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Metro
15 minutes ago
- Metro
An ode to Birmingham, the 'tragic' city everyone loves to hate
In the 13th installment of Metro Travel Hot Takes, Josie Copson pleads the case for the city where she grew up. A couple of months ago, a TikTok trend revealed the disdain people have for Birmingham. When a woman posting as RosyAmyG3 enthusiastically declared 'I'm going to Birmingham' on a live stream about summer holidays, the internet couldn't wait to use the audio to show parts of the city they deemed disappointing. Against the backdrop of ongoing bin strikes, I'll admit it was an easy target. But disparaging narratives about Brum have been around for much longer. And as someone who grew up near that much-maligned metropolis, I'm here to tell you that it's both ignorant and unfair. It wasn't until I went to university in Cardiff that I realised what the outside world says about my city. Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. As well as learning how much people love to attempt the accent, it was clear that some viewed Birmingham as a grey, lifeless city devoid of culture and intelligent people. Research confirms this; a study from Bath University showed Brummies are likely to be seen as stupid. Jokes were fair game and took a different shape to dig at other places. Nobody said 'sorry about that' to Nottingham or Newport. In most cases, those slagging it off had never been there. They'd never turned off at the spaghetti junction (Birmingham's infamously complex interchange), and so they should probably have 0121, do one. My experience and my opinion couldn't be different. I grew up in Old Hill, around 40 minutes from the centre, and to me, Birmingham is a place of excitement. It gave me a love for city life that has only grown in adulthood. During one primary school English class, I produced a 'write to persuade' letter to then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, suggesting that it become the capital of the UK. I never received a reply. While I've abandoned that dream, I haven't given up on telling anyone who'll listen that Birmingham is one of the best places on the planet. The hate it gets on TikTok is both unoriginal and undeserved. The hill I will die on is that everyone should go on a city break to Birmingham. Here's why. I'm ready to be trolled, but I want to start my line of defence with a place not technically in Birmingham — The Black Country Living Museum. As the title suggests, it's in the neighbouring Black Country, but I couldn't write this without mentioning it. Not only does it incorporate the city's history into one immersive tourist attraction, but it's my personal Disneyland, and I'm not the only one who thinks it's bostin'. Last year, it picked up the TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Award. The open-air museum, which features in Peaky Blinders, has rebuilt old buildings brick by brick in an easy-to-navigate patch of land, allowing visitors to step back in time and discover the rich history of the world's first industrial landscape. It's such silly fun, talking to actors who'll pretend to marvel at your iPhone, before heading to a vintage fairground to discover your future at a Big-style fortune-telling machine, or pulling up at the car garage filled with traditional vehicles. Hours can be passed by donning a hard hat to go down the mines or getting a lesson from a Victorian teacher — being mischievous with a blackboard and chalk for the strict educator character is a rite of passage in the childhood of people from my ends. As buying a ticket grants you access for a whole year, I've been known to walk in just to grab the famous fish and chips cooked in beef dripping, and fill my pockets at the traditional sweet shop, before heading to the reasonably priced pub. Similar to the way Pepsi tastes better at KFC, Vimto tastes much better at the Elephant and Castle pub than the ones that can be bought at a corner shop. Don't ask why, just drink. Heading into Birmingham city centre, there is plenty more culture to soak up. My idea of a great day out is a wander through the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, home to a rotating wheel of exhibitions. Most are free. I distinctly remember an Andy Warhol special, in which my face was transformed into a painting in his style, being one of the best days of my summer holidays in the 00s. Currently, it is honouring local working-class hero Ozzy Osbourne by telling his rags-to-riches story in its halls, which will now take on extra significance following his death. Once outside the museum, you're treated to the beauty of the classic architecture of Chamberlain Square, often described as Romanesque. It's the perfect place to nail the Instagram shot for your weekend away, so you can play your part in dismantling the viewpoint that the city isn't pretty. Also worth a look is the Birmingham Library, which has a distinctive circular aluminium design. Once you've got your fill of the books, head up the escalators and onto the secret roof garden, where you'll get a bird's eye view of the cityscape. Talking of Italy, Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice, and they can be explored on boat tours or enjoyed from one of the lively waterfront bars. Nightclubs are on their way out. Gen Zers are said to prefer running clubs to raves, and online chitchat to face-to-face dates. But you'd never know it in Birmingham. Here, people are still in search of