Confession! I was initially underwhelmed by the idea of a city break in Birmingham, 45 minutes from home, a place neighbours commute to daily – and with ballet too! However, Mrs Hidden and her girlfriends visited last year and raved about the place. So we set off, Richard Ayoade-style. Spoiler: it was great!

Birmingham’s breathtaking library

After escaping from New Street station, carrying only light packs, we walked north to admire striking St Philip’s cathedral. Nearby, overlooking spotlessly clean Centenary Square, Birmingham’s 10-storey library, with its shimmering post-modernist façade and filigree of interlocking metal hoops, was breathtaking.

Tip: start on the ninth-floor observation area, then descend to the roof terrace (Level 7) and Level 3’s Secret Garden. Architects Mecanoo certainly knew their stuff when they conceived the building a decade ago. The views make this perfect for orientating yourself and appreciating the Birmingham cityscape’s appealing fusion of old and new.

Feeling hungry, we refuelled on hummus, flatbreads, smoked salmon and blini at Alpine-themed Albert’s Schloss near the Town Hall. There’s a great selection of German beers too! Set up for the afternoon, we explored more before reaching Adagio’s Aparthotel. It was perfect for the city centre, not least Chinatown and Birmingham Royal Ballet's Swan Lake at the Hippodrome.

I had reservations about my intro to live ballet, but it was actually excellent. So was the Chicken Dupbap and Korean dumplings at Hurst Street’s Topokki. The friendly, authentic atmosphere complemented great food as we practised for a planned South Korea trip. With red lanterns still dominating the darkness after the Chinese New Year, we really could have been out east!

Culture and history

Next morning, after a good night’s sleep, we continued exploring. Don’t miss the Bullring’s shiny signature bull or the rag markets near Selfridge’s space-age iridescent cladding. Later, beyond Broad Street’s Black Sabbath Bridge, with its tribute to Ozzy Osbourne’s band, Birmingham’s restored canals and Jewellery Quarter offered satisfying immersion in the culture and history of the Peaky Blinders’ city.

Our visit ended too soon. But before travelling home there was still time for lunch at Stephenson Street’s Grand Central Kitchen. With its Middle Eastern vibe, welcoming team and delicious food, it tops Trip Advisor in Birmingham. There’s usually a queue but the wait is worth it. I can still taste those falafel wraps...

We’ll be visiting Birmingham again, not least to see the Commonwealth Games’ giant mechanical bull when it is rehomed in New Street station! Maybe you, too, should forget that Birmingham is so close to home and enjoy 24 hours there.