Hello Solihull 👋

Happy Sunday! There’s plenty to get through this week, including a pretty tempting 40% off food deal, a major road project starting tomorrow, plenty of ideas for the last few weeks of the summer holidays and a first little look at something we’ve been building behind the scenes at Solihull Spotlight…

Let’s get into it.

— Max

One traffic story to the next. One to be aware of if the A45 forms part of your regular commute.

Main construction work on the A45 Damson Parkway junction improvement scheme begins on Monday 17 August, following preparatory work and the planned removal of the existing bridge this weekend.

The project is a pretty significant one and is expected to continue until spring 2028, with the junction being redesigned to increase capacity and improve access around Birmingham Airport, the NEC and surrounding developments.

Traffic restrictions have already begun in the area, so it’s worth allowing a little extra time if you regularly travel that way, particularly while everyone gets used to the new arrangements.

👉 Worth remembering before Monday morning.

This week’s Together With is supporting a brilliant local fundraising effort that has been going for more than a quarter of a century.

The Lilian Goodfellow Group of Friends — LGGF was created in memory of Lilian Goodfellow, who sadly died from breast cancer in January 1999, aged just 65.

During the final weeks of her life, Lilian and her family were supported by Marie Curie, whose care meant they could spend precious time together while knowing she was being looked after with dignity and compassion.

Since then, Julie Hayward, Debra Wyatt, Tina Jacobs and Jo Hayward have continued fundraising in Lilian’s memory, organising everything from car washes and ladies’ nights to sponsored challenges and charity cycle rides.

And this autumn, one of their biggest events returns. 💗

This year’s Pink Ball takes place at Nailcote Hall on Saturday 3 October, with an evening raising funds for breast cancer medical equipment for local hospitals.

The Black/Pink Tie evening includes a three-course dinner, live entertainment from The Detours, special guest cabaret and an after-show DJ, with festivities carrying on until 1am. Tickets are £49.50 per person.

It’s a brilliant excuse to get a group of friends or colleagues together for a night out, while helping four local women continue a fundraising story that began more than 27 years ago.

📅 Saturday 3 October 2026
📍 Nailcote Hall, Berkswell
🎟️ £49.50pp
👗 Black/Pink Tie
🕢 Arrival from 7.30pm

Tickets can’t currently be booked online, but you can enquire through Nailcote Hall or call the hotel directly on 02476 466174 to reserve your places.

💗 A great local night out for a fantastic cause and if you can get a table together, you’ll be helping LGGF continue Lilian’s incredible legacy.

👉 Find out more and enquire about Pink Ball tickets

A big congratulations to everyone who picked up their results this week!

Solihull Council has congratulated local students following Thursday’s A-Level and T-Level results, with plenty now heading off to university, apprenticeships, employment and whatever comes next.

And if results didn’t quite go to plan — or someone simply isn’t sure what they want to do next — the council’s Skills for Success team is running seven post-results drop-in sessions offering advice and support.

👉 Well done to all the students, teachers and families who’ve put the work in this year.

This week Karen from the Knowle & Dorridge and Solihull Memory Café team got in touch with us and after reading a little more about what they do, we really wanted to share their story.

The team runs two welcoming weekly Memory Cafés for people living with dementia and their families.

The Knowle & Dorridge Memory Café meets every Tuesday from 10.30am–12.30pm at Dorridge Methodist Church, while the Solihull Memory Café meets every Thursday from 10.30am–12pm at Solihull Indoor Bowls Club on Brick Kiln Lane.

They’re relaxed, supportive spaces where families can meet others going through similar experiences, enjoy activities including crafts, singing and seated exercise, have a cup of tea and a chat, and access advice from organisations including Admiral Nurses, Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK and Carers Trust.

And the impact has been pretty remarkable.

The original Knowle & Dorridge café grew from just seven people to more than 50 regular attendees in a little over a year, and in 2025 was named Solihull Non-Profit Champion.

This year, The Knowle & Dorridge and Solihull Memory Cafés have been shortlisted for the Solihull Community Builder 2026 award, alongside organisations including Solihull Moors Foundation and Visit Knowle. The winners will be announced at the Solihull Awards on 11 September.

It’s exactly the sort of community initiative Solihull Spotlight exists to champion.

If you know someone living with dementia, caring for somebody with dementia, or simply looking for a friendly place where people understand what they’re going through, it may be worth passing this one on.

👉 Find out more about the Solihull Memory Cafés.

One for an early weekend treat.

The bakery in Hampton Manor’s Walled Garden specialises in stoneground sourdough alongside croissants, sweet and savoury pastries, cakes, tarts and its rather famous cinnamon buns.

It’s open Thursday to Sunday from 8.30am–11.30am, and because everything is baked fresh on the estate that morning, the popular bits regularly sell out before closing.

Coffee, pastry and a wander around the Walled Garden sounds like a pretty good start to a Sunday.

👉 Bakery at Hampton Manor — Hampton-in-Arden.

Here’s a pretty tempting excuse for dinner out before the summer holidays finish.

Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill at The Manor Hotel in Meriden is currently offering 40% off main courses until 31 August.

There are a couple of catches worth knowing: you’ll need to order two courses from the à la carte menu, steaks and sharing steaks aren’t included, and the deal isn’t available after 6pm on Saturdays. You’ll also need to book in advance.

Still, if you’ve been meaning to try it or fancy a slightly nicer date night without the usual bill, 40% off a main course is a pretty decent summer deal.

👉 Get 40% off mains at Marco Pierre White, Meriden

A little heads-up for Spotlight readers.

