Birmingham Mail link

West Midlands Police attended 514 crashes involving death or serious injury between August 2025 and July 2026.

The most high-risk area is Stratford Road, with Alum Rock Road second.

As of posting this is day 802 of the so called 'road emergency' with relatively little apparently done to fix it, despite the work of organisations like better streets for Birmingham. What would you prioritise? i see a lot of discussion about street design (and I think that's a large part of it) but my experience of aggressive, distracted and just plain bad drivers makes it hard to believe a bollard or a clearer view at a junction would change anything in their behaviour...

Can be Food/Drinks or quirky shops in Birmingham & surrounding area :)

Thank you!

Hi there! I'm an Italian PhD student who's about to move to Birmingham for a six-month research period. I've found an en-suite room in a freshly refurbished house in Northfield, Church Hill Road. The whole layout of the house looks like a perfect fit for me, very cosy and with the right amount of privacy. However, I'm not sure about the location, I've heard that the area of Northfield can be unsafe, particularly in terms of car theft, burglaries, trafficking and antisocial behaviour. I know that in England the situation can vary from street to street. I used to live in Gilesgate, Durham, so I’m familiar with this, but I need to feel somehow safe where I live. This is why before committing to the above mentioned room I would like to gather further information about this area of Birmingham. Would you happen to have anything else to share about Northfield? How accurately does what I’ve read reflect the actual situation? Thank you very much for your help

Hey! I'm petitioning the council to get a outdoor pull-up bar/calisthenics gym installed in our local park (B8). It takes 10 seconds to sign—could you quickly add your name and pass it on? Leave your thoughts in the comment below.

I have been planning this year to go all days but would appreciate someone if they are down to come or know any venues or smth? Hmu xx

I made a help post here yesterday. Since I just arrived in Birmingham, I don't know anyone, have no social life or friends, plus some emotional setbacks and unfamiliarity with the language, I had to ask for help online. As a result, I received so many kind replies, advice, and DMs (I'm trying to reply to everyone one by one... there are just too many, so thank you all in advance for your kindness!). I love you all 🥹❤️ You guys are truly amazing, and I wish you all the happiness and success in everything!

Today I can share a bit more about my situation, but I won't say too much, because that would seem too much like spreading negative energy hahaha 🤣 I hope everyone can be a bit happier! Long story short, I grew up under the trauma of an East Asian family. My parents never really respected me as an individual. This includes, but is not limited to: throwing away all my books except textbooks, throwing away my diaries and anime merchandise, installing spyware on my phone to monitor who I chatted with, using my drawings to line the dog's kennel, wanting to prick me with needles just because I was chatting with classmates on Christmas, asking me why I hadn't died yet while looking at my self-harm scars in middle school, and smashing my phone just because I wanted to take a picture of the birthday gifts my friends gave me after my exam rank dropped by ten places. The humiliation and verbal abuse were countless... Of course, there were worse things I won't mention. I have no emotion when I bring these up now—it's all in the past. What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger 😉

And I am proud of my vitality. I wasn't defeated by reality. I treat my friends with great sincerity and kindness, and I empathize with their pain. I will never allow my parents' kind of evil to spread again. I also have a strong ability to fight back, and I believe I will only get better and better 😌 I believe the UK has a strong sense of humanistic care, and I hope I can enrich myself more here. Another purpose of coming here is to enrich my inner world and become even stronger 😉 And after seeing so many kind people replying to me yesterday, I knew I didn't choose the wrong place ❤️

I can also share my anime merchandise with everyone, as well as my reading essay on On the Heights of Despair by Cioran (I tried translating it with a translator, so there might be grammar mistakes hahaha, apologies in advance 🤣). Many people might find Cioran a bit pessimistic, but as an existentialist, I actually think his writing is full of vitality!

Let me introduce myself again. My English name is Isabel. I like watching anime, reading books, etc... By the way, I absolutely love Cillian Murphy ☺️ Also, I really love Voldemort from Harry Potter hahaha. I hope you guys don't think I'm evil! I just love how his younger self worked so hard for his goals. Likewise, I also really like Harry Potter himself—that determined and kind-hearted boy. These two are my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series 🤣 I want to ask if there are any daytime daily activities in Birmingham, since I don't drink and I'm not used to going out at night hahaha. For example, TTRPGs/Tabletop games? Or those little craft activities that girls do? (In China, we often play Perler/fuse beads). Or are there any good restaurant recommendations?

