Serviced apartments are available in Birmingham in early January as the UK’s newest and cutest boy band, One Direction, comes to town! The boys will be performing at Birmingham’s NIA on January 4^th.Serviced apartments are an increasingly convenient and popular choice for visitors to cities, offering more space, more freedom and more amenities for your money. Serviced City Pads has a large range of serviced apartments for you to choose from for your stay in Birmingham after you see One Direction. To see the serviced apartments available in Birmingham for their tour date, please click here.

One Direction shot to fame of epic proportions after competing on last year’s X Factor. The boys, Harry, Liam, Louis, Niall and Zayn, originally entered the show as solo acts but after being turned down individually, were put together to form the band. They were mentored in last year’s show by Simon Cowell and won the hearts of the population and thousands of screaming fans after nailing such classics as Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn, Bryan Adams’ Summer of 69 and Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars. The band came third in the show, losing out on the final prize to Matt Cardle but it is fair to say that since the show ended, it is One Direction who have seen the most success so far. Their first single, What Makes You Beautiful, was widely anticipated with teaser snippets appearing on YouTube in the run up to the release. It shot straight to number 1 on ITunes within 15 minutes of being released as well as making it to the UK and Irish Number 1s, melting the hearts of teenagers and adults alike. The boys have already released not one but two books, which both rocketed to number 1 on the Sunday Times Bestsellers List, in addition to endorsing products such as Pokémon and Nokia phones. The boys have styled themselves into a brand with a hysteria surrounding them that puts other boy bands to shame. If you’re going to the concert, it is sure to be a brilliant night. Don’t miss your chance to see the boys live and sing your heart out to the songs off their forthcoming album, as well as their performances from X Factor and of course, What Makes You Beautiful.

If you will be travelling to Birmingham to see One Direction, serviced apartments are a great alternative to a hotel room, offering more space and the advantage of having your own kitchen and dining/living area. Whether you are travelling alone, in a couple, a large group or a family, there is a serviced apartment in Birmingham to suit you. To find out more about what serviced apartments are available for your stay, contact Serviced City Pads on 0844-335-8866 or have a look at the Birmingham city page on the Serviced City Pads website.

Serviced City Pads supply Serviced Apartment accommodation throughout central Birmingham, you can book online or contact the reservations team on 0844 335 8866.

Birmingham repertory theatre commonly known as ‘The Rep’ is the theatre based in Centenary Square in Birmingham, It is one of the most influential companies in the history of the English Stage. Serviced City Pads.The Rep was founded by Barry Jackson in 1913 when the earlier amateur ‘Pilgrim Players’ company opened a permanent home on station street. The stated aim was to serve an art instead of making art serve a commercial purpose and under Jackson the company quickly revolutionised English Theatre, promoting experimental productions and pioneering innovations such as performing Shakespeare in modern dress.

The Birmingham Civic society played a critical role in saving the Repertory Theatre from closure in 1924, and again in 1934-5. The link with the Repertory Theatre continues through ex officio membership of the Sir Barry Jackson Trust which holds shares of Birmingham Repertory Theatre Ltd. Serviced City Pads.

In 1972 the Studio opened, it became an example of innovative theatre nationwide. It targeted young audiences and showcased new writing, including the world premiere of Death Story by David Edgar. In 1974, David Edgar was made resident playwright. Despite the success of Oh Fair Jerusalem, The Rep board decided against staging Destiny because of its strong theme of racial tension, putting The Importance of Being Earnest on instead.

The theatre began to make losses during the mid-1970’s and the Board of Directors was restructured in an attempt to secure funding. The Studio became popular during the 1980’s and in 1988, Kenneth Branagh, temporarily relocated his Renaissance Theatre Company to the Rep which gave Birmingham the opportunity to showcase plays by guest directors such as Judi Dench and Derek Jacobi.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s the Studio was a regular home to the Birmingham Youth Theatre, a company which launched the careers of actors Andrew Tiernan and Adrian Lester among numerous others. The theatre was refurbished and extended in 1991 after the completion of the International Convention Centre. However, the Rep began to stop making profits as the country was hot by recession. Serviced City Pads.

