Don't forget your toothpaste

Up to Birmingham, or more precisely Solihull, for a conference tomorrow. I was with my friend and colleague Paul and as the hotel restaurant looked distinctly naff we decided to venture into downtown Solihull for a bite to eat.

He'd forgotten to bring toothpaste and we spotted a Spar and headed over. There was a dazzling array of toxic-looking drinks displayed in the doorway behind the locked front doors. He had to be served through a tiny hatch in the wall.

Thankfully the town centre proved to be relatively uneventful after that strange introduction. We went in search of the Pizza Express and asked a local guy who very kindly took us there and told us en route that he'd once cycled from Solihull to Paris via Newhaven as a personal challenge!