a good time at all times. If you've listened to Lotto Boyzz's song Birmingham, then you've heard of Broad Street, but what you really need to know about is the nightclub Bushys, officially Bushwackers. Just a five-minute taxi away, it is open from 1am-6am every Sunday morning and unites the most committed partygoers. It's an addictive place that meant I was rarely awake for roast dinners for most of my early adulthood. Everyone should experience it once. For those who don't want to move their hips until sunrise, there's the legendary Jam House, opened by Jools Holland in 1999, that has welcomed Chaka Khan, The Specials and Westlife to the intimate stage. Big names are not a requirement for a good night here, just a pair of shoes you can dance in as the band covers all the crowd-pleasers. It's like the best wedding party you've ever been to every single night. Everything about Birmingham has an essence of whimsical silliness about it, from the bull stationed outside the Bullring that has more outfits than Paris Hilton's chihuahuas to the metallic silver Selfridges building replicating a woman's body and the Pat Butcher mural in Digbeth. Talking of which, the district is Birmingham's answer to East London, full of cool breweries and chic young adults hanging out at coffee shops, wine bars, and arcades. Birmingham is full of characters. It is the place that gave the world national treasure Alison Hammond, who still lived in Solihull until very recently. She's not the only superstar in residence. There's Jamelia, along with Cat Deeley, Emma Willis, Jeff Lynne, and Julie Walters. My personal favourite to drop into conversation is actor Felicity Jones. But it's not just those who've found fame who make it; it's every person. Brummies have been voted the top 10 friendliest people in the UK, and it's why, wherever I hear the distinct lilt of a Birmingham accent, I instantly feel comforted. Even the usually cold retail assistants at designer concessions are down-to-earth in good 'ol Brum. So when I'm putting myself into debt for a new pair of Christian Louboutins or a Louis Vuitton bag, at least I get a smile in the process. It's also one of the country's most diverse cities — according to the 2021 Census, over half of Birmingham's residents identify with an ethnic group other than White British, and it's home to people from 187 different nationalities. I felt lucky that, as a mixed person, I got to live somewhere so reflective of the world. The influence is clear in the food scene, you can get a beautiful Indian curry (Birmingham is often credited as popularising the balti) or a beef dinner, both of equal standard in the same vicinity — Opheem and Pastures are fail-safe options. While in December, the city looks like it belongs in a Hallmark movie, thanks to the Frankfurt Christmas Market (referred to as the German market by locals). In 2023, more people visited the West Midlands (Birmingham being its biggest city) than ever before. So, viral trends aside, I'm hopeful its negative reputation is on the way out. More Trending My city has so much to offer, and anyone who refuses to see that is, to be honest, a bit lazy. I'm sure a weekend in Birmingham (ideally sleeping at the gorgeous and recently renovated Grand Hotel) could convince even the biggest naysayers. And not that it matters, but the Birmingham accent is one of the sexiest in the world. Just listen to Thomas Shelby. MORE: Woman caught on camera waving knife and yelling racist abuse at man on street MORE: I dreamed of Thailand's paradise island, but I left it too late to visit MORE: Ali went for a walk to clear his head – but what happened next is a mystery
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
I spent a day trying Disneyland's oldest, ‘politically corrected' rides
But, having tasked myself with checking out the original Disneyland rides, I now find myself standing before one of its most iconic attractions, the spinning tea cups of the Mad Tea Party. Under jaunty hanging lanterns, the oversized pastel cups and saucers bearing playing card insignias spin frantically, as brave, green-faced parents clutch giggling toddlers to their chests. Shuddering, I realise I'm about to fail my mission before it even begins. No way am I risking my lunch on that – give me a looping rollercoaster any day. Ditto the beautiful King Arthur Carrousel, with its 68 hand-carved bobbing horses dating back more than 90 years (making it technically the oldest ride in the park) – I'll leave the spinning things to the little kids. Instead, I head to the towering faux-brick turret housing one of three original 'dark' rides in Disneyland – Snow White's Enchanted Wish. Like most of the original rides, this one has undergone several incarnations since 1955; originally entitled Snow White's Adventures and minus the actual visage of the original Disney princess (the riders themselves were meant to be Snow White, escaping the clutches of the evil queen), it was renamed in 1983 as Snow White's Scary Adventure, adding spooky elements and jump scares. In 2021, however, more new visuals, animatronics and laser projections were added, which, along with the new name, give the ride a cheerier, more family-friendly – and dare I say bland – tone. Far more thrilling to both children and adults (in my opinion) is Peter Pan's Flight, following the adventures of JM Barrie's Lost Boys as they interact with fairies, pirates, mermaids and crocodiles. Boarding an ornate flying sailboat, riders soar over