20 days left in Printing House Street

So what will be missed?

To be fair, our end of town has become very quiet in recent years as the city centre has slowly moved its concentration up Colmore Row.

But our proximity to the Queen's Head will be missed by those who frequent the Brew XI stalwart premises. Personally, on the rare days I get a chance, I'll be missing the short walk under the underpass to The Bull on the corner of Loveday Street in the old Gun Quarter.

A pint of the latest guest (Hook Norton a recent star), real Black Country scratchings and the friendly smile of long-standing landlady Rose won't easily be on the cards anymore. The chance of the odd long lunch with a hot home-made curry in the company of the likes of Chinny or Tom W will seem even more remote.

Courts, council, business meetings, live news and endless event launches in the city centre will come across many reporters'/photographers'/readers' minds as well. How can we be an active Birmingham paper based in out-of-town premises?

Well, respite is at hand. Last week we opened a new branch office in the Great Western Arcade. It's compact, but will soon have half-a-dozen or so 'hot-desks' available for staff needing to be in town on different days. It's a much better presence for shoppers and workers to visit as well, hopefully bringing a better readers' footfall that we ended up with at the back entrance of Weaman Street in recent years.

I'll certainly be using it myself on the occasions I've got business in town, phone-conferencing with the main desk at Fort Dunlop from the back office if need be.

(And maybe, just maybe, if my visits coincide with thirst, hunger or a contact in need of a quiet corner, I'll have the occasional nostalgic pint in one of the hostelries listed above, or the Old Joint Stock, The Old Contemptibles or The Wellington...)