Visiting tips for QE hospital: (warning - not all to be taken seriously).
Once you have visited the brand new QE hospital, life will never be the same again. Be prepared for everything else to be a let-down.
1) At the hospital:
Please note that this is a Hospital. Despite having the size of a major shopping centre, it is not there for the purposes of getting you to buy things. It is a hospital.
Coffee - there is a Costa Coffee on the ground floor, appropriately. More tears are shed here than any other coffee outlet in the UK.
Parking - When I implied it is not there to extract money from you, I forgot about the parking. Weekly pass looks like a very good idea.
Other hospitals - Be aware that the same site also houses the Women's hospital and the Military Hospital. If everyone is just a few days old or missing limbs, you have probably got the wrong one. There are also other hospitals on site. If the one you are at is not immensley big in a way you would never think that hospitals coud ever be, you are probably at the wrong one.
Other purchases - As well as Costa Coffee and other voluntary / charity outlets, there is a regular Farmer's market outside, where you can get fresh vegetables, fruit, chutneys, jams, cheese and beer (probably).
Travel - Look for advice above. If you are arriving by train, alight at the University station, which is the only mainline station specifically for a University. The train may well tell you that University Station is also for QE hospital.
Security - There are bike racks outside the hospital. Don't expect your bike to be there when you return unless your bike has a better lock and is less desirable than most of those already there.
2) Just a short walk:
The University of Birmingham is just a short walk away. This is a campus University with lots of green areas, a few shops, some great buildings and some statues. Don't worry if you aren't a student - security won't throw you out unless you try to join a lecture, or go into the new library or sports centre. If you can't find the blue plaque stating "BrumJim Studied Here", then please tell Security that it has gone missing again. Very collectable, apparently.
Also on campus is the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. Reportedly well worth a visit.
Selly Oak Park is just nearby. Not worth a trip on its own, but useful if you want to hug a tree or just escape from hospitals, roads, buildings, etc.
There is a minor retail park (Battery Park - they used to make Batteries there) nearby, offering
Halfords, Homebase, Argos, TK Maxx, PC World/Currys, Pets at Home, Next, Franky and Benny's. Don't go there by car on Saturday - it can take you longer to get out of the car park than shopping, even if you have to try on 10 dresses to find one that fits AND looks good. Across the road is Sainsburys.
3) Get away for a bit:
Harborne is just up the road. Slightly pretentious, it does offer a High Street with a large number of High Street stores, including a Waitrose, McDonalds and Starbucks (probably). Also an Ice Cream parlour, and various restaurants varying from Chain Cheerful to Family and friendly, to a posh night out. Italian, Indian, Turkish and many other cuisines can be found.
4) Further afield:
Birmingham City Centre, of course. Go there by train from University station. Either that, or get stung by taxi or car parking. Buses don't give change.
So unfortunately it's their tv, which is angled down high above the bed. I've had to let her watch tv, there's no way I'm recording Strictly and I'm a Celeb, then watching hours of it when she's back out
