My first experience of Birmingham was as a child visiting family friends. However, I really got to know the city between the ages of 19 and 25 when I was at university and then teacher training college. Ruth and I were lucky to be able to spend the weekend there this month, as Fionn had booked us a hotel room for our Christmas present.

On the first Friday of the year we set out from Rochdale, down the M6 to Birmingham. After an eventful journey (featuring a deathwish driver stopping in the middle lane of the motorway because they’d missed their junction!) and a tricky search for a parking space, we got to Brum in time for lunch.

Once we’d eaten, which is always my first priority, it was time to find a pub. I had identified a few pubs from the Good Beer Guide that I hadn’t been to before and the closest of these was the Craven Arms. I had a mild and an English IPA from Black Country Ales, while Ruth went for their Fireside bitter, all of which were perfectly decent. The pub itself was cosy, with a lovely fire in the corner, and quite characterful.

Another thing that I had wanted to include in our trip was a visit to a desi pub. This was certainly not something that I was aware of back in the early 90’s, but I had enjoyed reading David Jesduason’s book – Desi Pubs – soon after it was published. As it happened, our hotel was just a few yards down the road from Hen & Chickens. This wasn’t one of the pubs which had made the cut for Jesudason’s book, but both the food and the beer were excellent.

After dinner we met up with Rob Edwards at one of his favourite haunts in Birmingham – Wolf. I would love to tell you about the beers that we drank, but I was too busy enjoying the conversation to log them on Untappd. However, I can see why Rob rates Wolf so highly. The beer went down very easily and the bar itself was very welcoming.

To take in the highlights of the city, we decided to follow a self guided Culture Walk. Some places I remember fondly have changed beyond recognition, but it was great to see how the city is regenerating and reinventing itself, as well as learning about its history.

A couple of days was all too short a time to see everything that Birmingham has to offer. I’m not sure when I’ll next be back, but I’m looking forward to a return trip.