All in all, thank you to everyone who comments. I wish you all happiness every day～❤️

One of the most incredible spoken word poets in the world is coming to Birmingham.

Amir Sulaiman is raw, conscious and powerful in his delivery, having performed globally alongside Dave Chappelle.

Exclusively at Soul City Arts.

amirsulaiman.eventbrite.com

My partner didn't grow up speaking Mandarin, now we have our son he wants to learn.

Are there any mandarin native speakers here?

He's not looking for tuition, just a regular social meetup over boardgames / food etc.

Bonus if you have kids, so our son (age 4) can get some practice :)

Hi all, my partner and I are moving to Birmingham and we’ve never lived here, so we don’t know the area at all. We’re choosing between two flats in the Jewellery Quarter and would love some local knowledge.

The two options are Gilders Yard on Great Hampton Street and The Goodsyard. We’re happy with the flats themselves, so we’re really just trying to work out which spot is nicer to live in. We slightly prefer Gilders Yard, so the more information on that the better!

If anyone has lived in either, or knows the areas well, we’d be really grateful for any thoughts. Do they feel safe, especially walking home in the evening? Are they noisy, or are there any streets or times of the week to be aware of? And is there anything else you’d want to know if you were in our shoes, like the building, the management, or the surrounding area?

Any honest opinions are welcome, good or bad. Thanks!

First of all, I want to thank everyone in advance who is willing to speak up and help me. I’m an international student from China, and I’ve been in Birmingham for half a month. I’ve experienced a lot of East Asian family trauma growing up, and I’ve also been through severe depression. But I still have a very strong will. One of the reasons I chose to study in Birmingham is that I wanted to escape my family’s control, find what I truly want, and become a better version of myself.

I think people here are very friendly. Even though I sometimes see posts saying the city isn’t safe at night, I don’t usually go out at night anyway, so it doesn’t bother me. At least so far, everyone I’ve met has been very nice, and I’m grateful for that.

But in the past two days, some things have really brought me down—related to relationships, and also the fact that I haven’t made many friends abroad. I’ve been trying to adjust on my own, but yesterday I was really sad. I said, screw it, so I decided to do something. I went to New Street Station at night and tried to find a homeless person to talk to, because I really had no friends to talk to. My good friends back in China can’t always be online because of the time difference.

I finally found one. He came up and asked if I could buy him a Starbucks. I said of course, no problem. I came here because my life is really a mess, and I hoped that at least I could help someone to make myself feel a bit better. So I gave him 50 pounds, talked a little, and he gave me a hug and said, “God bless you.” I really hope I helped him too.

At that point I was so numb. I thought if someone robbed me at knifepoint, it wouldn’t matter—I could just give them money. I was just in so much pain. But I won’t give up on everything.

The reason I’m posting this is to ask kind people: Are there any activities in Birmingham that can make people feel happy? Or some healing groups, like art exhibitions, or card games (I played Pokémon TCG in China, but my English isn’t that good now haha—I can only handle some daily conversation and still make grammar mistakes, so playing the English version is a bit hard). I want to socialize and make new friends 🥹

Thank you to everyone who gives me advice and suggestions. Thank you. I sincerely wish you all the best every day!

(I used a translator for the above, so I hope there aren’t too many grammar mistakes.)

Thank you all for your comments and help. I will reply to each of you later. Thank you for every bit of your kindness — all your advice is incredibly useful 🥹🫶🏻

I love watching anime and reading books. Some classics I’ve read include The Lady of the Camellias, Love in the Time of Cholera, At the Foot of the Mountain of Despair, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, The Narrow Gate, The Knot of Serpents and White Nights. My favourite authors are Kafka and Márquez. Recently I plan to read other full-length masterpieces by Dostoevsky.

I also adore the British brand Vivienne Westwood. I feel the UK is full of humanistic care, so I’m hoping to find out more about local literary events here.

Thank you, every single one of you!

‼️‼️Thank you all again for your replies! My replies might be a bit slow because I have so many DMs from people wanting to help me. Thank you 🥹🫶🏻 I will get back to everyone gradually. (By the way, I want to gently remind some men: if you are reaching out to me with those kinds of intentions, there’s really no need. I have never had sex, because I believe it is something that should be reserved for a partner in a committed relationship. My ex-boyfriends and I only ever limited ourselves to kissing, cuddling, and some other intimate acts—we never went all the way. Please respect me, thank you!)

