…read more I am so shocked to see two reviews on here that are less than 5 stars, no disrespect intended but were you guys on drugs or drunk when you climbed there? A very clean and tidy place with great (real graded)routes, the staff are awesome there all great climbers so if you need advice /pointers/help with a climb or whatever they are always more than willing to ablige. Great work guys keep on rockin.

Booked my daughter's 11th birthday party at Redpoint for her and 7 friends - what a fantastic…read moreplace! The kids all loved it (even the ones that were scared of heights). The staff were brilliant - excellent team leaders and confidence builders. I just wish I could've had a go - but my daughter said I'd embarrass her too much! The party was 10 days ago and the kids are still saying it's the best party they've ever been to. I would highly recommend it!

Pure Joy is a little dance studio based in the Jewellery Quarter (just down the road from the…read moreChamberlain Clock). It's easy to get to by train (closest station is Jewellery Quarter) or bus and there is on street parking outside the building. It is worth noting there is another studio in Moseley. Pure Joy is a newer form of exercise in the form of Pole Dancing. I quite fancied doing this as a weekly workout, as I figured it would be good fun as well as a great way to gain some upper body strength and toning. I wasn't wrong... It was my first session last Thursday. Filled with trepidation and excitement, myself and Emma S. walked down the road a few times to find the venue. The address on the website is listed as above, but it might help to point out that this is held in the Warstone Centre (the bottom end of Warstone Lane), as the property number isn't shown. We were greeted by Joy (the owner of the studio) and led up to a cute little room at the top of the building. The walls are mirrored (as you might expect from a studio), but there are 5 poles (meaning everyone can do the moves at once). When we first got in there, the room was pretty chilly - but once the storage heaters were turned on and we started exercising - we all warmed up pretty quickly! We started off with some stretches and basic exercises, but ended up being on the pole within 20 minutes of getting there (which was a surprise as I figured we might have a bit of a cop-out lesson for our first try). This is NOT a class for those just looking to get light exercise. We were taught moves to swing around the pole, support our weight, climb and build upper body strength. As I have the upper body strength of a gnat, I was rubbish on my first try (and still aching the Monday after), but I have the upmost confidence that I will be better on my second go! Joy was funny, helpful, supportive and a great teacher. Even though I'm not very good at the moment, I'm looking forward to my second go (as it was so much fun). If you are looking for an alternative to a regular exercise class, give it a go!

I decided to take my son and niece to Rock Up last Saturday afternoon to see what all of the hype…read moreis about. As my son is a little young for the actual climbing we let them loose in the soft play area. On first impressions, I really like this venue. It seems to have something for everyone. There are lots of climbing walls/activities that appeal to all ages up to adulthood. The pre-schoolers can get their fill in the soft play maze, which is a great size as it is not so big that your child can get lost. Unlike, many of these type of attractions the café sold half decent food. The coffee was easily drinkable and they offer a varied menu including paninis, pizza, kids meals, pasta, cakes, fruit and more. To drink they have the usual hot drinks, including Mocha, plus cold favourites including milkshakes and fresh fruit smoothies (blended on site upon ordering). My only complaint was that all of the staff were very young and clearly inexperienced. While there I made a number of very basic requests which were met with blank gazes, or else took at least three members of staff to answer. There was also quite a long wait for the simplest of items from the menu.

A no-nonsense gym orientated around MMA training. They offer an array of classes from specific…read moremartial arts to strength and conditioning. They also offer classes for kids and women only classes. It's a gym where you can really get your head down or get your head kicked in depending on what you prefer. There's a 50ft matted area so you can hone your technique without cramping the 250lb behemoth's style who is displaying his aptitude for punching stuff really hard. If you're a genuine MMA-er then there's a 24ft cage to get as close as you can to the real thing. A solid, reliable gym for the committed martial artist, uncompromising lifter and dedicated fitness fanatic.

I have only recently started going to the yoga classes here, but then it is very new. The Coffin…read moreWorks has only just been renovated and the studio that is used for yoga is one of the units that have now been let out for other uses. Because the unit was of course an old working building, the windows are very large in order to let in maximum light and I think the light are airy space in the room makes it a perfect place to practice yoga. I have been going to the Thursday lunchtimes classes, which are £5 for 50 minutes. The teacher is called Matty and he is a really positive guy. Whether you are a beginner or expert I can't think you would be disappointed with the classes:)

This often "overlooked" green space in the City is actually one of my favourites. Located behind…read morethe new Library, it's not a huge space, but is well cared for and has lots of seating available. As Carl has already said, don't expect Central Park. It's a lovely green space surrounded by a path and a range of trees with a well kept "lawn" area in the middle, but that's it. There isn't a playpark for the kids or borders filled with colourful flowers, but it's still a nice space to take your lunch or grab a five minute breather from the hustle and bustle of the City. I'm not sure that all that many people know it's there, so I would class it as one of the hidden gems of the City Centre. It has lots of bins, so there is always minimal litter (adding to the serenity of the space) and there is always a quiet spot to sit and contemplate. If you ever find yourself by the Library and you've got five mins, why not pop on in through one of the arches and transport yourself away for a few in Birmingham's lovely City Centre Gardens?

