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MOVIE: FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Five years on from the series’s last film, JK Rowling and her minions have wisely put blue water between this new series and Hermione, Voldemort et al. Looking back to Jazz Age America and sending Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to New York, the bumbling 'magizoologist' promptly loses his luggage and all the magical critters therein. The resulting game of period Pokemon Go – and the ensuing political machinations by the wizarding authorities – will feel very familiar to anybody who grew up with the earlier series, but isn’t likely to make any new fans. Given that about half the planet follows Rowling like a demigoddess, that’s not too much of a problem – and Redmayne is a charming guide into this new corner of Potterworld. Times
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EDGBASTON VILLAGE TWINKLES
If Simpsons and Original Patty Men have previously appeared on the same bill, we'll hold our hands up and admit that we missed it. And the auspicious location where you'll find the Birmingham giants on food together? Edgbaston Village's Christmas lights switch on, which will be occurring this Friday at the front of St George’s Church, with road closures et al. Also lining up to make you both merry and bright are recent Edgbaston addition Comida@21, plus The High Field (pictured) and a reassuring number of other food and drink protagonists. You can also expect vintage fairground attractions, jazz and an early visit from the man in red. From 4.30pm to 6.30pm, think public transport. In fact don't just think it. More
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In our endless quest for global domination we're increasing our stable of e-magazines from one to (count them) two! Introducing Bell & Smokey our second Birmingham-focussed weekly email, a digital, multi-platform glossy for women focussing on fashion, beauty, travel, interiors and trends. We've teamed up with editor Laurie Prescott to bring the right blend of luxury and High Street to the city’s ABC1 twenty, thirty and forty somethings. The magazine will follow the same successful format and formula as I Choose Birmingham. It is free to subscribe and a new issue will be sent out once a week, on Tuesdays at midday. The launch is in response to the changing way that women are consuming content, with digital continuing to lead the way, while established physical magazine sales and circulations slump. Bell & Smokey boasts a slick editorial experience across desktop, tablet and smartphone and fills a colossal gap in the city’s e-publishing landscape. And yes, you can spell 'smokey' with an 'e'. Elevate your inbox and subscribe.
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TASTE THE GIN, NOT THE TONIC
If you take as much of an interest in 40 St Pauls as we do, you'll know that Aman and the team have been intensively testing and refining their recipe for Hockley Tonic for months. What you're less likely to be aware of is that from tomorrow (Friday), you can buy the good stuff in concentrated form from Loki. Created with a lighter flavour profile than your typical tonic, each botanical used is selected to highlight the craft of the gin, not to mask the bitterness of the quinine-filled, Malaria-fighting varieties of yesteryear. So if you're big into gin but less enthralled with the rise and rise of busty tonic waters, this little bottle of adult sparkle-dust is going to be entirely your jam. It's £8 for the concentrate, which comes with its own measuring tube and equates to twenty serves. Measure out 50ml of your favourite gin, 10ml of concentrate and 100ml of sparkling water. Add ice and garnish to taste. Feel rightly smug at the decisions that led you here. More
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Venue: Cereal Killer Café, LinkStreet, Bullring, B2 4QE; website
Choice: Kariot (nougat) with white chocolate milk (£3.50) Chooser: Manager
When we're not debating how Thomas the Tank Engine eats given he has no arms, we're usually locked in bitter dispute over the planet's finest cereal. That office-based brouhaha has only intensified now that Cereal Killer Café has opened on LinkStreet, bringing with it 120 different boxes of morning munchies. People who walk past immediately begin beaming courtesy of walls lined entirely with 90s references: Zig & Zag cuddly toys, dancing Coke cans, Charles and Di trays, Alf memorabilia and 90s soundtrack featuring Simpsons classic Who Needs The Kwik:E Mart?. The rarest in the array of cereals currently on offer is Bootyo's while top sellers include Reese's Puffs, Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms. We were talked into trying Israel's crunchy Kariot with white chocolate milk, one of 80 flavours available. A detailed breakdown of the effects of the moreish cereal on our palates is, perhaps, a step too far, but rest assured this is, front-to-back, a joy-generating experience. Menu
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