Birmingham - Prepare

Come to Birmingham with an open mind, an appetite for curry and room in your suitcase for those inevitable Bullring buys.

The NEC is the place to catch prestigious events, such as Crufts dog show in March, the Summer BBC Good Food Festival in June and The Clotheshow Live in December. May is vibrant with urban music festival Soundstation, Gay Pride and, from 2008, the International Dance Festival, which will see a month-long programme of theatre and street performances.

New Year's Day, Good Friday (Mar/Apr), Easter Monday (Mar/Apr), Early May Bank Holiday, Spring Bank Holiday (May), Summer Bank Holiday (May), Christmas Day (25 Dec), Boxing Day (26 Dec).

Birmingham is known for its foggy weather - on some days the tip of the university clock tower disappears into the mist! November to March are the coldest months, with November to January the rainiest. The summer months occasionally experience a heat wave with June to August temperatures usually peaking around 18°C – 20°C.

240V AC, 50 Hz, three-pin plugs are standard.

+44 (national), (0) 121 + seven-figure number (Birmingham).

Pound sterling (£) is the currency.

GMT precisely (+1 in British summertime)

Visit Birmingham website

Don’t hold back on eveningwear. Locals throw on their glitziest outfits for a night out in Birmingham. Experiment with alternative outfits at the Custard Factory Flea Market - probably the only place you’ll find fake fur jackets accompanying military boots. Should you venture onto the university campus, then, like its student population, you’ll get away with whatever is comfy.