12 Things You Miss When You Move Away From Birmingham

Moving away from home can be a pretty difficult thing, but moving away from Birmingham can be even harder for some! Here are 12 things we guarantee you’ll miss once you’ve moved away from the UK’s second city.

Not having everyone say BIIIIRRMMINNGGHHAAM at you

“Where are you from?”, “Birmingham”, “BBBIIIRRMMIINGGHHHAMMMM”.

Yep, haven’t heard that one before. As grating as it can be ten (million) times later, there’s something in that kind of back and forth that you’ll miss when you leave.

Canals

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Having money

Okay, so this is a sweeping statement as it applies to pretty much anybody who moves away from home, but bear with us! Despite its modest 1.1 million population, Birmingham is amongst the cheaper of the larger cities in the country so moving away can often be an expensive process – particularly if you’re heading south. Say goodbye to those cheap pints…

Brummies

Mocked by many, the Brummie accent is definitely either something you either love or hate. It’s only when you move away that you start to miss the Brummie twang and the generally friendly people you used to encounter on a daily basis. God forbid you strike up a conversation on the Tube in London…

Digbeth

Known as the city’s creative quarter, Digbeth is home to all kinds of surprises. Whether you’re after a pint in one of its many (and we mean many) Irish or historic pubs, you’re looking to hit up a warehouse rave or simply find a space to work for the afternoon, it’s got it all.

Self-deprecation

It sounds odd, but nobody is better at self-deprecation than Brummies. While you’ve got the likes of Mancunians proudly blowing their trumpet about how great their city is and how they are really the second city (they’re not!), Brummies are modest towards their city. Quite an attractive trait, some might say.

Local dialect

What goes hand in hand with the Brummie accent? Its endearing dialect, that’s what bab. It’s going to be a long old slog for you in another city if you try and speak the famous Birmingham slang with your new peers.

Snobs

Birmingham’s most revered nightclub, Snobs, celebrated its 45th birthday this year and is more popular than ever. Despite moving from its much-loved, sticky-floored venue a few years back, Snobs is thriving and is probably the best alternative club in the city.

Scallops from the chippy

Those from Birmingham might not know what we’re on about here, just like every chip shop owner north and south of the West Midlands! We don’t mean fish when we ask for a scallop, we mean a fried slice of potato. This may be called a potato fritter or other variants across the country, but it’s definitely a scallop and everyone else is wrong.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Birmingham’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade was the first in Britain and dates as far back as the 1950s. More than 80,000 people line the streets of Digbeth each year to watch one of the biggest parades in the country. Other than Ireland itself, you won’t find as passionate an Irish parade as this one.

The Frankfurt Christmas Market

It’s an annual Brummie tradition to visit the German Market at least once every Christmas for a Glühwein and a pretzel. Hundreds of thousands of people flock to this popular attraction which offers quaint market stalls, traditional German food and truck loads of beer. You might think it’s too crowded while you live here, but once you’ve left, we guarantee you’ll miss it.

The Balti Triangle

Honestly, you won’t find a better curry than in Birmingham. Okay, other than in India itself. Birmingham is famed for its Indian food (the balti was invented here don’t ya know?) so you might end up missing your favourite dish from the Stratford Road. You’ve been warned!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.