London and Neverland, the twisting journey over stunning neon visuals creating a real sense of magic and wonder. In 2024, it was announced that Peter Pan's Flight was to be updated to correct racial stereotypes of Tiger Lily and her Native American family in the ride, following a similar change last August in Disney World's version of the ride. Another original Disneyland attraction that has recently been politically corrected to remove what was described as 'negative depictions of native peoples' is the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. I board the river boat at night, just before the fireworks and with no queues to contend with; and while the skipper's commentary is muffled due to a microphone problem (which negates the whole point of the ride really, since it's all about the 'dad jokes'), I find the animatronic animals en route rather charming, especially the elephants and the chest-thumping gorillas. The war party of 'natives' and tribal dancers of old are certainly not missed, with a storyline that is now more inclusive and less racially insensitive. Opening day in 1955 did not go off without a hitch, by all accounts. The Mark Twain Steamboat (now Riverboat) was so overcrowded it got stuck in the mud; while Casey Jnr Circus Train – primed as the park's first roller coaster – was immediately closed for safety reasons. It started carrying guests in its more gentle form two weeks later, with the Matterhorn Bobsleds (currently under restoration) becoming the first official roller coaster in 1959. Dumbo the Flying Elephant was also supposed to be an opening day attraction, but due to design issues (the grey elephants were too heavy), it launched a month later on August 16, 1955. Another ride that has recently been adapted to incorporate more modern sensibilities is Tiana's Bayou Adventure – aka, the old Splash Mountain, which I was surprised to discover was not an original Disney ride, but in fact opened in 1989. The log flume's themes inspired by Uncle Remus stories and the 1946 Disney film Song of the South had always seemed problematic, leading me to believe it had been conceived in less enlightened times; but the reimagining based around the 2009 animation Princess and the Frog is a refreshing, fun adaptation, with nighttime scenes from a bayou, Mardis Gras celebrations, a New Orleans jazz soundtrack and an unbelievable soaking, especially if you're the sucker in the front seat. Walt Disney once said that 'Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world.' While there will always be a buzz and excitement about new, technologically-advanced attractions, the vestiges of Disney's original vision – albeit updated to accommodate more magic as well as contemporary ways of thinking – have an important and nostalgic place in the granddaddy of all theme parks. The originals The 10 original rides at Disneyland still operating today are: Mad Tea Party King Arthur's Carrousel Mr Toad's Wild Ride Snow White's Enchanted Wish Peter Pan's Flight Storybookland Canal Boats Jungle Cruise Autopia Mark Twain Riverboat Disneyland Railroad The details
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Molly-Mae Hague blasted by fans for 'always moaning' as she says 'I've not done one fun thing all summer' despite multiple luxury holidays
Fans have blasted Molly-Mae Hague for 'always moaning' as she told fans she's 'not done one fun thing all summer' despite jetting off to multiple destinations. The former Love Island star and business owner, 26, made the admission in her latest YouTube vlog which landed this week. Molly said in the life update: 'I said to a friend the other day, that I'm going to make it to the end of summer having not done one fun thing.' She then spoke to her sister and said: 'Zoe, I haven't socialised once. I'm going to get to the end of this summer having not done one social fun thing. 'I haven't a life. That's not good is it. Summer will end and I've not done one fun social thing.' It left some fans open-mouthed as they called out how she failed to acknowledge the three holidays she's already been on this year. Some comments read: 'She's a millionaire, she can literally wake up tomorrow and do whatever the hell she wants', 'Wimbledon, lunches, Spain, Dubai, France, Centre Parcs... let's normalise that', 'This was so jarring because she can casually spend 6k in Dior on an outfit to log to Wimbledon then complains she has no time for herself', 'Why does she always want us to feel sorry for her?' The mum-of-one - in this year alone - has been on no expense-spared trips to Dubai, Budapest and even Disneyland in 2025. Back in March she and Tommy Fury took baby Bambi on a family holiday to the United Arab Emirates, marking a reunion holiday for the clan. Just a month later Tommy had treated Molly to a European trip as the pair enjoyed downtime in Budapest. During their break, they stayed at The Pullman, a five-star hotel where prices start from at least £500 per night. Meanwhile, in May the dotting parents took Bambi to Disneyland Paris where they enjoyed a lavish stay at the park's resort. It comes after her candid complaints about a recent £86,000 motorhome holiday her family went on - after Tommy said their daughter Bambi shouldn't be spoilt with five star trips. The family were travelling on a swanky Elddis Avalon 255 motorhome. Yet Molly-Mae revealed the trip had been struck with delays, leaving Bambi 'overtired and overstimulated'. She explained: 'Tommy has bought a motorhome and we spent our first weekend in the motorhome this weekend. Obviously, being us, we went in feet first and decided to go to the Isle of Man. 