In 1998 the company opened ‘The Door’ as a second auditorium specialising in new writing, replacing the Studio. In 2004 the company controversially cancelled a series of performances of Gurpeet Kaur Bhatti’s play Behzti after protests from Birmingham’s large Sikh community. Serviced City Pads.The theatre oftens trades its Christmas shows with the West Yorkshire Playhouse. In 2006 the reps revival of the musical of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ played in Yorkshire and the Playhous’s version of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ played in Birmingham. The Wizard of Oz was the Reps biggest selling show in 93 years. It had been seen by 45,000 people bu the time it closed and was the first o take more than £500,000 at the box office. There are plans to remodel the theatre building, as part of the Library of Birmingham complex. Serviced City Pads.

What a season it’s been in the Premier League! The bottom of the table has stubbornly refused to take on any kind of recognisable shape and we are shaping up for one of the most exciting relegation battles of recent memory. At the time of writing the bottom 8 teams are only separated by 3 points – from Wigan at the foot of the table on 30 points to Blackburn in 13th place on 33 points no-one is safe. Even Stoke in 10th with 37 point could be forgiven for feeling uneasy such is the unpredictable nature of this campaign. As exciting as all this is, the Serviced City Pads blog is particularly interested in the fact both of Birmingham’s Premier League representatives are right in the middle of the maelstrom. Could this 2010 / 2011 season see both Birmingham and Aston Villa relegated from the top flight? Serviced City Pads can help you find accommodation for any Premier League fixtures in Birmingham or other cities – we have a wide variety of serviced apartments available through our apartment operators.

Birmingham fans will have been delighted at their team’s league cup triumph, but they will be equally concerned by their worrying league slump. Zigic and Martins were the heroes in the cup final, but in the league they definitely haven’t been having the kind of impact that they would have been hoping for and their team-mates haven’t been chipping in with too many goals either. Birmingham are the lowest scorers in the Premier League this season with only 28 goals to their name and this is exactly why they are in trouble. They have the best defensive record of the bottom 8 teams with 41 conceded, but they just can’t find the net regularly enough and unless that changes they will be in real trouble as we head to the final stretch.

Aston Villa are experiencing similarly troubled times themselves – they are right in the thick of things in 14th place with only 1 point separating them from the relegation spots. These have been testing times for Villa. The start of the season saw the charismatic manager Martin O’Neill leave the club, seemingly unhappy with the way things were going. He had seen two of his key players in Gareth Barry and James Milner sold to Manchester City in previous seasons and it seemed that instead of challenging for the Champions League spots, which had been the focus of the previous few campaigns, Villa were now focussing on balancing the books. New manager Gerard Houllier has faced a real challenge since taking over – Villa are now a club struggling to hold on to their Premiership status and even the recent transfer coup of prising proven goal-poacher Darren Bent from Sunderland has not seen a significant change in their fortunes.

There are still some key games to be played between now and the end of the season, but this season could see both of Birmingham’s clubs going down to the Championship.

Serviced City Pads have a range of serviced apartments available in Birmingham through our apartment operators that you could use if you are visiting for any Premier League fixtures. These apartments offer all the advantages of a typical hotel room, but with the added bonus of extra space and comfort. These apartments usually have a living and dining area and fully fitted kitchens and are perfect for families or groups of friends. If you will be staying in Birmingham for any reason, why not contact us and see what we can do for you? You can submit an enquiry through our website or call us on 0844-335-8866 and one of our reservations team will be happy to help you.

Following his support shows on Ne-Yo’s headlining UK tour, US singer Trey Songz has announced he will take centre stage on his own four-date UK headline tour.

Trey has been dubbed ‘the prince of R&B’ and is one of those artists that those in the know have been championing since his recording debut in 2005. Trey has patiently and artfully crafted some of the most acclaimed and compelling R&B music of the decade. His first two albums, ‘I Gotta Make It’ (2005) and ‘Trey Day’ (2007), yielded a trio of top ten singles, ‘Girl Tonight’, ‘Last Time’, and ‘Can’t Help But Wait’, the latter song garnering Trey a coveted Grammy nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Trey Songz released his fourth studio album in September last year. Entitled ‘Passion, Pain & Pleasure’, the album’s lead single, ‘Bottoms Up’, featuring female rapper Nicki Minaj, was released on July 27, 2010 and has reached number twenty-four on the Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Songs chart and was shared enough on Facebook to appear as a trending video on ItsTrending.

Due to high demand, Trey had to add extra dates in order to accommodate the levels of interest. One of those nights being in Birmingham. So if you are going to watch Trey in all of his glory then why not stay in one of our serviced apartments in Birmingham Here at Serviced City Pads we are dedicated to providing you with highly sought after apartments in central areas. All of our Birmingham apartments are located around the city centre,meaning you will always be close to where you want to go. Cutting down on these pesky transport costs! Visit our website www.servicedcitypads.com to find yourself an apartment for this night that’s bound to be unforgettable.

