A day out with my daughter in Birmingham.

If you know me, you'll know I'm a workaholic. 

Even when I'm not writing my next novel or screenplay for film, I'm thinking about it, storing ideas up in my head, and filing them carefully away for later use. 

But with the sheer volume of work I have on at the moment, I thought that conversely, I should take a day off, to unwind and recharge my batteries. And it is the summer after all. 

For this reason I have decided to take my daughter on a 'cultural' visit to Birmingham. 

We plan to visit Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum and coo over the wonderful Renaissance paintings, twist our heads in wonder at the modern art on display and wonder at the skill of the long-dead people who made all the delicate pottery and artefacts on display. 

Then as a final flourish, we will take a stroll along the impressive canal area and head to my favourite place in Birmingham, Del Villaggio, situated at the top of Broad Street. 

Fully authentic, with a menu which makes your mouth water as you read it, it's a favourite haunt of mine. 

The staff are so welcoming that every time I visit, I feel like I've come home. And the food is seriously good - the best Italian food I've ever had, in fact. And coming from a half-Italian woman, born and raised in Glasgow which is teeming with Italian eateries, that's no small accolade. 

But what fascinates me most about the place, is that it's kind-of a hidden gem. It's not rushed, and when I sit down to peruse the menu, I won't feel that I have to be out of my seat as soon as the final forkful leaves my mouth, as you do in some places. 

I will have as much time as I want to order, to savour my food and to enjoy a sneaky mid-day glass of wine, or even a cocktail [we will be travelling in on the train after all].

My daughter, will of course have her favourite dish - lasagne. I am undecided between the  Tagliolini Missoni Al Marinara - tagliolini in a garlicy sauce with prawns, mussels, squid and smoked salmon or the Penne with king prawn and chicken. There again, I might join my daughter and order lasagne... there's so much choice and since they're currently doing a special deal of buy one pasta or pizza and get another for £1, it won't break the bank.

If museums and art galleries aren't your thing, there are a million and one other places in Birmingham to take your children during the summer holidays. You could take a trip on a canal boat and sightsee, or visit the Thinktank or the library. You could hit the shops and even have a stroll through the busy market area which has remained unchanged since I first came to the area, over 30 years ago! 

You could visit the Cathedral which stands at the centre of town or the Jewellery Quarter which sits towards the back of the area, where diamond rings out the reach of my pocket, glitter enticingly under bright lights.   

Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you'll have a great time. And who knows, maybe I'll see you at Del Villaggio's for a coffee or a spot of lunch. 

Happy Reading. 

Small but perfectly formed.

I'm not good with directions. I seem to have no knowledge of which way up to hold a map and whether a turn is to the left or the right...and yet I managed to find my way to an event I had been invited to, at Bar Opus in Birmingham, even though I tend to get lost if I stray too far from New Street.

Bar Opus is situated at Snowhill, an area I am not at all familiar with. Large windows front the building and there is an outside seating area too. Initially I took up residence there, happy to watch the world go by in all its hustle and bustle.

In addition to the shoppers outside, I had a good view of the staff working in the open plan kitchen and this is something I have always enjoyed [not to see other people working whilst I am relaxing, you understand] but to see how professional chefs carry out their trade.

Looking at the menu, I have to say it wasn't extensive, but it did offer some interesting food combinations with some ingredients being prepared in such as way as to make the completed dish both unique and enticing. 'Scorched lemon' was one such ingredient. How and why anyone would chose to scorch a lemon is beyond me, but I was assured by one of the customers that it gave an edge to the dish it was used within.

The décor was a little retro and the overall effect of the place was small and sophisticated with an extensive range of alcoholic beverages on display. But there was one thing I didn't like - the two unisex toilet cubicles. Now quite frankly I don't want to share a bathroom with a man unless I intend to marry him! And as the two cubicles were separate, I couldn't see why one hadn't been allocated to men and the other to women.

I don't know what men think about this latest trend, but I can tell you one thing - women don't like it! It may well be very cosmopolitan but its also downright embarrassing for men and women alike!

So if you fancy a quick drink in a lovely bar with perhaps a bite to eat from an interesting menu, then Bar Opus is the place for you. Just make sure your bladder is empty before you arrive, otherwise that woman queuing behind you just might be me.