The joys of middle England

“Are you serious?” asked Joe. “Perfectly,” was my answer. I’d just suggested we should spend a week at the Chapel Lane Caravan and Motorhome Club Site, near Birmingham. In the past, we’d only stopped off overnight on our way south and again on the homeward journey. We were rearranging sites - we couldn’t visit Scotland as planned, owing to Covid-19.

Historic markets

Our first day out took us to Birmingham by train, using the park and ride at King’s Norton. Arriving at Birmingham New Street, we walked through the very glitzy Grand Central shopping mall to the famous Bullring. We continued to the outdoor market, where you can buy a huge range of exotic fruit and vegetables.

There’s also the Rag Market, in existence since 1154, where you can find a fine array of fabrics.