Birmingham has always been a city with football heritage. Aston Villa is one of just 5 British teams to have won the European Cup, the world’s most prestigious club football competition. As well as 7 English First Division titles and 7 FA cup wins and numerous other smaller honours, they are one of England’s most successful clubs. However in the last 2 decades they’ve only managed a pair of League Cup wins and have not been close to challenging for the league title. Birmingham City as well have spent a lot of time in the last few decades in the 2^nd division, also with a few stints in the 3^rd tier of English football. West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers both have also spent a lot of time in the last few decades in the 2^nd tier of English football despite having 4 league titles and 9 FA Cups between them.

When fans come to watch their team playing in Birmingham, many like to stay a night and enjoy the city rather than the stress of trying to get home in the evening through the dreaded football traffic. Birmingham has undergone a bit of a regeneration program and is now a dynamic and vibrant place for visitors. There are plenty of options for accommodation in Birmingham including Serviced Apartments, which are a great way to enjoy executive accommodation and space at great value prices. A serviced apartment allows you more 50% more space, much greater privacy and can provide great value for money when compared with similar specification hotels and for these reasons short stay apartments are quickly becoming a preferred alternative to staying in a hotel in Birmingham.

Football in Birmingham looks to be on the way up however. In the 2010/2011 season, there will be 4 teams representing Birmingham in the Premier League. Aston Villa, under the leadership of Martin O’Neill, have had been enjoying relative success the last few seasons, qualifying for the Europa League, having some great cup runs and challenging for the 4^th Champions League spot. Birmingham City have had a brilliant first season back in the Premiership securing a top half finish, and will be looking to cement their place in the top league for years to come. Wolves also newly promoted have achieved their goal of survival and will also be looking to cement a place in the top league where they believe that they belong. Mick McCarthy has done a great job there and seems to be the right man to keep them there for years to come. As for West Brom, they have become the Premiership’s yo-yo club and after another successful immediate promotion, will feel they are better places than ever to stay in the lucrative Premier League.

So next season there will be 4 teams from Birmingham and a total of 12 Birmingham Derbies, which means a lot more people will be travelling to the countries central city to watch games. When looking for accommodation, why not give Serviced City Pads a ring as they can find the best options for Serviced Apartments that are suitable for your requirements. If you like the practicality and service of a hotel but want the space and freedom of an apartment, Serviced City Pads can help you find the right accommodation for your stay in Birmingham.

Serviced City Pads have a large range of Serviced Apartments near Birmingham University, you can contact the reservations team on 0844 335 8866.

The University of Birmingham is a British ‘Redbrick’ university. Founded in Edgbaston in 1900 as a successor to Mason Scienic College, and we origins dating back to the 1825 Birmingham Medical School, it was the first British University to gain official royal charter in the 20th century. The university is ranked 10th nationally by the Times Newspaper in the UK in 2008, the University is ranked high in the fields of music, physics, biosciences, computer science, mechanical engineering, European Studies and law. Birmingham sport’s activities have been consistently ranked within the top three in British Universities competitions for the past 15 years. Short stay in a Birmingham Serviced Apartment.

The University recently hosted the BBC Prime Minister leadership 3rd and final debate prior to the 2010 General Election. The three candidates current Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservative Party Leader David Cameron and Liberal Party Leader Nick Clegg had a televised leadership debate in the Great Hall to showcase each parties policies to the national prior to election day on May 6. Serviced Apartments are quickly seen as a great alternative to Hotels in Birmingham

Although the earliest begginnings of the University were previously traced back to the Birmingham Medical School which is linked to William Sands Cox in his aim of creating a medical school along strictly Christian Lines, unlike the London medical schools. Further research has now revealed the roots of the Birmingham Medical School in the medical education seminars of Mr John Tomlinson the first surgeon to the Birmingham Workhouse Infirmary, and later to the General Hospital. These classes were the first ever held outside London or south of the scottish border in the winter of 1767 – 68. The first clinical teaching was undertaken by the medical and surgical apprentices at the General Hospital, opened in 1779. The medical school which grew out of Birmingham workhouse infirmary was founded in 1828 but Cox began teaching in December 1825. Queen Victoria granted her patronage to the Clinical Hospital in Birmingham and allowed it to be styled ’The Queens Hospital’. It was the first provincial teaching hospital in England. In 1843 the medical college became known as Queens College.

