Club Arnage

Supporting the "Birmingham, its not sh*t" campaign (http://www2.b3ta.com/birmingham/)

Just another of my quality bookmarks.  No need to say thanks

No thanks said  ;)

Definately NO THANKS ;)

I was born in nearby Walsall and worked in Brum for five happy years. It is a top town. The people are the friendliest anywhere, tho prone to bouts of mindless violence on occasions. People will actually talk to you, not like London.

The website is very funny. See

www.birminghamitsnotshit.co.uk

Sorry Andy, didn't mean to denegrate Brum or its inhabitants, but when that website start singing at me I nearly puked :o

Clearly no offence taken! And modify the website URL  to get logged in.

I can see why anyone would think Brum is a dump, simply by what you can see from the (usually stationary) M6. Except for the Villa ground obviously, which is a footballing temple.

Point taken about the view from the M6.....Yuk.

Did some consultancy work for an engineering company in Brum a few years ago.  Now that was located in a real dump area.

I loved the bit about the beach under Spaghetti Junction.  ;D

Steve, this brings back some very happy memories! In the mid eighties, I used to live not 600 yards from this very beach (pronounced "baych" in the local vernacular).

The recreation area under Gravelly Hill Motorway Interchange, to give Spaghetti Junction it's proper title, was always a playground for the not-so-rich. There were some top quality "ladies and gentlemen of the road" knocking about, including one who I think was known locally as Ramsay the Kung-fu Tramp. He could be seen performing at many venues throughout the West Midlands and was even on telly once.

This stink of rancid piddle in the underpass (AKA prehistoric caves) was eye watering. And I witnessed some great tramp fights over who had nicked the other ones bottle of Thunderbird. It normally ended with the combatants hugging each other and declaring that they were best mates.

And as for the pubs, they never bothered to put glass in the windows of the Brookvale, it was permanetly boarded up. And the landlord of the Stocklands had the end of his nose shot off in a gun fight. The pub was then closed for some months. Every night was Pint and a Fight Night. The Armada, which can be seen from the M6, was a comparitive oasis of sanity.

In stating the above, I accept that there is nothing amusing about homelessness and mental illness.

The place looks wonderfull, I noticed the author of the beach item remarked on the sunbathing opportunitys.  Do they get sun in Birmingham ?

Yes. Sometimes the sun breaks through the acrid smog from the gas works. Only Joking. Actually, I found the climate and city very pleasant.

BTW did anyone see that prog on BBC2 last night entitled "Would you buy a car from this man". It was set in Tipton, which is in the nether region between Brum and the Black Country. Anyone within a hundred miles of Brum knows full well not to confuse Brum and the Black Country (Dudley, Stourbridge etc), they are two entirely different places, like Pompey and S'ton, N'castle and S'land etc. But both very much bigger areas.

Anyway the guys who worked at this car supermarket entirely encapsulated the place IMO. They were genuinely the funniest people I have seen on the telly for ages. They all had a superb turn of phrase. And they didn't take any crap from anyone.

Two of the salesmen were having an argument. One turns to the camera after and says "if ee does that again I'll gid im a Bilston Kiss". What on earth is Bilston Kiss asks the fancy-arsed London based Producer? "Ow" he replies"Ow, I'll yed butt im". And later on, he did!! The one who got yedbutted and had his nose splashed over his face was sacked on the spot for refusing to shake the other protagonists hand. Well 'ard.

f**k*n great it was!! I hope they repeat it.

Sounds excellent Andy.  Sorry I missed it, but I was out getting pi**ed ;D

TELL ME YOU DID NOT GO TO THE SNOOTY fOX!!

Haven't been in there for a VERY long time.  Was boozing at local social club.

Good, It's always cheaper.

£1.80 for a pint of HArveys finest ale, and £3 for a large Laphroaig single malt  ;D

Which Social? Harveys is my favourite pint, as served at the Royal Oak HandX.

HX social only does John Smiths Old English Traditional Newly Invented Nitrokeg Piss. Mind you it's well strong and at £1.85 a pint and a game of snooker, you've got to say yes.

I wouldn't give you owt for John Smiths.  Any way...small social club attached to local catholic church.............NO don't get worried, most of us in there have nothing to do with the church, but they let us be members cos we spend money.  Actually, it all started as a refuge when the Hillside Inn on the Balcome road, closed for a re-furb many years ago.  We somehow never went back.  Jolly good to, as it turned out they wrecked a decent pub and turned it into something resembling a bloody tea room