We’ve been working behind the scenes on something that we hope will make finding the best of Solihull much easier.

The Solihull Spotlight web app is on its way 👀

Think local events, brilliant independent businesses, places to eat, things to do and exclusive Spotlight member offers, all together in one place and designed specifically for people who live in and around Solihull.

There’s still a little work to do before we properly open the doors, but keep an eye on Spotlight over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more very soon.

And, as always, the whole idea is simple: help more people discover, enjoy and support what’s right here in Solihull. 💛

The Tales of Peter Rabbit — Brueton Park, Solihull
Pack a picnic and a blanket for a lovely afternoon of outdoor theatre in Brueton Park. Quantum Theatre brings Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny to life on Saturday 22 August at 5pm, with Peter and Benjamin getting themselves into plenty of trouble in Mr McGregor’s garden. Gates open at 4pm and tickets are £16 adults / £11 children.
👉 The Tales of Peter Rabbit at Brueton Park

Wharf Fest — The Wharf Tavern, Hockley Heath
A brand-new community music festival is coming to Hockley Heath, with a full day of live music, food and family fun at The Wharf Tavern. Running on Saturday 29 August from 1pm–11pm, the line-up includes tributes to Oasis, Ed Sheeran, George Michael and Wham!, alongside local performers, food vendors, craft stalls and children’s activities. Tickets are currently £7.50–£25.
👉 Wharf Fest 2026

Mini Mugs Funhouse — Shirley
A lovely one to keep in your back pocket for younger children this summer. Mini Mugs is a colourful play village and children’s café on Stratford Road in Shirley, with imaginative role-play areas, mini soft play and a dedicated baby area — while grown-ups can actually sit down with a coffee and something from the café. Weekday sessions are 90 minutes and cost £7.95 for children aged 1+, while weekend two-hour sessions are £8.95, with prices also available for babies.
👉 Mini Mugs Funhouse

Droitwich Spa Lido — Droitwich Spa
If the sunshine sticks around, this could be well worth the drive. Droitwich Spa Lido is one of the Midlands’ few outdoor heated brine swimming pools, complete with a beach-style entrance and splash area for younger children. Two-hour family swims are running throughout the summer, with adult tickets £9.70, children £7.40 and under-4s swimming free. Booking ahead is strongly recommended on warmer days.
👉 Droitwich Spa Lido

Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm — Stratford-upon-Avon
Step into a tropical rainforest filled with hundreds of colourful butterflies at Stratford Butterfly Farm — a really easy summer-holiday day trip from Solihull. Alongside the butterflies there are rainforest plants, insects and daily butterfly lifecycle and minibeast demonstrations at 11am throughout the holidays. Standard admission is £11.95 adults, £8.95 children, with under-3s free, and special Summer Savings admission is running until 1 September.
👉 Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm

Busy Bee Garden Trail — Blakesley Hall
A cheap and cheerful summer-holiday activity just up the road. Children can explore the gardens of historic Blakesley Hall on the Busy Bee Garden Trail, following clues and learning all about bees and the important jobs they do — with a certificate waiting at the finish. The trail runs Wednesday to Sunday until 30 August, anytime between 11am and 4pm, and costs just £2 per child.
👉 Busy Bee Garden Trail at Blakesley Hall

It hasn’t been the start to the new National League season the Moors will have wanted.

After an entertaining 5-2 defeat away at Harrogate Town on the opening weekend, Solihull returned to Damson Park for their first home game of the season yesterday — but Boston United left with a 2-0 victory.

That leaves the Moors searching for their first points of the campaign, with another chance coming quickly.

Southend United visit Damson Park next Saturday 22 August, with an earlier 12.30pm kick-off.

Plenty of football still to come, but it would be nice to get that first win on the board sooner rather than later!

👉 Keep up with Solihull Moors

And there’s more Moors football to follow this afternoon.

Solihull Moors Foundation Women begin their 2026/27 league campaign against Stourbridge Women today, with the game kicking off at 2pm at Studley Sports Centre.

They’ll then travel to Coundon Court next Sunday before returning home to face Hednesford Town on 30 August.

👉 Good luck to the team for the new season!

Ice hockey season is getting closer too.

The Solihull Barons return to action over the Bank Holiday weekend with a pre-season double-header against the Invicta Dynamos.

The Barons head away on Saturday 29 August, before the return fixture in Solihull on Sunday 30 August at 5.30pm.

Then the competitive stuff begins: their first Division 1 game of the new campaign is at home against Nottingham Lions on Sunday 6 September at 5.30pm.

If you've never watched the Barons at Planet Ice before, this could be a good season to give local ice hockey a go.

👉 Follow the Solihull Barons

Over at Copt Heath, Silhillians RUFC are back in pre-season ahead of the start of their 2026/27 campaign.

Both the men's and women's sides are already back training, with the club preparing for another season of rugby at the Memorial Ground.

The Sils 1st XV begin their Regional 2 Midlands West season at home against Kenilworth on Saturday 12 September.

So while there’s still a little while before the competitive action begins, rugby Saturdays in Solihull aren't too far away.

👉 Follow Silhillians RUFC

• Bin collections: https://digital.solihull.gov.uk/BinCollectionCalendar/
• Council news + updates: https://www.solihull.gov.uk/news
• Travel disruptions (West Midlands): https://disruptions.tfwm.org.uk/

Thanks for reading Solihull Spotlight 💙 let’s chat again on Thursday! Hit reply and tell me what you want more of next week: family, events, food, deals, walking routes, live music, sport, or hidden gems.

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