The Works

I used to come to this shop a lot to get art stuff. They have lots of art materials, I normaly get canvases and oil paints.
These days I don’t do much painting as I used to. I just go for sketch books or get some drawing materials. Prices are decent, cheap sketch books and art materials. I’ve been to few art shops and this is one of the cheapest.
They also sell other stuff like books, frames and many more. Pretty much like Poundland but with better quality products. There’s another Works in High Street, Kings Heath.

Seriously, I am shocked with the variety of stuff you can find at this Works. I was used to the tiny one in Walsall, but the city centre one is massive and I can spend quite a lot of time there looking for everything that I usually don’t need but I buy anyway.
Things like my World Atlas map. Actually, it was in the list of things to have in my new home. I just found today and it cost me £2.99. Great deal indeed.
Books, books everywhere in a very special price. And people still ask me why British people read SO MUCH. Because they have places like The Works, where you can find all kind of literature. Simple as that! Love it.
Another passion I have is stationary stuff. As journalist I can resist a notebook, pens, pencils, pins… whatever else make me feel in a office lol. And if you like crafting, that is the place to go. Canvas, paper craft… everything.
Even souvenirs for those who are passing by Birmingham. Mugs, tea sets and etc.
It‘s a bit busy there but the service is so quick and the girls serving are really friendly. you won’t bother stay some minutes in a queue. I am definitely popping there more frequently from now to go. I need more books, anyway. Don’t I?

Possibly one of the most underrated book and stationary stores in Birmingham. I popped in here after Vicky O told me about the great deals they are currently offering. There’s so much! I went in for a Father’s Day present and came out with more for myself! Currently, they have a deal for 2 audio books for £10 and 3 books for £10. The books may not be latest out but there is still a large selection which includes the classics a large crime section.
The section dedicated to Birmingham is nice as not many other places have done this. There’s no puzzles that I could see but there was a large collection of other toys and games on offer. Additionally, there’s a large kid’s section towards the back. The prices are definitely reasonable and it’s totally worth a visit for those who read a lot and enjoy new games and toys.

Bad quality supplies

The Works is now Gatecrasher, its changed a lot inside which it should do for the money they spent. It is now a lot more confusing and seems to take ages to get to the toilets from whereever you are which makes it worse than it used to be. Drinks are quite expensive some days but friday and wednesday nights are good fun nonetheless.

Large and with lots of different rooms playing all sorts of music (from R&B to trance to retro) this has something to suit everyone and is a great place to go if there is a large group of you.
They accept people in fancy dress too, whereas a lot of places will simply turf you out, or flat refuse.
I have visited this venue on several occasions and always had a good night. It’s not overly expensive to get in and once the drinks are reasonably priced — average club prices i would say.
The dance floors are vast though an dit is pretty easy to lose your mates in here!

Although The Works used to be extremely popular with uni students, its appeal has gone down since the opening of Oceana nearby.
These days, The Works is a club where frequent fights break out and is filled with a ‘rougher’ crowd.
Although the drinks are cheap, the service is slow and the bars get very crowded through the night, sometimes meaning a 20 minute wait just to get served.
The music varies from RnB to dance to the charts and they do frequently have special guests appearing, which, depending on who the guest is, brings in different types of crowds.
One of the most frequented student nights at The Works is Vodbull, which is fortnightly on Thursdays, where a vodka and redbull is sold for £1. However, the size of the shots of vodka could easily be argued about and the heaving mass of people by the bar can be quite offputting.

This is a massive nightclub with four different dance halls offering different kinds of music, dance, r&b, hip hop etc. This is probably the best thing about this place. The drinks are also relatively cheap. However, ques can get really massive on friday and saturday night. An excellent place to visit on tuesday nights for those that love their r&b and hiphop, normally filled with plenty of uni students.