'Tommy's family were spending the weekend in the Isle of Man. I was feeling spontaneous so we literally booked the ferry to the Isle of Man an hour before we needed to leave. 'We'd never used the motorhome before, we needed to pack it up, sort Bambi, I just had this wave of 'you only live once, have a bit of fun. 'Bambi doesn't need to be so perfectly routine every day, she's not a newborn anymore. 'I've got so stuck in my ways with the fact that her routine is her routine and I don't really steer away from it. 'I'm not gonna feel bad for that because that is what works for me and that is what works for Bambi and Tommy, so that's fine.' She then added of when things started to go wrong: 'So anyway, booked the ferry, packed the motorhome up and nearly didn't make the ferry but that's another story and then there was a two hour delay. 'This ferry, which was already gonna get us in at 11:30pm, which was already severely triggering me because Bambi goes to bed at 7pm, was not fine. It was giving me a prime example as to why the routine works for us. 'It was one of those moments where strangers come up to you and are like 'can I help? Is there anything I can do?' 'She was screaming that much for four hours straight. The boat basically had a malfunction and it wouldn't move for like two hours so we had a huge delay. 'She was so, so, so overtired and overstimulated - Bambi is so routine, she is the opposite of flexible.' And when they arrived things continued to go downhill, as she said: 'We managed to get to the Isle of Man at 1:30am in the morning. 'We didn't know where we were, what we were doing, we were going to a different campsite to Tommy's family. It was just a lot. 'We had to make our bed out of this sofa, I was like 'I'm really out of my depth, I'm struggling. The next day, Bambi was so tired, she was just screaming, literally screaming, so, so unhappy. 'Me and Tommy were looking at each other like 'what were we thinking?. I was having a breakdown.' She went on in the vlog: 'Bear in mind this motorhome of Tommy's is his pride and joy, he's obsessed with it…I kid you not, the next day he was like 'I'm selling it, the minute we get home I'm putting it up for sale, I hate this motorhome.' 'It wasn't even the motorhome's fault. For our first time, stupid move.' They even considered getting an early ferry home but once they met up with Tyson Fury and his wife Paris, things improved. She said: 'We were actually going to get on a ferry that day to come home because we were so out of our depth, we couldn't do it. 'But then, when we met up with them, we were like 'no, we're gonna stick it out, we can do this.'
Gizmodo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Disney Parks Animatronics, Rated Yearbook-Style
Walt Disney is just the latest animatronic to be featured in Disney Parks' experiences and attractions. The figure debuted for Disneyland's 70th birthday at the Main Street Opera House, headlining a new show. In Walt Disney – A Magical Life, you can come face-to-face with the man behind the name, programmed to present his history as Imagineering's latest tech feat. The figure joins the legacy of Disney's contribution to theme park advancements, combining animation and robotics for his animatronics, which started with a bird and now bears the face of its creator. And he's not the only memorable animatronic to grace Disney Parks with his presence. Here are some other notable entries, with yearbook-style superlatives to explain the impressions they make. He's always getting unsuspecting tourists to do coaxium runs for him on the Millennium Falcon. If you're not careful, you'll land on the First Order's suspect list. And unfortunately, if that happens, Hondo might be MIA, just as his animatronic so often is. And only after they try to follow you home first, like the Hitchhiking Ghosts. Dr. Jones spends the entire ride complaining that he has to save our skins; it's glorious. Plus he's the original stuntronic, always having to dangle in front of that incoming boulder. The lore behind her soft-serve-ice-cream-looking hair of yesteryear haunts the internet; we're glad she was able to get her look fixed. Seeing Tiana in her mother's fashions and iconic 1920s New Orleans textiles and textures makes this our pick for best dressed. That goes for the rest of the characters too, especially once the ride gets to its showstopping finale. That Figment, always up to some nonsense, but at least he's full of imagination and lots of surprising sights and smells to discover. It's no contest; being able to meet and greet an interactive Baby Yoda who makes the noises makes us want to protect him at all costs too. Yeah—more like succeeding in leading the animatronic uprising for having to sing that earworm of a song for 70 years. Geoffrey Rush's iconic performance as Captain Barbossa also got its own animatronic inside Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean and fits right in so well, many don't realize he's being featured. The real pirate's pirate, our apple-a-day king—he's just missing the monkey, Jack. That's one very realistic animatronic. And like in the Avatar movies, it sees you. They're the OG blueprint of the animatronics, so we'll allow it for another 70 years at least. Spidey does the flips in one of the most thrilling moments at Avengers Campus, where the 'struntronic' flies through the sky before an actor takes over the performance! Even more excitingly, sometimes the robot webslinger misses. This goat is the 'GOAT' 🐐 #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyWorld #BigThunderMountain #GoatTrick #Goat #Rollercoaster #Coaster #Disney100 ♬ original sound – Disney Parks Not only is it still proudly perched in its spot, it provides the distraction to make the coaster all the more thrilling. Never forget to look at the goat and lock in. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Sydney Morning Herald
