Frances

We want to meet up with family on a Sunday before Christmas. My daughter is in Cambridge and we are in Anglesey. I had intended driving to Crewe and then catching a train to New Street. I fancied seeing the Birmingham Back to Backs followed by a meal and a wander around.
My daughter is not enamoured with the thought of Birmingham so I am now looking for alternatives. Exactly halfway is Cannock.
We may also be joined by more family from Oxfordshire.
Does anyone have any suggestions please?

flanneruk

Tell your daughter "tough"?

Did you know that Cambridge was voted a year or two back as having Britain's dullest shopping, and she's really the problem because she lives in the middle of nowhere. The problem is access. Roads and trains are going to be a nightmare on December Sundays, who knows what the weather's going to be like and Brum wins hands down for getting to. Almost anywhere else and you're going to have to drive all the way, both ways.

A lot of it comes down to how your daughter's travelling and what her beef is. Trains from the fens to anywhere civilised on Sundays are awful - but there are direct ones to Brum on Sats, so maybe she'd be happier moving the day

In extremis:

Lichfield (pretty, though heaven knows if there's much more than a Pizza Express)? Shrewsbury? Ludlow?

hetismij2

My first thought was Ludlow too, but it really depends on how you would all get there. I can't see a problem with a winter Sunday in Brum tbh. There are worse places to be.

dfourh

I had a great day in Lichfield last summer - - charming little center, with Samuel Johnson's birthplace as centerpiece and other nice sights (cathedral; Erasmus Darwin's house & garden) that I still yet to really explore. Really pleasant place (decent food places too). Picture series begins toward the bottom of the page here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougla...7645381418297/

ESW

Lichfield Cathedral is a magnificent building with its three spires. It is affectionately called the Ladies of the Vale. here's lots of informations and pictures here.
http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/church...eld/index.html

Lichfield is an attractive town with some nice buildings and good shops.

Frances

Just to answer a few of your queries. This is not a shopping outing but a meet-up-before-Christmas outing. My daughter moved to Cambridge in September after 4 years in London. She is driving.
I like what I've seen about Lichfield having been referred to it here and I particularly like that neither of us will have to do the M5/M6 section west of Birmingham.
I know Shrewsbury (and like it ) and also Ludlow but both require my daughter to get around Birmingham and back again.
We are scheduled to meet next Sunday.
Many thanks -I'll report back.

Rubicund

If you do decide to go to Birmingham and see the back to backs, you must book beforehand. I don't think that you can just turn up on the day and do the tour. Birmingham does have a Christmas market on at the moment and although not massive, it will be a pleasant way to spend a few hours in the centre.

latedaytraveler

Hi DFOURH,

"I had a great day in Lichfield last summer - - charming little center, with Samuel Johnson's birthplace as centerpiece and other nice sights (cathedral; Erasmus Darwin's house & garden) that I still yet to really explore..."

Sounds wonderful. Samuel Johnson is one of my favorite literary figures. Enjoyed visiting his "house" in London. In his bio there are numerous references to Litchfield, complications with his property/inheritance there, and his trips to and fro (not easy in those days.) Lovely pics of Litchfield Cathedral too.

Frances, do let us know how this jaunt works out. Good luck.

Frances

The day turned out well. We met at the Whittington Arms for lunch which was comfortable and cosy and decorated for Christmas. As it was just outside Lichfield there was easy parking. The pub served a wide variety of dishes which suited me as I don't always want a roast on Sunday.
Afterwards we headed into Lichfield and hoped to see the cathedral but were stopped just inside the door by a man who wouldn't let us stay as there was a service going on. I'd hoped to sit at the back and listen and look but nothing doing. He did tell us to come back at 4.30 as the cathedral was well worth seeing.
Outside it was one of those bitter late Sunday afternoons. We wandered further into the town-passing Samuel Johnson's house getting gradually colder. There was a wind coming off the lake.
Very soon we went into a Cafe Nero which was now about the only coffee place open and thawed out. We'd had enough and then we went our separate ways.
This worked out well although I think my daughter and boyfriend had the best deal as the single journey took us three hours and them two.
What we missed looked sufficiently interesting to make me think I'd like to return and see the rest in daylight and warmth.
Many thanks to you all - we wouldn't have got here without your suggestions
Happy Christmas!