We, thestudio team, love the festive season, and what better occasion to celebrate in the run up to Christmas than Halloween!
Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve or All Saints Day, is a surprisingly auspicious occasion. It is known for having roots in Christianity and Paganism as a day to remember Saints, Martyrs and the dead. It was only a year ago that we celebrated with a big monster mash and a “lunatics asylum” themed party @studiovenues! Lots of pumpkins all round.
smashing pumpkins
What’s the first thing that springs to mind when Halloween is mentioned? For us, it’s definitely pumpkins! We find their strange faces, eerily set aglow with candle fire truly creepy! The tradition of carving pumpkins has been around for centuries; in keeping with the strangeness of Halloween we thought it was time to investigate…
Take part in the festivities, tweet your carvings @studiovenues! (more…)
Quaintly decorated trees, snow flurries and hot chocolate by an open fire topped off with timeless Christmas classics are just some of the things to look forward to this festive season. Amidst the ghouls and ghosts suspended from window to window, in ample time for spooky Halloween celebrations, Christmas has tiptoed its way into the shops, and for some even into our bags!
With this in mind it seemed like a no brainer that thestudio join in with all the festive preparations! For those of you on our mailing list, you may have already been greeted by our Christmas email. If you’re not and are interested in finding that all important venue we’d love to help. With novelty knits and cocked Santa’s hats being the obvious seasonal attire, we welcome you @studiovenues for a great Christmas do!
What a better way to anticipate this pleasant period than to reminisce on past get together? The team let us in on what they love most and their own quirky traditions.
Let us know your Christmas customs and kitchen catastrophes @studiovenues, we love a good story! (more…)
Britain is accustomed to the odd watery spell or downpour that seemingly last for months on end, blending every season into an indistinguishable monsoon. Unlike anything we’ve ever experienced, the media has been rife with warnings that we, Great Britain, were going to experience our first hurricane!
Battering its way through America and dominating over beautiful Bermuda, Hurricane Joaquin bellowed its way towards Britain. But before you grab your wellies and begin boarding up your house (the most efficient way across the pond to saving you windows; and selves), Joaquin made a ‘turn for the best’ and has decided against visiting the Isles.
Though we expect and anticipate the UK’s notorious wet weather, more often than we’d like to admit, we do get caught out! Forgotten your brollie? Not to worry, as a guest @ thestudio, we endeavour to keep your head high and dry with our complimentary umbrellas! Ensuring your spirits aren’t dampened.
If you were lucky enough to be around Birmingham last week you may have seen quite a few events kicking off, not just the long awaited England Vs. Wales match (well done to Wales), but the unveiling of Grand Central, the opening of John Lewis and the activity packed Birmingham Weekender!
With lots of exciting events now behind us, it is hard to imagine there’s much life left in September, but you’d be surprised! As the month comes to an end and autumn slowly draws in, turning the leaves and even the Moon red… We’d like to introduce our new menu!
As fall bares a whole host of ripe treats to the table, a change of seasons truly wouldn’t be the same without the studio menu tasting which also takes place every quarter. If you’re interested in joining our taster panel then Tweet us @studiovenues to get on the guest list! The more the merrier.
If you we’re able to join us this Monday you’ll have been able to feast both your eyes and tummies on our alluring autumnal selection. From heart-warming Beef Bourguignon to Heritage Carrot Tart Tatin served with red onion marmalade and treats like “Snickers” Eaton mess, what’s not to love?
We hope that you’ll be able to join us in our next gastronomical journey.
So you’ve found yourself attending an event in Birmingham? It may be the first time you’ve visited the bustling second city or you could be a self-professed Brummie. Whether you know Birmingham like the back of your hand or haven’t seen what the city has to offer, here are a few things you could get up to if you’ve got a 30 minute lunch break or even a whole day to spare! Click on words in bold to find out more…
The Big Hoot…
Strolling through the city centre, you may notice that Birmingham is now overrun with giant owls! These classy birds are part of the Big Hoot, helping to raise both awareness and funds for Birmingham City Children‘s Hospital. Grab a trail map from their pop up shop in the Great Western Arcade as the owls are soon to be auctioned off!
Leisure time…
Not got long till your next session but still curious what sights the 2nd city has to offer? Well the iconic Floozie in the Jacuzzi (real name The River), is a short walk away and sits proudly in front of our Town Hall. With a flow of 3,000 gallon per minute, it’s not hard to imagine the fountain was once one of the largest in Europe. The Floozie has recently become even more of a spectacle, due to leaking pipes and an extortionate cost to keep the water flowing, The River is now bursting with foliage, and has become, in essence, a giant flowerbed. Now you’ve made it so far, why not take a sneak peek into Birmingham Art Gallery? It’s right around the corner!
A thing of beauty…
Never thought a cityscape could be beautiful? Let Birmingham’s cityscape sway you from the roof top of our newly stylishly designed Library.
Days out…
If chocolate is something you cannot live without, then you‘ll be happy to hear that Birmingham is the home of Cadbury! Take a journey through its chocolate coated history, from the bean to bar, Cadbury’s Chocolaty haven promises a day full of insight and of course delicious chocolate!