The university has been invloved in many important inventions and developments in science. The cavity magnetron was developed at th university in the Physics Department by John Randall, Harry Boot and Jim Sayers. This was vital to the Allied victory in World War II. In 1940, the Frisch-Peierls memorandum, a document which demostrated that the atomic bomb was more than simply theoretically possible, was written in the Physics Department. The university also hasted early work on Gaseous diffusion in the Chemistry department when it was located in the Hills building. Many windows in the Aston Webb building overlooking the former fume cupboards were opaque from being attacked by hydroflupric acid well recent years. If you require Serviced Apartment Accommodation in Birmingham please contact the Serviced City Pads Reservations Team on 0844 335 8866.

This year (2010) sees the 100th All England Open Badminton Championships taking place at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena. This event takes place between 9th and 14th March 2010 and is sponsored by Japanese sporting goods maufacturer Yonex as it has been for the previous 26 years – quite an incredible length of time for a sponsorship to last in the modern environment. Tickets can be bought on 0844 338 8000.

Serviced City Pads is a professional booking company for serviced apartments Birmingham. The spacious apartments in Birmingham city centre (Arena View apartments are within a long serve of the NIA Birmingham!! All of the other Birmingham apartment Operators that we work with are within walking distance of where the championships are taking place). The short stay apartments offered on www.servicedcitypads.com have become a fast growing alternative to staying in a hotel in Birmingham. These apartments provide spacious, modern accommodation, have fully fitted luxury kitchens with Living areas where you can relax with family and friends.

Whether you are staying in Birmingham because you are playing in the Badminton championships or are a fan who is coming to Birmingham as a fan, then we suggest you call Serviced City Pads on 0844 335 8866. The benefits of staying in Serviced apartments v staying in Birmingham hotels become more apparent if you stay in Birmingham for more than a couple of days. The championships take place over 5 days, and a hotel room can become a little tedious after a couple of days. We actually do love hotels at Serviced City Pads, we just wouldn’t want to be stuck in 1 for that long. An apartment is such a good option that allows you to cook any meal that you would like to have, eat your meal in a spacious living / dining area. Of course, you still have a whole host of great Birmingham restaurants on your doorstop. Birmingham has come on leaps and bounds in terms of it’s culinary offering in the last few years. A number of the restaurants have been awarded the coveted Michelin star which make your stay in Birmingham even more enjoyable.

The All England Open Badminton Championships look sure to be a fantastic competition and another great sporting event being held in Birmingham.

Birmingham today submitted plans, along with 14 other UK cities, to be a host city for the 2018 Football World Cup, which England is bidding for.

Birmingham is a city with rich sporting heritage. The first ever football league in the world was started in 1888, driven by the originators of Aston Villa FC. Birmingham now boasts two premiership football clubs – Birmingham City and Aston Villa FC. It is Villa Park that can probably lay claim to having the more impressive pedigree, as countless FA Cup semi finals, England internationals and the last European Cup Winner Cup final in 1999. Villa Park was also a host ground during Euro 96.

So you would think that Birmingham has a good chance of being a host city? Serviced City Pads would agree that Birmingham should prevail. Our main concern is the infighting that threatens the English World Cup bid means that England will be beaten by one of the competing countries including Russia, Australia or the USA.

If Birmingham do succeed in becoming one of the English host cities – and they will find that out in December, and then if England wins the bidding process (and that will be announced in 370 days time) then it will deliver a huge boost to the local economy in Birmingham.

Visitor numbers staying in Birmingham will rise dramatically – foreign football supporters following the teams based in Birmingham as well as English visitors to Birmingham who are keen to view what is dubbed as the Largest sporting event on the planet (the Olympic Games may have something to say about that).

Certainly for companies providing accommodation in Birmingham, the World Cup will have a tremendous impact on bookings. This includes hotels in Birmingham as well as many of Birmingham’s serviced apartments which will undoubtedly prove popular with visitors to the city. It is debateable as to which type of accommodation will prove to be more popular, and of course each type of accommodation has it’s positive and negative points – space and value for money offered by the serviced apartments that you will be able to book with Serviced City Pads, or the more formal approach of a hotel in Birmingham city centre.

If you are planning to visit Birmingham, whether to watch a football match, or for an event at the NEC, please check out www.servicedcitypads.com or call us on 0844 335 8866. We will be delighted to help with your accommodation requirements in Birmingham! Good luck with the World Cup bid to Birmingham and England.