Hidden away from the main drag and hustle & bustle of of the city lies a small patch of…read moretranquillity. Admittedly it is certainly not the largest or the most grandiose of Birmingham's parks, but it is probably the most central. It is for this reason that that I frequent City Centre Gardens. Don't expect swings or long walks through fields, if you're expecting Birmingham's answer to New York's 'Central Park', you will be sorely disappointed. City Centre Gardens is merely a plot of grass surrounded by shrubbery a few trees on the borders. I would talk more about the plant life but I'm afraid it's not my strong point of knowledge. There are plenty of benches dotted around and a bandstand in the middle. Although I don't think the latter gets much use. What makes the Gardens so useful is when one has a picnic or prefers to get a 'meal deal' than heading for a sit down lunch. City Centre Gardens offers a quiet space in central surroundings. Even when the much loved and hated 'Frankfurt Christmas Market', one can escape the crowds and relax in the relative quietness, even though it's situated directly behind Birmingham's new central library. Whilst Birmingham has 571 parks, 3,500 hectares of public accessible space and 250 miles of urban brooks and streams, I do find the can be a lack of open green space in the centre. The cathedral grounds or 'Pigeon Park' (as it's affectionately known) gets very busy, and feels more like a throughfare; with people walking in all directions to and from Snow Hill station and Colmore Row. If like me, you feel to old to hang around with the emo kids in Pigeon Park these days, I suggest walking down to the back of the library. It's quieter, prettier and the grass is better maintained (as it's not trodden on so much).

Okay, so it's cheap. Probably one of the cheapest gyms I've known for what you get. I wouldn't go…read moreas far to say 'value for money' as like the other reviewers say it's got a lot of faults. I don't use every piece of equipment on there. I'll be honest I mainly just use the cardio machines on my way home. So with that in mind here I what I've found. The entrance into what appears to be an abandoned part of BHS store (but isn't) can put you off at first. There is access up via stairs and two elevators, the door mechanism has some bizarre Futurama like hover tube designed to stop people sneaking in on your pass purely because they cannot fit inside it with you but I'm sure it can be done. The place has no personality, greys and blues do not look modern in this case just very out of date and a tiny bit draining. Compared to the vibrant reds, purples and the orange gym around the corner it could do with a face lift. The treadmills seem to suffer the most of faults, with them starting off and then just stopping like your punched that red emergency button. I went at what I'd think to be one of the peak times yesterday at about 5pm and I had no problem getting equipment either for which I was surprised. The view you get does sort of make up for it, the floor to ceiling windows does prevent the hobbit feeling I got in my last gym which had no windows at all and was fondly(?) nicknamed the bat cave. To get this type of gym in my area e.g 24 hour I'd be paying £30+ a month so I put up with its faults, if I was a fitness aficionado I probably wouldn't go here though. Suggestions to The Gym: - Fix your equipment The water fountain could be colder A new colour scheme? Add more of that electric blue or something.

I have been a member of the Gym for few months now. it was my next option after my previous gym…read moredecided to relocate to Solihull. The positives: - Centrally located ( City centre) - Affordable ( for a student like myself) - more than enough machines - accessible 24hrs, meaning I can hit the gym when I can't sleep :) - always kept clean by staff - friendly staff The negatives: - not very suitable for body builders - could be too crowded sometimes (depending on the time of the day) - some of the popular machines are no more in very good form Overall, if you want somewhere cheap, quality and central, this is for you.but if you are a body builder, you might want to try somewhere more suitable.

I can't recommend this studio and it's teachers highly enough, and feel super healthy and relaxed…read moreafter completing a hot yoga session. Yes the heat can be challenging at first, (the room is set at 40 degrees) but you soon get used to it after going to a few sessions on a regular basis. The classes can get very busy at peak times, but I always arrive in plenty of time so I can bag a suitable space to set up my yoga mat. The teachers are super friendly and really encourage everyone throughout the yoga practice. They offer an introductory price on your first yoga class with a total of 10 classes included in your offer, as well as 15% off class cards before your introductory offer expires. A 90min class costs £12, with a 60min class costing £11. There are a variety of pricing options for unlimited yoga classes for a month, off peak and peak classes. There are seperate changing rooms available for men and women, a small shower room and a kitchen. They sell coconut water here as a natural energy drink, and yoga clothing. You can also go on a yoga retreat with other yoga practitioners which are organised by Yogahaven. Check out their website here: www.yogahaven.co.uk/birmingham Note if you do decide to go ensure you take two towels with you, one to cover your yoga mat (they have yoga mats here) and another to mop your brow because you sweat A LOT! A bottle of water is advised too :)

First thing, Yogahaven is not a yoga studio as such, it offers Bikram style yoga. To purists or…read morethose that have experienced disciplines of yoga such as Hatha, Ashtanga etc may be disappointed. It took me a while to put my finger on to what the classes were as they have no type attached to the class names, until I was told "based on Bikram". This is an objective as well as a subjective review, for some people Bikram is great, for me it is not. That out of the way. The venue is lovely - the staff are friendly, it is clean, good quality fixtures and fittings. The classes are extremely expensive, by far double the price of their competition. I did however do their £20 for 20 day offer, this gives you unlimited access to classes. Even as a purist, I took up this offer just for the experience. Jivamukti yoga is on the schedule for a couple of classes a week. It is a shame they do not offer other types of yoga such a Hatha, Ashtanga, Yin, Vinyasa, or Kundalini. If they did they may be able to have an offering to a wider customer base. So, this gets a three star "a-ok" rating.