Visit a place of inspiration: Sarehole Mill, a fully functional 250 year old water mill that stimulated J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings or how about St.Martineau gardens/Botanical gardens? Perfect surroundings to help unleash the explorer in you. These locations are well worth the short bus journey out of the city centre. (more…)
With the remnants of the British summer slowly dying away, it won’t be long till the luscious green hues of spring and summer fade into a pile of crispy leaves. It’s almost time to dig out the cosy jumpers, gloves and boots! As appealing as that sounds you’d be forgiven for feeling like 2015 is nearly done and dusted. Thankfully there are some great things yet to come before we bid farewell to 2015!
There are quite a few exciting events still in this year’s pipeline and one of which seems to be edging closer and closer is our third venues’ grand opening in Leeds.
Speaking of grand openings, Grand Central – Birmingham’s newest retail destination will launch on 24th September perfectly timed to co-incide with the Birmingham Weekender Event taking place in key locations around the city. If you’re thinking about steaming ahead with your Christmas shopping you can enjoy the exciting arrival of the largest John Lewis outside of London.
With Autumn approaching thoughts turn to “back to school” and from the 1st Sept onwards we’ll be making a £10.00 contribution to Wood Street Mission for every booking made in Classroom, one of the 10 vibrant event spaces we have in our Manchester venue, for more details on Classroom take a look here.
Like us, we bet you’ve got some great memories of school; we hope all children feel as though they are able to have the same opportunities and can create some smashing memories like we all did. The proceedings will enable Wood Street Mission to gear our next generation with supplies and resources to encourage a brighter future, with everything from P.E kits to stationary. Now that’s what we call a great start to the academic year! (more…)
Onwards and Upwards!
thestudio are moving up in the world! Up north to be precise, further afield then Manchester, we have now set up camp in Leeds!
What is this place you speak of?!
If you were given a map of the UK, would you be able to point out a City called Loidis? It’s a bit of a trick question but if you know where Loiners come from, you’d know we’re talking about Leeds! In 731, our new place of settlement was formerly known as Loidis which then became (more recognisably) Ledes. Sooner or later it unscrambled to make the name we know it as today.
Silver Screen Stardom…
Did you know the first moving picture was shot in Leeds? We didn’t either! Apparently in 1888, French inventor Louise Le Prince recorded scenes in Roundhay Garden and of Leeds Bridge. From silver screens to going for gold, Roundhay Park holds the top spot on Tripadvisor’s top 30 things to do in Leeds list. (more…)
“This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down.”
If you’re a fan of The Hobbit, you’ll most likely already know the answer: time.
The consumer of all things and one of the very few things that cannot be bought in this world, time can either be a friend or foe… Luckily for us at thestudio, we seem to be on his kind side! Hopefully we haven’t spoken too soon, but with plans of building a bigger future roaring ahead, as they say, only time will tell!
In today’s modern, fast paced life, it easy to admire the beauty of a finished piece and lose sight of the intricacies and dedication of the process. Much like how an artist’s completed work is always admired and adorned in galleries; the perceiver may miss the difficulties and enjoyment experienced when creating a “Chef-d’oeuvre”. (more…)
Interested in a great migration? Well, Birmingham is experiencing an influx of Giant Owls! Perching all over the city, from the centre to the outskirts, these vibrant birds will definitely catch your eye. Running from the 20th July – 27th September, these feathery friends will be on display to help raise awareness for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Your last chance at birdwatching will be from 10th-11th October, they’ll be flying the nest soon after as they are being auctioned off in order to raise funds for Birmingham Children’s Hospital… what an ingenious way to support a great cause!
Hoot your favourite owl design @studiovenues #thebighoot2015
Walk this way…
In total there are 200 wise owls dotted about Birmingham, the Ozzy Owl being the wisest of course (rock on). This exhibition is in perfect timing with both the school holidays and the lovely British summer, so if you fancy a fun, free, day out why not trek through the concrete jungle on The Big Hoot Trail! thestudio team have managed to snap up quite a few… as you can tell! (more…)
Only stopping in its tracks because of the World Wars, La Grande Boucle or as we know it, The Tour de France is an iconic, jam-packed, action filled, world class event in the annual sporting calendar, with teams from all over the world all vying for the highly acclaimed top spot and that yellow jersey.
Well known for putting the strongest athletes to the test, challenging them both mentally and physically, this race is not for the faint hearted. In fact, it is so gruelling that in 1919 only 10 individuals managed to complete the course!
The #TDF2015, running from Saturday July 4th to Sunday July 26th 2015, is the 102nd tour and is made up of 21 stages covering a total distance of 3,360 kilometres: 9 flat stages, 3 hilly stages, 7 mountain stages including 5 summit finishes, 1 individual time trial, 1 team time trial and just 2 rest days – phew!
Follow the leader…
British cyclist Chris Froome seems to be the favourite to win (go Britain!) riding as the general classification contender (going all out for the yellow jersey!) with the ever impressive Team Sky. (more…)