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
I spent a day trying Disneyland's oldest rides. Here's what I found
But, having tasked myself with checking out the original Disneyland rides, I now find myself standing before one of its most iconic attractions, the spinning tea cups of the Mad Tea Party. Under jaunty hanging lanterns, the oversized pastel cups and saucers bearing playing card insignias spin frantically, as brave, green-faced parents clutch giggling toddlers to their chests. Shuddering, I realise I'm about to fail my mission before it even begins. No way am I risking my lunch on that – give me a looping rollercoaster any day. Ditto the beautiful King Arthur Carrousel, with its 68 hand-carved bobbing horses dating back more than 90 years (making it technically the oldest ride in the park) – I'll leave the spinning things to the little kids. Instead, I head to the towering faux-brick turret housing one of three original 'dark' rides in Disneyland – Snow White's Enchanted Wish. Like most of the original rides, this one has undergone several incarnations since 1955; originally entitled Snow White's Adventures and minus the actual visage of the original Disney princess (the riders themselves were meant to be Snow White, escaping the clutches of the evil queen), it was renamed in 1983 as Snow White's Scary Adventure, adding spooky elements and jump scares. In 2021, however, more new visuals, animatronics and laser projections were added, which, along with the new name, give the ride a cheerier, more family-friendly – and dare I say bland – tone. Far more thrilling to both children and adults (in my opinion) is Peter Pan's Flight, following the adventures of JM Barrie's Lost Boys as they interact with fairies, pirates, mermaids and crocodiles. Boarding an ornate flying sailboat, riders soar over London and Neverland, the twisting journey over stunning neon visuals creating a real sense of magic and wonder. In 2024, it was announced that Peter Pan's Flight was to be updated to correct racial stereotypes of Tiger Lily and her Native American family in the ride, following a similar change last August in Disney World's version of the ride. Another original Disneyland attraction that has recently been politically corrected to remove what was described as 'negative depictions of native peoples' is the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. I board the river boat at night, just before the fireworks and with no queues to contend with; and while the skipper's commentary is muffled due to a microphone problem (which negates the whole point of the ride really, since it's all about the 'dad jokes'), I find the animatronic animals en route rather charming, especially the elephants and the chest-thumping gorillas. The war party of 'natives' and tribal dancers of old are certainly not missed, with a storyline that is now more inclusive and less racially insensitive. Opening day in 1955 did not go off without a hitch, by all accounts. The Mark Twain Steamboat (now Riverboat) was so overcrowded it got stuck in the mud; while Casey Jnr Circus Train – primed as the park's first roller coaster – was immediately closed for safety reasons. It started carrying guests in its more gentle form two weeks later, with the Matterhorn Bobsleds (currently under restoration) becoming the first official roller coaster in 1959. Dumbo the Flying Elephant was also supposed to be an opening day attraction, but due to design issues (the grey elephants were too heavy), it launched a month later on August 16, 1955. Another ride that has recently been adapted to incorporate more modern sensibilities is Tiana's Bayou Adventure – aka, the old Splash Mountain, which I was surprised to discover was not an original Disney ride, but in fact opened in 1989. The log flume's themes inspired by Uncle Remus stories and the 1946 Disney film Song of the South had always seemed problematic, leading me to believe it had been conceived in less enlightened times; but the reimagining based around the 2009 animation Princess and the Frog is a refreshing, fun adaptation, with nighttime scenes from a bayou, Mardis Gras celebrations, a New Orleans jazz soundtrack and an unbelievable soaking, especially if you're the sucker in the front seat. Walt Disney once said that 'Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world.' While there will always be a buzz and excitement about new, technologically-advanced attractions, the vestiges of Disney's original vision – albeit updated to accommodate more magic as well as contemporary ways of thinking – have an important and nostalgic place in the granddaddy of all theme parks. The originals The 10 original rides at Disneyland still operating today are: Mad Tea Party King Arthur's Carrousel Mr Toad's Wild Ride Snow White's Enchanted Wish Peter Pan's Flight Storybookland Canal Boats Jungle Cruise Autopia Mark Twain Riverboat Disneyland Railroad The details
