Back in Brum

On the first of February 2009 I moved into a shared house in Edgbaston, Birmingham. This move from my native Worcestershire to the second city allows me to be local to my new employer LHM Media, saving me time and money, and giving me access to the various attractions of a big city.

I live in a refreshingly leafy area of South Birmingham with various large parks and truly wild nature reserves nearby. Neighbouring species include foxes, goats, owls and woodpeckers, and are all good to watch with a cuppa before and after work. I work in the next borough of Moseley which has some of the best and most characterful pubs and restaurants in the City. A private park for residents provides more sanctuary for animals and from the ratrace.

I lived in several areas of Birmingham including Edgbaston for four years while in my university days (2002 – 2006) and coming back to Birmingham I often notice the big and small ways that the city has changed.

The prophetic and well funded ‘Big City Plan’ from the City Council follows the excellent private sector regeneration of urban areas, and plans for ambitous and wide sweeping change are now being executed. The Mailbox, the Brindley Place redevelopment and the new Bullring (with the iconic and IMO very cool architecture of the Selfridges building) have made the city a much nicer place to shop, dine or spend an evening. Next on the plan is the impending redevelopment of New Street Station; a mammoth task to manage, but well overdue.

I’m enjoying living here and it seems it can only getter better over the next five years, check out The Big City Plan Website for more info.