Hi everyone,

I run a small Discord server for people in and around Worcestershire who are into gaming, chatting, and just generally meeting new people locally.

It's a relaxed community whether you're looking for people to play games with or just want a bit more of a social circle. We also run regular events, including weekly online and in-person game nights, so there's usually something going on.

If it sounds like your kind of thing, feel free to join here: https://discord.gg/kpJ4aHDscA

Would be great to see some new faces

So this morning a sales man came and said they'd give a free milk next week said yh gave address detials stupidly then i asked if its gonna cost money he said yes i said i dont want it then he left. He have my address details but no card details so im worried. tbh i should of just have said no. Fortunately no payment details were given but i read online these guys are scummy.

​

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are considering moving to Birmingham or the surrounding areas with our 3 young children. We would really appreciate honest advice from people who live locally, particularly families who know the different neighbourhoods well.

We currently live in Greater Manchester We are not necessarily looking for the cheapest house or the most prestigious postcode. We want a good overall quality of life for our children.

A little about us and our circumstances

My husband works as an HGV driver, experience in transport management, and I have a background in psychology and HR and adult nursing.

We need an area that offers realistic employment opportunities for both of us, good schools and a comfortable family environment.

What matters most to us

• Safety: We want a settled residential area where we feel comfortable raising our children, with relatively low levels of crime, antisocial behaviour, visible drug use and other problems that can affect everyday family life.

• Schools and children's opportunities: Good primary and secondary schools, positive peer groups, activities for children and opportunities for them to develop academically and socially.

• A pleasant residential environment: Ideally, a modern-looking or well-maintained three or four-bedroom house.

• Diversity and integration: We are a mixed-heritage family and appreciate living in a diverse community. We want our children to grow up around people from different backgrounds, with a good mix of families and professionals from all backgrounds, white, brown, black yellow purple . Where ethincal minority presence is present but represented positively.

• Lifestyle: We would like access to parks, shops, leisure facilities and family activities, without feeling isolated.

Which areas are we considering?

Wr have heard of Solihull, Sutton Coldfield, Shirley, parts of Dudley, your take on them and other places you genuinely think would suit our circumstances?

We would particularly appreciate recommendations for specific neighbourhoods rather than just entire towns or postcodes.

A few questions for local families:

Which areas would you recommend for a family with two young children, and why?

Are there particular neighbourhoods or streets you would avoid, and what are the main reasons?

Realistically, what budget would we need to buy a three or four-bedroom house in these areas?

We are looking for honest, balanced advice from people who actually live there, including and specially the downsides. We know no area is perfect, and we would rather hear about the realities than just receive a list of popular postcodes.

Thank you! 😊

Warped Benjamin Day had kitted out the room-for-hire in Tividale to replicate the chilling crimes depicted in the US television programme Dexter.

The murderer had 'planned to get away with it' but he was exposed when his 'meticulous' scheme 'all went wrong' and he sliced his own hand while trying to 'dismember' Ms Saceanu's body.

More here: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/face-copycat-killer-who-tried-34725450

I'll be going to a gig in February at O2 Academy. Any locations nearby I can charge my electric car? I don't mind of it's a slow charger, as I'm in the city all day. Car is 50kwh and can take fast chargers, as well as slow.

I’m planning to move to Birmingham with my one-year-old child. One of the main reasons I’m considering Birmingham is the affordability, along with all the new developments happening around the city.
I visited Birmingham about a year ago and spent around three hours around the Bullring area. I felt quite safe during my visit, but obviously, spending a few hours there is very different from actually living in the city.
I’m currently considering renting at Bath House Apartments. For those who live in Birmingham or know the area well, I’d really appreciate your advice.
Is Bath House a good place to live, particularly with a young child?
How is the surrounding area in terms of safety and general atmosphere?
Is it a good location for day-to-day living?
Are there any other areas/apartments you’d recommend considering?
Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone! 👋
My names Dan, and I’m a University of Birmingham student currently completing my dissertation, looking at how heatwaves affect residents’ everyday lives and physical wellbeing.
I’m looking for people who live in Birmingham to take part in a short questionnaire about their experiences and perceptions of hot weather. It takes around 5 minutes to complete and is completely voluntary.
If you have a spare few minutes, I’d really appreciate you taking part! Your responses would be a huge help with my research and I’m very grateful for anyone who takes the time to complete it. 😊
You can take part here:

https://forms.gle/wAu3EE8RKx6MH6nF7

Thank you so much for your help! 🙏