I've just booked my car in for the dreaded cambelt change at motormech on the 17th July. As its about 2 1/2 hours drive from me im considering staying over in a B+B the night before. Is there a travel lodge or similar near there?

Also does anybody have a rough idea of how long it will take and things I could do to pass the time

Dan

Get the train back Dan, station is closer and probably cheaper than staying and paying out for food and all unless you like the shopping the bullring is good and ODeon close by to watch some new flicks on while you wait?? Can this not be done in a day if you drive down early enough as iceberg and co are usually up and about quite early being the eager beavers they are to help us all out

Dan, no real need to stay overnight if Paul can do it in a day (I'm sure he'll manage it if you get there early)

I had my turbo replaced by Paul a couple of months ago - left Manc at approx 6.30am (to make sure I was at Motormech by 8.30am) and spent the next couple of hours shopping/working in firms Brum office and then trundled back to Manc late afternoon

There's loads to do around Motormech so you can easily keep yourself amused for a couple of hours

cambelt is half to three quarters of a day, depending on when paul actually gets to start it

There's plenty to do if you you look for it

Millenium Point (the old Science Museum) is great entertainment and educational too

Go up to Brindley place and have lunch with all the pretty people

There's an IMAX in the NIA

There's the SeaLife Centre

Bull Ring is very good, especially if its raining outside

Jewellry quarter is within walking distance, but even though its cheap, you could spend a fortune.

Just get in touch with Tourist Information - more than enough to do to keep you in Brum for the duration - just get there early enough and there's no need to B&B and no need to go home.

Cambelt is booked in for 8am so i might drive down?

Looks like ill be spending a day shopping, millenium point and going to see a movie.

I know what im like if i spend all day bored walking around the shops. I'll probably end up buying a Plasma or an XBOX 360. Can see this cambelt change being expensive

Cheers guys

get there for 7ish so if you leave yours at say 5ish at latest you will avoid most traffic on the M62/M60/M62/M6....
and then get some rest while there

I spent the day their last week while my car was in. The Bullring is pretty impressive for a few hours. You've got the cinema and I'm sure you could find a pub to watch the tennis in.

A bit of advice – if some nice person stops you in the street and asks if you're stressed just run. I agreed (of course I was, the Coop was the reason I was in Birmingham!) and before I knew it I was taken up into some posh office and asked to take a seat. I'd been left alone for a second and it was then that it dawned on me what I'd let myself in for.

In between the rows and rows of smart looking books was a large picture of John Travolta. These people didn't look like they were running the JT fan club and I remembered reading something about him and his fellow mentalist in crime - Tom Cruise. These were people who follow and teach Scientology and I had just been taken aboard their mothership (kind of)

What happened next? I'm afraid I can only go by what I remember. They got me to hold some metal rods in each hand and began to ask me questions about myself and my family. The meter on the device attached to the rods jumped about very randomly. The girl probing me wasn’t impressed with the results, so to lighten the mood I started enquiring about their funding and how they made a living from this. This was not appreciated (geez it wasn’t like I was being insubordinate) and I was told that I could go.

I left swiftly and then for the next hour wandered around with a headache and a funny pain in my knee – I’m pretty sure these weren’t related to the probing electrical current passed through me

Anyway, sorry to have gone on a bit. Don’t worry about hanging out in Birmingham. Your Coupe will be in safe hands (Paul was a legend) and hey, that’s all that matters!

Thats about the time i was thinking. According to Routefinder it should tale 2 1/2 hours so if i do drive ill be setting off between 4.30am - 5am

Ive found a shop a mile down the road that will keep me busy for a few hours while im there http://www.htfr.com/